Madalyn Murray O'Hair......... Founding Mother of the Decline in Human Decency!?

Question

In 1963 she caused prayer and bible readings to be banned from all public schools.

Do you agree or disagree that she is the reason for the decline in human decency and the incline of school crime?

Answer 1

Ms O'Hair may not be the only reason for the decline but she sure set a scary precedent. We are supposed to live in a democracy but when one person can trump the rights of millions of Americans we are headed down a slippery slope. The definition of a Democracy is "a form of government for the people by the will of the majority of the people" And don't believe the separation of church and state crowd....how about my freedom of religion?

Answer 2

I beleive that it was the result of something that was already happening. We cannot expect the unbelievers to behave like anything but unbelievers- unfortunately Christians have not been behaving like Christians- when this was going onwhere were the prayer warriors? Where were those standing up for their rights, where were the parents teaching their children what their God given and legal rights were ??
This is happening at even more of an alarming rate today. The unbelievers will have their way and they don't have to try that hard. Many Christians are taking the Lord's name in vain- calling themselves by His holy name but living according to the flesh. Many Christians I speak to have no idea what their rights are regarding prayer and religious expression in school and the workplace. We are actively giving up our rights through our own ignorance and apathy.

I don't blame the state of things on the unbelievers- where are the children of God, praying, standing in the gap, folowing His commands, living a sanctified and set apart life??
When Yeshua, Jesus is lifted up in our lives , then men will be drawn to Him.

There will always be those striving to hinder our God given rights - there will always be sin, pain and death in the world- it is up to us to stand and endure to the end, throughout the trials and adversity, praying, standing in the gap and living according to the statutes of the Lord!

Madelynn Murray O'Hare has become a scapegoat for the Christians lack of action today- it was 44 years ago- it is time to stop using her as an excuse.

Answer 3

Perhaps she contributed to it. Although I am a Christian, I agree with what most of the people have said (seperation of church and state is a good thing). I do not think that it should be mandatory that children pray in school, but if the majority of the children are Christians, and choose to pray. Then they should have the right too. But then, you have to flip the circumstance. If the majority of the children were Wiccans practicing witchcraft in school, would you really want your kids to be around that? I think that good aspects (such as the ten commandments, and some small non-offending exerpts of other religions) should be presented to students.

Answer 4

Wait, you are saying that human decency has declined because Christians can no longer teach their religious ideas to every child in the nation as fact?

Would you feel the same if the teachers were indoctrinating your children in another faith? Could the teachers teach your child Wiccan prayers and have them recite them every morning before class and you'd be fine with that?

Might you not go to court to stop that? Why is it any different that anyone went to court to stop the christian indoctrination?

Any child from any faith is still allowed to pray in school. The law simply says that teachers or other school personnel cannot lead them in prayer.

Answer 5

I'm a Christian, and I disagree. While I do not agree with the late Ms. O'Hair and her opinions, she certainly had a right to speak them. Furthermore, there's no proven correlation between the lack of prayer in public schools and school violence. Human decency and personal responsibility are issues that one cannot lazily pin on any single public figure, but must work out for oneself.

Answer 6

Well, according to her son she was a horrible mother. That is probably why he became a Christian. But I don't think legal battles are anything other than reflections of cultural changes. If anything, she made it a bit more difficult to be openly atheist because she was of such bad character. And America had plenty to repent of even during the colonial days, when the only theological argument was if Catholics should hold office or Protestants only.

Answer 7

I agree that not letting students that want to study scripture in schools has lead to the decline in decency, since they are looking for an outlet of their spirituality and this has been hampered.
I do believe as well though that family upbringing plays a more major role in this matter, families have given less importance no days to church and its importance, religiosity has been set aside for profession and education, with no basis on spiritual foundations.
These combined have lead to todays problems, only to get worse, I dare to mention, that is until we start to rebel and demand our rights as well.
God bless and take care.

Answer 8

No!
Although America is soon becoming a nation that has no God.
She was killed some years ago by a worker in her home.
Her son became a Christian.

This country has always been on a spiritual decline, much like Europe.

Answer 9

no, baby. we need to claim our children, not matter what belief we are, claim them, meaning support them in whatever they do---this is such a self centered society, with the divorce rate so high and the parents are out saying "i'm gonna have a good time, kid or no kid"

some say Elvis is the cause of the decline in human decency

Answer 10

People don't pray in public school in Japan, Sweden or Canada, and crime rates are pretty low there.

Oral Roberts U was established in 1963. Maybe that's the real reason.