Franklin Graham: I Will Not Worship ‘Rainbow Pride Flag’

Celebrated Christian evangelist Franklin Graham has taken issue with the Democrats’ extreme push of the LGBTQ agenda, saying he will stand with biblical morality.

“I will not bow down at the altar of the LGBTQ agenda nor worship their rainbow pride flag,” Rev. Graham said in reaction to Beto O’Rourke’s promise to strip churches of their tax-exempt status if they do not recognize homosexual marriage.

“I’m going to stand with the Word of God, the Holy Bible, which is truth from cover to cover,” Graham added in a three-part tweet.

Rev. Graham, the son of “America’s Pastor,” Billy Graham, was reacting to CNN’s “Equality in America” town hall meeting held on Thursday, which focused on LGBTQ issues with 2020 presidential candidates of the Democrat party.

Beto O’Rourke “said churches, religious organizations, universities that don’t go along w/ same-sex marriage should lose their tax-exempt status,” Graham noted. “This gives you a clue of what the progressive, socialist-leaning Dem. Party would try to force on our nation if they win any election.”

“They will create laws & ‘consequences’ that would punish those who don’t agree with them. This is a threat to religious freedom & free speech,” he said.

Last month, Rev. Graham came out against South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for his efforts to defend abortion and homosexuality as Christian positions.

“Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been speaking openly about his support for abortion, which he says is a woman’s right to choose. That’s a crock — No one has the right to choose murder,” Rev. Graham wrote to his eight million Facebook followers in response to a Townhall article on Buttigieg’s efforts to redefine Christian morality.

During an interview with The Breakfast Club, Mayor Pete said the Bible is ambiguous about when life begins, and, thus, Christianity allows for a range of positions on abortion.

“There’s a lot of parts of the Bible which talk about how life begins with breath,” the Democrat presidential hopeful said. “And even so, that’s something that we can interpret differently.”

Mayor Pete has also insisted that Christianity has no problem with same-sex marriage, despite the numerous biblical passages that condemn homosexuality as an abomination before God and the unbroken Christian tradition that treats homosexual practice as gravely sinful.

“Mayor Pete is trying to tell people that the homosexual lifestyle is okay with God and that abortion is okay,” Graham wrote on Facebook. “His brother-in-law is right when he said, ‘This is leading people astray and it’s very, very dangerous.’”

“God defines right and wrong, not us,” Graham concludes. “As Christians, we are to live by the standards He gives us in His Word. ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.’ (Isaiah 45:5).”

Perverted New York School Bus Driver Predator Who Raped 14-year-old Girl Will Serve No Prison Time

A New York man who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl will serve only 10 years probation and no time in jail for his crime, a judge has ruled.

Shane Piche, a 25-year-old former Watertown City School District bus driver met his young victim through his bus route last year. He bought the girl gifts before inviting her to his home, offering her alcohol and raping her in June 2018, according to the Watertown Daily Times. 

Piche was arrested in September of the same year and was initially charged with second-degree rape, first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child and endangering the welfare of a child.

The former bus driver, who pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of third-degree rape in February 2019, was handed his controversial sentence on April 25 by Jefferson County Supreme Court Judge James P. McClusky.

The judge also ruled that in addition to his 10 years of probation, Piche will have to pay $1,000 to register as a Level 1 sex offender — the lowest risk designation — and cannot be left alone with anyone under the age of 17. The district attorney’s office had previously requested Piche register as a Level 2 offender.

The verdict sparked an uproar, with many slamming the sentence’s leniency, including the victim’s family.

“I wish Shane Piche would have received time in jail for the harm he caused to my child,” the girl’s mother wrote in a statement, WWNY reports. “He took something from my daughter she will never get back and has caused her to struggle with depression and anxiety.”

Judge McClusky later justified the ruling by pointing out Piche’s previously clean record and noting there was only one victim in the case, according to the Watertown Daily Times. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, a petition seeking to recall Judge McClusky had received over 9,400 signatures, 600 shy of its 10,000-signature goal.

In 2014 a 60 year old school bus driver in New York was jailed for masturbating…. I guess the laws have now changed, the more harm that is done to a child the less punishment that is received!

Mom Sues School for ‘Victimizing’ Her Son with LGBTQ Views

A British mom is suing her son’s school for indoctrinating students with pro-LGBTQ ideology without parental permission.
 
Izoduwa “Izzy” Montague, 35, accuses Heavers Farm Primary School in London of “the systematic proselytization of its young and vulnerable pupils” after children were forced to participate in the school’s LGBTQ “Proud to Me” event last summer. 

Montague is seeking a “five-figure sum” from the school. She has also filed a formal complaint to Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary for England and Wales. 

According to The Sunday Times, Montague and other parents were treated “dismissively” for opposing the pride celebration.

“We have to make sure parents are back in control of what happens to their children in the school system,” Montague told The Sunday Times. “I don’t think we wave them goodbye at the school gates and say ‘do what you like with them’.”

LGBTQ views being taught in schools

Montague’s legal representation, the UK’s Christian Legal Centre (CLC), informed LifeSiteNews that when she met with Susan Papas, the head teacher, she was confronted by Papas’ own daughter, who also teaches at the school, who was wearing an aggressively pro-LGBTQ t-shirt.

The t-shirt asked, “‘Why be racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic, when you can just be quiet?'”  

Days later, Montague received a letter from the school dismissing her complaint. The letter argued corporate pride events are acceptable so they are acceptable in school as well. 

On the same day, Montague’s five-year-old son was “for the first time in his life” given a detention for three hours, and he was punished again with another hour the following day. 

When Montague came to the school to discuss her son’s treatment, she was barred from the building.

“They (staff) deemed her to be uncooperative and hostile,” CLC’s Robert Kiska told LifeSiteNews.

“After I complained about my young child being forced to take place in an event that goes against our Christian beliefs, the school’s attitude towards me changed completely,” stated Montague. “I know other parents who are afraid to speak up because of how the school has treated me.”

“It was like being bullied,” she continued. “They stopped treating me like any other parent but were antagonistic towards me. I believe that they retaliated against me unreasonably by excluding me from the premises, victimizing my child and not taking my safeguarding concerns seriously.”

“I wasn’t even trying to stop the Pride event. I just wanted my child to receive an education, rather than indoctrination,” she added. 

 Children are read to by a cross dresser in an American library 

CLC states Heavers Farm Primary School is “forcing a very aggressive LGBT agenda onto children under 12 years of age in a manner which abuses parental rights and victimizes parents.”

The organization states many parents are scared to speak out because of the fear their children will be “further victimized and/or expelled.”

Since the incident, Montague and her husband, Shane, have removed their child from the school. 

Trinity Christian Academy Teacher/Coach Fired For Inappropriate Relationship with Student

Students, parents and staff at the Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, are in shock after school officials announced Thursday that a popular Bible teacher and soccer coach was fired for having an “inappropriate relationship” with a student.

“On Tuesday, in keeping with legal and our own internal reporting guidelines, TCA reported an inappropriate relationship between a high school teacher and high school student to our local law enforcement,” the school confirmed in a statement to The Christian Post on Friday morning.

“In addition to the reporting, we have terminated the employment of the teacher. We are deeply saddened by this situation, because it is so far removed from the standards and values to which we hold our faculty and embrace as a school. We are committed to offering care and support for the student and all families impacted,” it ended.

While the school did not reveal any further details on the teacher, James Baltz, a former student who now works at the school told News4Jax that the fired teacher was a Bible teacher and soccer coach who was popular among students.

“When I heard about it, I was in complete, like, all in shock,” Baltz said. “It’s just completely awful that it happened in this environment, especially a Christian environment.”

Students like Baemnet Abetew, a 12th-grader, revealed that news of the teacher’s firing had rippled through the entire school community.

“It did shock me. I didn’t think anything like this would happen here,” Abetew said. “It is scary because it’s something that could have happened to me.” 

Zarek Jones, a soccer player who was coached by the fired teacher, told First Coast News that: “We thought he was cool. We’d go to his classroom and eat lunch there.”

He said he knows the female student who was involved with his coach but his teammates thought they were “just friends.”

“We thought they were just friends,” Jones said.

“I know he shouldn’t have done this,” he added. “I don’t know whether to be mad or sad, but he taught us not to do stuff like this.”

Auna Nix, a parent whose son attends the school, called the situation heartbreaking.

“It just scares me as a parent,” she said. “But I trust the school that they’re going to make the right decision.” 

When contacted for comment on the case Friday, the Jacksonville Police Department could not immediately provide any details on whether a report was made.

Trinity Christian Academy was founded in 1967 under the sponsorship of Trinity Baptist Church of Jacksonville “as an educational program that would provide not only the academic, social, physical, and values training, but also the spiritual training necessary for a well-rounded education,” according to their website.

Illinois Senate Passes Bill that Requires LGBT History in Public Schools and California Wants in

The Illinois Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would require public schools in the state to teach lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history, as well as use inclusive and “non-discriminatory” textbooks.  

The bill, which passed with a 34-18 vote, would require “all elementary and high schools to teach a unit studying ‘the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State,’ Fox News reported.

Supporters of the legislation, such as Democratic Sen. Heather Steans, who sponsored the measure, told Fox News that teaching LGBT history in schools is important to “increase compassion and understanding as well as to provide historical role models for LGBT students.”

“This measure is consistent with how Illinois public schools teach children about other marginalized communities and ethnicities, and it is one more step toward offering students a complete and accurate historical perspective,” she added.

The measure is not unlike the state’s school code, which “already ensures inclusion in history curriculum of the contributions and experiences of other historically marginalized communities, including of people of color, women, immigrant communities and people with disabilities,” LGBT advocacy group Equality Illinois said in a statement.

Video

Historians wrestle with how to teach LGBT history to schools

However, how much time is spent on the subject would be left up to school districts to decide. 

Opponents argue that the bill contradicts Judeo-Christian beliefs and have raised concerns regarding religious freedom.

“Schools should teach that we should be respectful of each student and each person. This is what we all agree on. However, schools should not be used to advocate for lifestyles that are against the religious values of the students and parents,” Illinois Family Institute lobbyist Ralph Rivera told legislators in a memo, according to The State Journal Register.

But Steans said she has “worked with opponents and have addressed their concerns about whether it is appropriate for children to learn about LGBT history and the implications for religious freedom.”

“This bill is about historical facts,” she added.

The measure will now head to the House, where Steans said she is “hopeful” it will pass. If enacted, Illinois would become the second state to approve an LGBT inclusive curriculum.

Gay history may soon become a mandatory part of history class in California as well. The history books in public schools today include figures from all walks of life that have made significant contributions to the development of this country. In California, some legislators do not believe the curriculum has gone far enough to include all Americans that have played a role in our nation’s history. To rectify the problem, lawmakers have introduced a bill that requires the teaching of gay history in schools. According to an Associated Pressreport, the California Senate approved the measure, but it still must pass the Assembly and Governor Jerry Brown’s desk before it becomes an official law of the state. The California legislation would require schools to add LGBT figures to the list of social and ethnic groups that must already be included in current history lessons. It would also require the California Board of Education and local school districts within the state to adopt textbooks that cover the historical contributions of sexual minorities in this country. Material that reflects adversely on gays or particular religions would be banned from classroom teaching as well. Each school district would be able to determine what material to use and at what age the material would be taught. 

Proponents of the bill say this addition to history books is no different than those made during the Civil Rights movement, when African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, women and other minority groups began to be recognized for their contributions to this country. Supporters add that this legislation would fill an obvious gap in the state’s current social studies curriculum and possibly curb anti-gay sentiment and attitudes that often lead to bullying of gay children in schools.

 

“It’s fine to imagine we would have these expert educators deciding what history education should look like, but that’s counter-historical in and of itself,” New York University history and education professor Jonathan Zimmerman told the Associated Press. “Its citizens’ groups who want to see themselves in the curriculum and see the curriculum as a rich, symbolic battlefield, which it is.”

Opponents of the bill say legislation is unnecessary, and it may lead to teachers providing instruction on sexual orientation, rather than history. Tucker Carlson, host of Daily Caller, said on TPM Muckraker, “At any age, teaching propaganda is wrong. No one is suggesting, and no one, as far as I know in the modern age, has ever suggested that people who are gay not be included in history. I mean, that’s ludicrous. But this bill would teach kids politically charged facts that are not the whole story. It would lie to kids; it would prevent schools from teaching things that somehow reflected poorly on a group that has political power.”

 

Others opposed to the bill say they are concerned about indoctrination of children by adding this material to the history lessons. They do not believe public school teachers should be called to make a value judgment on the gay lifestyle if they are uncomfortable doing so. During one tense hearing before the Senate Education Committee, Robert Evans, a pastor from a California church, wanted to know how the schools would be able to balance a twin mandate that eliminates a bias against gay people while fairly representing religions that do not embrace homosexuality.

 

One of the opponents of the bill, Sen. Doug La Malfa of Butte, told PrideSource, “I’m deeply troubled kids would have to contemplate at a very, very early age, when many of us are teaching abstinence…what is sexuality.”

 America is morally bankrupt, and is now a country of low/no standards- almost anything that’s perverted is allowable and protected! Prayer has been taken out of the schools and replaced with abominable acceptation. The church has been commercialized, compromised to worldly standards to maintain relevance, is ineffective in the local government and no longer a respected voice in our society. Values which were once regarded as the pride of this country are now mocked such as foot-soldiers being men and brides being women. One day, after the new generations of this country have been thoroughly indoctrinated into filthy behaviors and confusing lifestyles, the history books will be re-written once again to teach about a time when the church couldn’t be bought, a man married a woman and a woman was indeed a woman – all of which will be laughable to that generation as if it were fiction. – Mrs. Catherine C. Sutton/Winston Salem,NC

Babylon Today edited/contributed to this post originally posted by NBC NEWS.

 

Christian School Punished Over Biblical Teaching on Homosexuality Files Lawsuit Against School District

According to CP Reporter, Samuel Smith, 

A Christian society in Canada has filed a lawsuit claiming it was punished by a school district for refusing to censor certain biblical references.

The Cornerstone Christian Society of Camrose and three parents of the Cornerstone Christian Academy are suing the Battle River School Division No. 31 after the school’s agreement with the public school district was unilaterally terminated earlier this year.

The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, claims that the Society, which has had held a master agreement with the BRSD to serve as a Christian alternative program since 2009, lost its agreement in June after it initially refused to remove 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 from a revised academy “vision and purpose” document and scrub religious teachings that could be deemed offensive.

Although the school and BRSD had instituted a five-year agreement in 2015, when Cornerstone submitted its vision and purpose document in January 2017, the school was told by division officials that they must remove the biblical passage.

“Based on the position of the Minister of Education and Alberta Education, we do not support leaving this reference in the document,” the lawsuit quotes Imogene Walsh, BRSD assistant superintendent of business, as writing in an email to the school district on Jan. 30.

The Corinthians passage states: “Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

“The Verses reflect Evangelical religious beliefs that BRSD was well aware are foundational to Cornerstone’s religious character,” the lawsuit explains. “BRSD’s request to remove the Verses was a profound interference with the religious character and religious freedoms of the Applicants, as well as the contractual agreement between the parties evidenced by the Master Agreement.” 

According to lawsuit, the master agreement states that BRSD recognizes that Cornerstone is “an educational setting which operates in accordance with the religious beliefs, core values.”

The lawsuit also claims that Laurie Skori, then chair of BRSD Board of Trustees, told the school in an email in May that the concern is about “any actions, teachings or scripture that results in any student, staff member, parent or other stakeholder from being discriminated against based on any protected grounds.”

“For example, any teachings that denigrate or vilify someone’s sexual orientation, since that appears to be the focus, would not permit the school board to meet with its legal obligation,” Skori wrote.

Although Cornerstone eventually agreed to remove the verse from the document in early June, the agreement was official terminated on June 29 and will be effective in June 2018.

“BRSD was not satisfied with the removal of the Verses. Ms. Skori wrote the same day in response to require Cornerstone to make a further concession: that it would not use any Scripture that ‘could be considered inappropriate,'” the lawsuit explains.

In a statement, Justice Centre President John Carpay stated that the school district “acted out of anti-religious prejudice and ideological discrimination” and further argued that the district “lost sight of the best interests of the children.”

According to the court application, the case will be heard on April 17 at a court in Wetaskiwin. The school is seeking a stay of the school district’s decision.

“In attempting to censor the teaching of Biblical sexuality, and in attempting to prevent the Society from communication with staff and parents, BRSD breached its obligations under the Master Agreement, the School Act, the Alberta Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Carpay added.

In June, Skori explained that the school district was “disappointed” with how Cornerstone went public with the school’s request that offensive verses be removed, saying that the situation was turned into a “public spectacle.”

“We are now at the center of a firestorm as a result of information distributed without our knowledge, by the Cornerstone Christian School Society board and their partner in this process, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms,” Lori was quoted by CBC News as saying. “Hate mail is flowing, misinformation and fear-mongering are widespread. The Cornerstone society has compromised our reputation, risked our safety and broken our trust.”

Skori also denied that the school district was trying to restrict religious teachings.

“The board does not want to get involved in things like that. I think it’s up to the school to decide what things are appropriate or not,” Skori stated.

 

Christian school teacher accused of sex romp with student

According to Fox News~A former teacher at a Christian school in Maine was arrested days before Christmas after she allegedly sexually assaulted a student under the age of 14-years-old, officials said.

Nancy Leigh Ann Brann, 43, was taken into custody Dec. 21 after turning herself in at a local jail, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The alleged offenses took place during the fall of 2016 when Brann was a teacher at the Coastal Christian School in Waldoboro, located about 60 miles northeast of Portland,Or. “There is no information the school administration had any knowledge of these alleged offenses prior to being notified by investigators,” the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said the victim was a student under the age of 14 years old at the time, but did not disclose the student’s gender. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request by Fox News for further information. 

Brann was dismissed by the school shortly after the offenses for unrelated issues, the sheriff’s office said. 

The 43-year-old is being held on $10,000 bail, unsecured, with the conditions that she not have contact with the victim, not return to Coastal Christian School and have no contact with children under the age of 16.

 

Christian school teacher charged with 84 counts of sexual abuse

A total of 140 charges have been made against Sioux Center Christian School teacher Curtis Van Dam, dating back to August 2013.

On November 11, 2017 a teacher from a Christian school has been charged with 84 separate counts of sexual abuse after it was claimed he abused students over a four year period.A statement published by the school reads: “We have been told from the beginning that additional charges for a former teacher at Sioux Center Christian would be coming.

Fifth grade teacher Curtis Van Dam, 35, of Sioux Center Christian School in northwest Iowa, US, is accused of abusing an unknown number of pupils from the school between August 2013 and October 2017.

Authorities say charges were filed after a complaint was lodged with police on 18 October, alleging inappropriate conduct between the teacher and a pupil at the school.  But since the original allegations were made 140 separate charges have been filed, including 14 counts of sexual exploitation by a teacher.

“Today, Mr. Curt Van Dam, was charged with 101 felonies and 39 misdemeanors.

 

“On Oct 18, within hours of hearing a complaint, school officials removed Mr Van Dam from the school and immediately contacted authorities. His employment was terminated on Oct 19 and we have been in full cooperation with civil authorities since.

“We’ve wept, now it’s time to weep again. We’ve prayed, now we need to continue praying. We’ve brought our anger and fears to the Lord, and now we need to lay those feelings again at His feet,” the statement read.  

School Administrative Assistant Cheryl Haan told Newsweek that the exact number of students affected by the allegations is still unknown. 

“This case is in the hands of our criminal justice system and we trust that justice will be served. Though the number of charges do not necessarily reflect the number of students, we are grieved again as we hear the extent of the charges. 

The statement also offered reassurance to parents and children: “Kids, we want you to know that we consider you brave for telling your parents, the police, and the interviewers what happened to you. 

“We praise God that your testimony has brought to light a dark secret that none of us adults knew was there.

“Please know that thousands are lifting you before the throne of your Father in heaven…. Trust Him to restore you completely.

“Our focus at Sioux Center Christian continues to be the Christ-centered education of our students, while also providing daily support and guidance to students as needed through their teachers and professional counselors.”

Mr Van Dam has been charged with 14 counts of Sexual Exploitation by a Teacher; 72 counts of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degreee; 12 counts of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree; 2 counts of Lascivious Acts With a Child; 1 count of Lascivious Acts with a Child; 34 counts of Lascivious Conduct with a Minor and 1 count of Indecent Exposure.

 Curtis Van Dam, 35, is said to have been accused of up to 140 sex related crimes at the Sioux Center Christian School in Iowa. The exact number of children affected is still unknown. Sioux Center Police

Mr Van Dam is currently being detained in Sioux County Jail and is awaiting trial.

A tweet sent from the school’s official Twitter account appeared to offer a form where students and parents could sign up to therapy sessions with a school pastor, although the form is now “no longer accepting responses”.

Disney animated series introduces a Male Princess

Disney made a bold statement to its Disney XD audience suggesting that boys can be princesses, like girls! 

On a recent episode of Star vs. The Forces of Evil, the character of Marco Diaz (voiced by Adam McArthur) disguised himself as Princess Turdina to help save the students at St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses from Ms. Heinous, the wicked headmistress.

Marco is about to reveal his truth to the students when Ms. Heinous storms in and outs him herself, pulling down his shirt to reveal a strand of chest hair. But the other princesses stand by Marco’s side.

“That doesn’t prove anything. Princesses can be hairy,” one princess shouts.

“Why does it matter if he’s a boy? Nothing he said was wrong,” another exclaims.

Others join the chorus by saying, “Yeah, we believe in you, Turdina,” “Turdina is a state of mind,” and, “He can be a princess if he wants to!”

Star vs. The Forces of Evil was created by executive producer Daron Nefcy, only the second woman to spearhead her own Disney animated show. The cartoon previously broke ground by featuring the first same-sex kiss for a Disney property on an episode that aired in February.

 Copied from a You Tube clip “If men were male princesses” 

Prayer of Thanks Removed From Elementary School’s Thanksgiving Program~ Following Complaint

JONESBORO, Ark. — A prayer thanking God for life’s blessings was recently removed from an Arkansas elementary school’s Thanksgiving program after one of the nation’s most conspicuous atheist activists groups lodged a complaint.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to the superintendent of the Westside Consolidated School District on Nov. 10 after being informed by a parent that students at Westside Elementary School were sent home with lyrics to memorize for the program, which included a prayer of thanks to God.

“Thank You for the world so sweet/Thank You for the food we eat/Thank You for the birds that sing/Thank You, God, for everything,” the poem was to have read. FFRF contended that the prayer is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” 

“[P]ublic schools have an obligation to remain neutral toward religion,” the letter read. “Moreover, inducing young and impressionable children to give thanks to God is a usurpation of parental authority.”

“Such a practice alienates the students, teachers and members of the community whose religious beliefs are inconsistent with the message being promoted by the school, particularly the 24% of all Americans, and 38% of Americans born after 1987, who are not religious,” FFRF asserted.

The group therefore requested that “all references to God or religion” be removed from the Thanksgiving program, and asked for a written response advising how the district would take steps to do so. 

According to FFRF, Superintendent Scott Gauntt conducted an investigation into the matter and after confirming the inclusion of the prayer of thanks in the program, had it nixed from the event.

“We will be more diligent in the future in an attempt to uphold the letter of the law in regards to separation of church and state,” Gauntt wrote.

FRRF has applauded the move removing God from the Thanksgiving program, calling it a “sincere action to uphold its constitutional obligation to protect the students’ rights of conscience.”

As previously reported, in 1828, just 52 years after the nation’s founding, Noah Webster, known as the Father of American Scholarship and Education, wrote, “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed. … No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”