A complaint by a Wisconsin group has prompted Hamilton County schools Superintendent Jim Scales to ban prayer over loudspeakers at pre-game events, forcing the system to become more fully consistent with its anti-christian presuppositions.

Christians in Chattanooga should not be surprised at one more effort to erase any Christian influence in the lives of people given to the charge of the government school. The process of removing God from the classroom has been a very long program, many details of which haven’t made the front page of the local newspaper. The antagonism to Christianity has been implemented routinely for decades in all areas of study, from science and government to history and literature, and in these man is the measure of all things, and not God and His Word.

“Students are a captive audience,” Annie L. Gaylor of the Freedom from Religion Foundation told the Times Free Press. “They’re required to go to school. When there is a violation like a prayer at a school, they’re really vulnerable; it’s a violation of their civil rights.”

Ms. Gaylor is making an important point. Students in the public school are “captive.” They are “vulnerable.” To what? They are captive of the school system. They are vulnerable to the Good News of Jesus Christ and should be insulated from it.

Christian homeschoolers realize what the card-carrying official bigots are saying. What they decry, home educators applaud. Exposure to Christianity might catch, and the plague of it spread. They can’t let that happen! Religious freedom and political freedom are bound up together, and public school parents deny their children both. Homeschoolers in the private and free sector exercise their liberty before the law and before God. Prayers will continue at homeschool sporting and educational events sponsored by our association.

I don’t want people to be too surprised at Dr. Scales’ exercise of authority. Since government has declared itself the enemy of Christianity, we cannot expect that its factory school will be any different from its master. For how else can the civil magistrate, who has seized for himself the educational ministry of the family, propagate his ideas and his control into coming generations? To maintain official atheism, he must control the school, the teacher, the curriculum and even the PA system prior to the football game.

Attackers of Christianity such as this foundation make pious statements that pretend deference to religion. But their goal is not deference and respect, but hostility. Deep pockets of such activist groups cow many schools and municipal governments into obliterating any trace of Christianity or of the nation’s Christian heritage from their property and their activities. The goal of Christ’s enemies is to create in the American people a totally private Christianity that has no public manifestation whatsoever (lest any should be offended).

Gary Hargraves of Chattanooga is the president of CSTHEA.

Among his accomplishments:

• Eagle Scout with CSTHEA Troop 80
• Member CSTHEA Patriots high school soccer team
• Lead role in CSTHEA Players the “Mikado”
• Ambassador and member, National Society of High School Scholars
• Member Chattanooga Boys Choir/ two time cantabile award recipient
• Third chair cellist Chattanooga Symphony Youth Orchestra
• AWANA summit silver medalist and meritorious award winner
• Oakwood Baptist Church orchestra/praise band
• ACDA honor choir

Caleb’s desire is to be used of God in whatever path He leads him. He is considering a career in pediatrics.

Caitlyn Sudkamp, daughter of Tony and Linda Neuhoff of Signal Mountain, was chosen for high moral character and many accomplishments. She is a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church and a longtime choir member. She went to state competition in Nashville March 19 and 20 as a mock trial team member. Caitlyn has been involved with the yearbook, theatrical productions, science and history fairs, oratory contests and dual enrollment classes.

Recognized at the Chattanooga Regional Science Fair with certificates of achievement from the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, Caitlyn was honored in 2006 with a 1st place chemistry award and 3rd place overall. After placing all nine years entered at the Southeast Tennessee history fair and advancing all six years eligible to the state level, Caitlyn competed at the National History Day the last two years in Washington, D.C.

Caitlyn will be attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in August 2010 to study graphic art design, with minors in creative writing and music performance.

• 2009 Quickstart Guide
• 2009 Quickstart – Preschool

The Union Gospel Mission has been bounced twice already from temporary quarters after it was forced to leave its longtime abode on East Main Street.

“This has been a time that our faith has been tested, fortunately we were granted an extension by the Salvation Army and we have until Monday (June 22),” said Jon Rector, director of the 59-year-old mission to destitute and homeless men. The original deadline had been Saturday (June 20).

“We have heard from many people in Chattanooga and the surrounding region that are praying for us and are putting us before the throne of grace even as we speak. Among them are folks who care so much about the family and the home life that they are a class to themselves — homeschoolers. I want them particularly to remember me and my men.”

“I want them to be interested in our work encouraging and caring for men whose lives are full of poverty, discouragement and disaster, and who are often very open to the message of Jesus Christ, having fallen very low in their personal circumstances.”

“Homeschoolers are at the opposite end of the social spectrum of homeless men, and therefore might have greater empathy for them than do others. Union Gospel Mission is all about pouring out God’s grace on them; right now we need a little mercy ourselves.”

Rev. Rector invited homeschool teen boys to help relocate the group’s property and stores. The time will be between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday. Union Gospel Mission’s borrowed quarters are at the Salvation Army at 800 McCallie Ave.

The ultimate destination of the nonprofit group’s property was not immediately known.