California Allows Financing at Religious Schools

[Richard Myers]

The devil is at work in these last days. It is evidence that Jesus is coming soon!

Everyone likes money. It is the root of all evil. California will allow Religious colleges to participate in the state bond funding program. It gives a lower interest  rate on borrowed money for school construction projects. But, this does not come without strings in California, one of the most immoral of states. Attorneys will argue anything. The more they argue, the more money they make. So, it is better to go to the law rather than have an attorney tell you what the law says.

Here is the bottom line on what the state will require of the church's school if they take the bait (the bond money).  This comes from the State of California in a new bill  proposal explaining the current law. This is what they say is "the test".


"Do the schools' secular classes consist of information and coursework that is neutral with respect to religion?"   State of California, State Committee on Education

Here is the court's ruling in 2007 on the matter:

"As explained below, in resolving a state constitutional issue we conclude that the pertinent inquiry should center on the substance of the education provided by these three school, not on their religious character.  Therefore, whether the schools are pervasively sectarian (as the parties have assumed) is not a controlling factor in determining the validity of the bond funding program under our state constitution.  Rather, the program's validity turns on two questions: 1) Does each of the recipient schools offer a broad curriculum and secular subjects? 2) Do the school's secular classes consist of information and coursework that is neutral with respect to religion?  This test insures that the state's interest in promoting the intellectual improvement of its residents is advanced through the teaching of secular information and coursework, and that the expression of a religious viewpoint in otherwise secular classes will provide a benefit to religion that is merely incidental to the bond programs primary purpose of promoting secular education.

Finally, we conclude that a public bond program satisfying our state constitution would not violate the establishment clause of the first amendment to the Federal constitution.
"  California Supreme Court Decision

If a church school wishes to establish their education on the Bible, not on the world's view of what is called "higher education" then how can we call the curriculum "neutral"? We cannot. If the school is patterned after the schools in the world and not after the Bible, then the State of California will be happy to allow the school to participate in the bond funding program.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has specific guidelines for how its schools are to operate. It is true that some may have strayed, but the guidelines are very clear that our schools are not to be "neutral" in what is presented. The Bible is to be the foundation for all that is taught in our schools. That includes science classes. True science is in perfect harmony with the Bible.

[Vicki]

That's right; true science is in harmony with the Bible as much as true math follows God's principles. God should not be left out of any subject for all things come from Him. I spend time each year trying to figure out how to put God into each subject - not remove Him. It is a shame to be blinded by money.

[Michael Peabody]

It doesn't take an attorney to understand clearly what California expects.  And it is not unreasonable for the state to use its funds in ways that are neutral to religion. As Adventists we have long supported that form of separation of church and state. 

What is unreasonable, however, is accepting those funds and claiming that one doesn't have to be neutral, or in the alternative, jettisoning one's faith to do so.  Both are ditches on either side of a road that is too narrow to travel.  In fact it is impossible not to go one of those two directions.  But representing to the church that it is religious and to the state that it is secular will probably be viewed very suspiciously by the state even if the church doesn't respond.

It is rare to see an institution so brazenly try to publicly walk this kind of a fine line.  The fact that the State Supreme Court was so reluctant to grant this right to bonds even in the majority opinion, and took such pains to list the requirements in detail should sound an alarm.   

[Richard Myers]

It doesn't take an attorney to understand clearly what California expects.  And it is not unreasonable for the state to use its funds in ways that are neutral to religion. As Adventists we have long supported that form of separation of church and state. 

Amen!  We want the state to remain neutral towards religion. On the other hand, my post went a little further and recognizes that the State of California is not neutral towards religion, at least Bible based religion. It is very hostile towards Bible morality. We find ourselves in an interesting position as we argue for a neutrality, but in fact want to protect children from the immorality running rampant in public schools. And, the state would enforce her "neutral" position on church schools if she could.

But, in this topic, we are focusing on the issue of the enticement for Christian schools to accept the bonding program in exchange for not teaching things such as creation as fact and having to teach evolution as fact.  What Christian school would enter into such an agreement? It would do great disservice to its youth and to Christ.