Biblical Instruction Quotes
With the exception of a few theocracies, the power to set standards of education is claimed by virtually every government in the world. Some national governments have traditionally delegated some or much of the power to state, regional or local governments. The United States has been one of the rare exceptions. The words “education” or “schools” never even appear once in the U. S. Constitution. Therefore, in the U. S. the power belongs with the state governments. (Recently with “No Child Left Behind” the U. S. Federal government has been involved in educational standards setting.) This quotation is used by many as a classic example of a practice of many right wing fundamentalist Christians and Jews who extrapolate from the Bible to determine which legislation God wants or opposes. Most Christian and Jewish clerics and theologians however reject this notion and have a more modern view of the role of God in the democratic political process. Both the United States and Canada have very small minorities who hold the Stockwell Day position. On difference however is that in the United States, such extreme fundamentalists rarely enter or succeed in politics.
