Religion, Morality and Knowledge were taught to all students in school. There were laws as well as an understanding that no sect or denomination's beliefs were to be taught over another. Jefferson wrote a bill in Virgina: "No religious reading, instruction, or exercise shall be prescribed or practiced inconsistent with the tenets of any religious sect or denomination." These teachings were to form good citizens with a good moral foundation, and the nation would flourish. And it did.
George Washington's Farewell Address: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports...And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion...Reason an experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail to the exclusion of religious principle."
Tocqueville: "The revolutionists of America are obliged to profess an ostensible respect for Christian morality and equity, which does not permit them to violate wantonly the laws that oppose their designs...This, while the law permits the American to do what they please, religion prevents them from conceiving, and forbids them to commit, what is rash or unjust." He also commented that American clergy held no political office, or were a part of administration. Different from Europe: "The unbelievers in Europe attack the Christians as their political opponents rather than as their religious adversaries; they hate the Christian religion as the opinion of a [political] party much more than as an error of belief; and they reject the clergy less because they are representative of the Deity than because they are allies of government." In America religion provided moral stability and the government could function well. Church and State separated. Now the State isolates religion, because religion is the last thing that stands between liberty and tyranny, the absolute rule of the State.
Now the Federally controlled education system, which was designed to be run by states, is anti-religious, doesn't even broach the subject of morality (except the new morality of obedience to the State) and Knowledge which at the time was regarded as "intellectual awareness and understanding of established facts relating to any field of human experience or inquiry (i.e., history geography, science, etc.)" [Basic American Documents by Geroge de Huszar] Religion was to be taught as the principles and beliefs about man's origin, and relationship to the universe and each other.
Now we have kids being taught in K-5 about homosexuality and transgender reassignment. Kids are coming out of school not knowing history, math, science, geography, music and the arts. We had a semester each of government and economics. Kids don't know 'knowledge' nor do they know how to treat others. After 9/11 a girl in San Francisco said, 'Why should I care? I didn't know any of those people.'
I'm hoping this country comes to its senses and starts applying the principles noted above to education, justice (which I'll write about later) and government.
