text: Because of a supreme court decision that created a so called separation of church and state.  Before this decision many schools  in the early to mid 1900's actually used scripture to teach reading.  \n\nYou will find nowhere in the writings of our founding fathers the concept of a separation of church and state.  In fact the writings of our founding fathers indicate they saw an important and necessary interweaving of a belief in God and the decisions and actions of state.  The best I can describe the vision of our founding fathers was a one way wall.  This wall prevented state from interfering in church.  But did not in any way seek to prevent a belief in God from influencing state.\n\nThe founding fathers understood the dangers of state interfering in church.  That's one of the primary reasons the colonist left England -- to escape state mandated authority over religious practice which came from the Church of England.  Their writings, though, were very supportive of faith in God influencing the state.\n\nAnd no matter what you hear to the contrary the founding fathers where CHRISTIAN in their religious beliefs.