Has God Been Removed from our Schools?

In the wake of the horror of Newtown, Connecticut, I want to weigh in on the controversial subject of gun control. Not because I want to make lots of enemies. Not because I think its time for Christians to get all political (we are anyway; inevitably our Kingdom of God gospel is political to its core). Not even because Im a Canadian and heres another opportunity to scold those big, bad Americans (well, maybe thats a tiny bit of it!). But there are reasons that matter much more. Over and over again after Fridays massacre, Christians have been posting, Thats what happens when we remove God from our schools. I have a problem with that logic on two accounts: (1) the simple reasonall the evidence to the contrary, and (2) a more complex reasonthe theology behind this logic. So first, the theological trouble with this kind of reasoning. So many Christians dont want the government to legislate on guns, yet they want the government to legislate the Bible and the Lords Prayer back into public schools. As if its the government who decides whether to keep God in the schools or kick God out. But Christianity has never believed that the kingdom of God is advanced by force and coercion. We believe that God comes into schools when faithful, gracious, godly staff, students and parents walk through the doors and selflessly love others around them with Jesus kind of love. Its Islam which teaches that God is to be legislated into all areas of public life, including schools. Muslim society is meant to be regulated by Sharia law. But this is not the teaching of Christianity. Christians believe God works in human hearts, transforming human beings from inside out through loving witness and gentle persuasion. Through acts of kindness, not coercion and legislation, God enters every sphere of private and public life. This is the rule of the Kingdom of God, according to Jesus. The second reason for challenging the illogic of the statement, Thats what happens when we remove God from our schools is set out starkly by this poster from Handgun Control. Lets face it: America is full of Christians with guns. Japan, Israel, Sweden, Canada and Germany are full of secularists without guns. Isnt it time for American Christians to simply ask, Where does the evidence lead? We make ourselves odious to thinking non-Christians with pretentious, and unfounded statements like, Thats what happens when we remove God from our schools. The same people who are making these statements are determined that easy access to killer weapons is their inalienable right. American Christians, Im asking you: Is the right to bear arms really worth it?