The Old Deluder Satan Law
How a Legislative Measure Against the Devil Created Public Education
The "Old Deluder Satan Law" was not passed for the purpose of ushering in a new era of largely secular public schools, though it ended up having that effect. Its purpose was to blame Satan as the root cause for people's ignorance. Since the cure for ignorance was thought to be education, it mandated that every town have a school for children to learn about God and government. It was the first time eduction had been legislated in America.
The Text of the Old Deluder Satan Law
“It being one chief point of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scriptures, as in former times, by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times, by persuading them from the use of tongues that so at last the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded by false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers, that learning might not be buried in the graves of our fathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavours…”
Satan Usurps God as Purveyor of Ignorance
Although Satan had been known to Christians for thousands of years as the Prince of Lies, the Great Deceiver, or other names implying dishonesty, Satan had not been well known as a spreader of ignorance. Instead, that role had traditionally gone to God, with human knowledge and reason thought to be fallible, sinful, and even demonic. Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, said "Reason is the Devil's Harlot."
Knowledge as God's Work
Just as Satan's realm was defined by ignorance, God's realm became defined by knowledge and education. This view ran contrary to many passages of scripture. Proverbs 1:7 says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Proverbs 3:5 states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Corinthians 3: 19-20 says "This world's wisdom is foolishness." The mandatory education, which included education about secular topics, was a step forwards for human reason, knowledge, and wisdom.
Setting the Stage for Conflict
The early Massachusetts settlers were quite religious, and were likely unaware that their standard for mandatory secular education would eventually evolve into federally run schools that prohibited the teaching or endorsement of religion. The standard of ignorance being the Devil's work and knowledge being holy would set the stage for future struggles such as the Scopes Monkey Trial and the Dover School Board Trial. Ironically, those claiming to represent God's wishes went against the standard of value for knowledge that was established in the Old Deluder Satan Law.
In summary, the Old Deluder Satan Law marked an important legislative first for establishing schools that promoted secular knowledge. It also marked an important shift in many believers from resenting reason and knowledge to viewing them as Heaven-sent.
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