The Lord is Not on Trial Here Today (2010)
The Lord Is Not on Trial Here Today, a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning documentary, dives into the remarkable legal battle that shaped the separation of church and state in American public schools.
The film chronicles the courageous journey of Vashti McCollum, an ordinary housewife from central Illinois who found herself at the center of an extraordinary legal case.
In 1940, the Champaign, Illinois public school district introduced a voluntary religion class in its grade schools—a practice mirrored across the nation. Vashti McCollum, however, took issue with this intrusion of religion into the educational system.
When her ten-year-old son, Jim, faced pressure to participate in the class, she decided to take action. The indoctrination she witnessed within those classroom walls fueled her determination to protect her child from religious coercion.
Mrs. McCollum’s resolve led her to file a lawsuit against the Champaign school district, sparking a three-year legal odyssey that would reverberate through history. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where it became a landmark decision.
The court’s ruling in McCollum v. Board of Education established a clear separation between church and state in public schools. This pivotal moment forever altered the landscape of religious influence within educational institutions.
The documentary vividly portrays the intense backlash Vashti McCollum faced. She was labeled “that awful woman” by her neighbors and “that atheist mother” by newspapers nationwide. Her friends distanced themselves, fearing guilt by association.
The Illinois State Legislature even contemplated banning her and her husband from ever working at the state university again. McCollum received up to 200 letters daily—some offering prayers, others harboring ill wishes.
The Lord Is Not on Trial Here Today serves as a powerful reminder of the courage and conviction of ordinary citizens who can effect profound change. Vashti McCollum’s unwavering commitment to her son’s well-being left an indelible mark on American jurisprudence.
In the end, it’s clear: Religion and education must remain separate—a principle that Vashti McCollum fought for, endured hatred for, and ultimately triumphed in securing for generations to come.
