Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 24, 1990 TAG: 9005240671
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG LENGTH: Medium
Hundreds of students, parents and alumni gathered in the Spotswood High auditorium for a board meeting Wednesday night.
School Board attorney Phil Stone recommended that the Bibles not be distributed.
"This decision is not about what is the popular opinion of the [community]," Stone said. "Sometimes there will be 99 percent support . . . however, it is our opinion . . . that it would be an unconstitutional act if done in the way it was proposed."
Spotswood senior Ken Davis said he favored the distribution of the Bibles purchased by the Ruritan Club.
"First, it is a tradition that has been discontinued seemingly without consent," said Davis, who said he spoke for a majority of the senior class. "No one asked the student body what their feelings were, or the parents for that matter. Virtually the entire community is behind us."
Davis said halting the distribution would be the beginning of further censorship.
"Where will they stop? Will they continue to take until they pull Bibles from the public library shelves, close churches, Christian bookstores and take Bibles from our homes?" Davis said.
Kristin Loerzel, a student who questioned the distribution of Bibles at graduation, said she has been persecuted by students. She said there are about eight students who support her position.
"Because I feel strongly in the separation of church and state and have condemned the Bible distribution, people have wrongly assumed that I am anti-Christian, anti-God, anti-tradition," Loerzel said. "I feel no one should have to say no to a Bible publicly because there's such a high probability that they will be persecuted for that."
Some parents are concerned about what will happen if the board stops the distribution.
"Please don't let them leave feeling our system doesn't work," said Linda Parsons, whose son will graduate in June.
Davis suggested that the Bibles be placed on a table and picked up by students after they receive their diplomas, rather than having them handed out.
"If it (the Bible) is not read aloud and they are not compelled to take a Bible, no one's rights have been invaded," Davis said.
The right to have a Bible is not in question, Stone said.
"The First Amendment clause, Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion," and court decisions binding all public bodies to that clause are the issues, he said.
by CNB