
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 7, 1991                   TAG: 9104090482
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PUBLIC PRAYERS CAN TRIVIALIZE SACRED PRIVILEGE

EVEN THOSE who lament the marginalization of God and the things of God in public life and discourse can take offense at Cal Thomas' March 27 column ("Prayers for grads should pass muster").

Thomas approvingly quotes legal opinions that would permit such prayers on the grounds that they are essentially trivial: "To invoke Divine guidance . . . is simply a tolerable acknowledgement of beliefs widely held . . . " "(T)he practice . . . is merely an acknowledgement of religious heritage and tradition . . . The prayers are merely . . . incidental . . . "

Those for whom prayer is never "merely" anything other than address to a holy and sovereign God are offended by attempts to use such address "to solemnize public occasions," "creating an air of dignity." Decisions to exclude prayer from such occasions can be based in part on a desire to protect this sacred privilege from such trivialization and self-serving abuse.

Finally, Thomas fails to address the inevitable and thorny questions: In a religiously pluralistic society, to which putative god, goddess or godlet should commencement prayers be addressed? And which claimant(s) to divinity should be invoked for presence and blessing? MARK WM. RADECKE Pastor, Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church ROANOKE

by CNB