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

DATE: SUNDAY, December 18, 1994                   TAG: 9502100007
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BRIAN BOGGESS RADFORD HIGH SCHOOL
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PRAYER IS A PERSONAL MATTER

With the Republicans gaining the majority in Congress, new ideas for improvement of the country have been proposed. The leading issue the GOP is stressing is reinstating prayer in school.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States clearly states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." Prayer in school goes against the American people's right to freedom of religion by forcing a religion upon them. The new Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, is working not only to allow school prayer, but to promote it.

All have the right to choose their religion just as much as they have the right to practice it. By instituting prayer in school, the majority rules, but the minority is guaranteed the right to be heard by the First Amendment.

Prayer should be a personal matter. If the school system sets a specific time to pray, that time is likely to be when an administrator feels prayer should take place. Even if the school takes a vote and the majority of the student body decides when to pray, someone will still be losing their right to personal choice. A person can pray at any time during the day - before school, during school or after school. But they should pray when they feel the need to, not when someone else feels the need.

Setting aside a moment of silence would allow students to pray or think about anything. People need to have a time for personal reflection, but once again it needs to be when they choose, not when someone else chooses for them. Legislators should not be allowed to force prayer on students. Only a few of the upperclassmen would even be old enough to vote on the issue.

The Republicans say reinstating prayer in school will lower the crime rate. That's not likely. The criminal portion of our society is not going to take the prayer to heart, and thus it would do no good. School prayer is not the answer to the crime problem in America.

School prayer should be something done voluntarily and should not be a required thing set aside each day in school. In the words of Jesse Jackson, "As long as they continue to teach physics and calculus in school, there will always be school prayer."

Brian Boggess is a senior at Radford High School. He will attend the University of Virginia in the fall.

by CNB