Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 6, 1995 TAG: 9502060090
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium
But when suppressing freedom of religion amounts to stifling free expression, the rivals who often clash over conflicting interpretations of the First Amendment say they find common ground.
ACLU President Nadine Strossen and Robertson, founder of the ACLU's conservative rival American Center for Law and Justice, or ACLJ, will take part in a symposium on that subject Feb. 23 at the College of William and Mary.
``This is an issue in which both of them are intensely interested and both want to affect the way the country addresses its policies,'' said Peter Owen, director of the symposium, which is being organized by law school students at William and Mary.
Robertson and Strossen won't debate. He will give keynote remarks; she will take part in a panel discussion and speak afterward.
Other members of the panel will include Jay Sekulow, chief attorney for Robertson's Virginia Beach-based ACLJ, and Elliot Mincberg, legal director of People for the American Way, a Washington-based organization that challenges efforts to push religious activities into the classroom.
``This is a very timely issue,'' Owen said. ``Basically, it's a time when we are not at all sure how we want to draw the line between government and religion.''
Republicans swept November's elections and conservatives took charge of Congress, reviving an interest in both houses in a constitutional amendment to allow prayer or a ``moment of silence'' in schools.
In Virginia, the state Board of Education took up the thorny topic of religion in the classroom last month, suggesting preliminary guidelines on such things as permitting student Bible clubs to use school facilities and how much classroom discussion to allow on literature with religious themes.
On March 1, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case brought by a Christian student group against the University of Virginia, whose founder, Thomas Jefferson, is considered the father of U.S. religious freedom and the doctrine of separation of church and state.
The students contend the university discriminated against their magazine by denying its request for money from a student activity fund that subsidizes Jewish and Muslim cultural organizations.
The ACLU and People for the American Way vigorously have opposed religious activities in public schools that might be construed as government sponsorship of religion.
by CNB