Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503140052
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short
Stockman, who defeated veteran Democrat Jack Brooks with a big assist from Christian conservatives last year, says he tells prospective employees he would like them to participate in the morning prayer sessions.
But he says the nondenominational meetings are voluntary and that job-related decisions aren't made on the basis of willingness to attend.
``We have got several people that don't attend,'' he said Friday. Stockman himself rarely attends, because of scheduling conflicts.
The American Civil Liberties Union contends the prayer meetings could be a violation of Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act, which protects against discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion and national origin.
But Equal Employment Opportunity Commission spokesman Michael Widomski said that as long as the workplace prayer sessions are voluntary, they aren't illegal.
Stockman, a Baptist who advocates prayer in schools, said he recognizes the controversy about mixing church and state. But he noted that Congress, the Supreme Court and other entities open with a prayer each day.
``It seems so second nature that I'm kind of surprised over the outcry,'' he said after his informal prayer policy was reported Thursday by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill publication.
``Throughout the campaign, we always had prayer, and it didn't seem like we should do anything different once we got elected,'' said Stockman, adding that most of his staffers worked on his campaign.
by CNB