Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 22, 1995 TAG: 9505230040
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
But Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed disagreed with that conclusion by White House adviser George Stephanopoulos, arguing that an amendment is needed to reverse the climate of hostility toward expressions of religious faith.
The two, appearing on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' also differed sharply on a coalition-proposed constitutional amendment banning abortion.
Stephanopoulos said many Americans don't understand that current law allows students to pray in cafeterias, express their religious views in class and gather to say a prayer at the flagpole before school. President Clinton has no problem with prayers being said at certain graduation ceremonies, he said.
But a constitutional amendment, supported by the Christian Coalition in its ``Contract With the American Family'' announced last week, would blur the separation of church and state, he said.
``You're going to cross the line from allowing free expression, from protecting religion, into coercion of conscience,'' he said.
Reed countered that the Supreme Court has made clear that religious leaders are not allowed to offer prayers at graduation ceremonies or sporting events. The only way to change that, he said, is either to limit the jurisdiction of the courts or change the Constitution.
What is at stake, Reed said, ``is a systematic marginalization of faith in the public square.'' If students want to have a rabbi come in and give a nonsectarian invocation at their high school graduation ceremony, ``we don't believe that anyone should silence or bludgeon those students into submission.''
Republican leaders in Congress have endorsed the Christian Coalition's views on school prayer and abortion but have put off consideration of amending the Constitution while they pressed their economic agenda. But they don't have the votes to pass such amendments.
The Christian Coalition's ``contract'' mentions only in passing the need for a constitutional amendment to ban abortions. ``They realize that there's not support in Congress for that,'' Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, said on ABC's ``This Week With David Brinkley.'' Gramm, who opposes abortion, said there is support for legislation to stop taxpayer funding for abortions or banning late-term abortions.
But Stephanopoulos said the coalition's stand on abortion still went too far.
``When you get into amending the Constitution to abolish a woman's right to choose, you're making criminals out of doctors, you're making criminals out of women,'' he said. ``That is the agenda of the Christian Coalition, no matter how they wrap it up.''
Stephanopoulos also cited a New Jersey study showing a slight rise in abortions when welfare aid was cut off to mothers having additional children, and accused the coalition of supporting policies that contribute to abortion.
Reed said his group is looking at the study and doesn't want to do anything that would lead to more abortions. But he also criticized the welfare state, saying ``the culture of dependency and the culture of abortion have really gone together.''
Reed said he didn't know if there are enough votes for a constitutional amendment, but warned, ``there's going to come a day when we are no longer going to have one out of every three pregnancies ending in the taking of innocent human life.''
by CNB