THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607270047
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: 78 lines
HERE WE GO AGAIN. The issue of school prayer is back in the news.
In a public hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, which met earlier this week in Washington, folks debated the pros and cons of a constitutional amendment that would supposedly clarify the role of religion in public life.
Opponents of the plan say it will do a lot more. They say it will expand the use of government funds for religious organizations, opening the door for things like government-funded vouchers for private religious schools. Proponents say their amendment won't give citizens any new rights. They only hope it will help overturn past court decisions that they believe have prevented students from expressing their religious feelings in public schools. They believe it will clear up misunderstandings about the religious rights citizens are already guaranteed by the existing Constitution.
So let me get this straight: A bunch of verbose, double-talking politicians are going to clarify something?
And let me get something else straight: We owe this amendment-to-explain-an-amendment to whom? The Republicans? Aren't they the less-government-is-the-best-government guys? Aren't they the folks who are always telling us that they hate politicians (aka: Democrats) who want to meddle in our lives by making more laws than are necessary?
Hopefully I'm not the only one who sees the humor in this situation. Hopefully I'm also not the only one who sees that this is all smoke and mirrors.
Republicans, fearing the November Dole-drums, are rushing to do something - anything - that resembles action on the school prayer front, all to appease conservative Christian voters.
The Christian Coalition has said that if the measure is voted on by early September, it would include those voting results in its fall voting guide. That valentine is sent to about 100,000 churches across the country.
As a Christian, a registered Republican and a once-in-a-while conservative, I'm against this plan. I've always opposed anything that smacked of returning prayer to the schools.
Why? There are many reasons. First, I firmly believe that we already have many avenues for expressing our religious faith within the public arena, schools included. The last thing we need is more law on this matter. Having more law usually causes more confusion; seldom does it clarify anything.
Another reason I oppose school prayer is because I firmly believe in personal responsibility when it comes to matters of faith. I take responsibility for teaching my kids to pray, and two of them are of an age where they know it is their responsibility to do the actual praying. I gave birth to my children. I'll teach them how to give thanks to God for that life.
Reason Number Three: The last thing I want is for the schools to be bogged down with one more thing to do. If their school simply teaches my kids how to read, write and cipher, then I'm thrilled and consider its job done.
Reason Number Four: I've never bought that baloney about how if we return prayer to our schools then ``we will return our nation to its godly heritage.'' If that were true, then England would be a hotbed of Christian fervor. Britain has long mandated that its schools participate in a daily act of collective worship ``of a predominantly Christian character.'' And yet only 10 percent of the British people attend church regularly. So much for the School-Prayer-Equals-Godly-Nation equation.
So what, if any, kind of constitutional amendment would I accept regarding school prayer?
I would heartily endorse a plan that would mandate that every one of the 74 percent of Americans who say they support school prayer must give God 15 minutes of on-your-knees and with-your-kids home prayer once a day, every day.
Because you are in your home, you will be allowed to say anything you want during these 15 minutes. You can invoke the name of Jesus Christ, Jehovah or Jiminy Cricket. Furthermore, the prayers do not have to be silent. Shout, if you so desire. Prayer Police could be hired to enforce the mandate.
Would Congress go for it? Nah. That's one proposed amendment that doesn't have a prayer. . . . And neither, I pray, does the current one. MEMO: Every other week, Betsy Mathews Wright publishes responses to her
opinion column. Send responses to Issues of Faith, The Virginian-Pilot,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; call (804) 446-2273; FAX
(804) 436-2798; or send e-mail to bmw(AT)infi.net. Deadline is Tuesday
before publication. You must include name, city and phone number. by CNB