House resolution promoting
government-sponsored school prayer is divisive, Americans United charges
'It's not the job of congress to tell our children
when and how to pray,' says AU's Lynn
from Americans United for Separation of Church and
State, November 15, 2001 [11-15-01]
The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing to vote
today on a resolution encouraging public schools to set aside prayer
time for students.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
said the non-binding resolution, H.Con.Res. 239, is unnecessary and
recklessly encourages school officials to ignore constitutional law.
"As a Christian minister, I believe in prayer,
but it's not the job of Congress to tell our children when and how to
pray," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans
United. "Parents, not politicians, have the responsibility to
instruct our children about matters of faith."
The measure was introduced by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.),
a freshman lawmaker with strong ties to the Religious Right. The
resolution expresses the "sense of Congress that schools in the
United States should set aside a sufficient period of time to allow
children to pray for, or quietly reflect on behalf of, the Nation during
this time of struggle against the forces of international
terrorism."
AU's Lynn said the resolution ignores the American
principle of church-state separation. The measure not only promotes
school prayer, he noted, but even instructs students what topic they
should pray about.
"In some countries," Lynn said, "the
government tells people when and how to pray. I wish Congress understood
that in America, individuals make religious decisions for themselves.
"If this resolution passes, public school
officials should ignore the House's advice," added Lynn. "For
decades, federal courts have mandated that the state not promote prayer
in schools. With that in mind, schools that act on this resolution may
find themselves in court."
Lynn noted this is the second time in less than a
month that the House has devoted time to endorsing non-binding measures
regarding religion in public schools. On Oct. 17, House members voted
unanimously to endorse a resolution expressing support for the display
of the words "God Bless America" in the nation's public
schools.
"At this time of national crisis, the last thing
we need is political bickering over prayer and religion," Lynn
concluded. "This resolution invites divisiveness when we are
striving for unity."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog
group based in Washington, D.C., which has led the opposition to
congressional attempts to require government-sponsored prayer in
public schools. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans
about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding
religious freedom.
