Dear Editor,
A March 3 letter ("Right to choose") continues a distortion perpetuated since the 1962 Supreme Court Engel v. Vitale decision, in which a New York Board of Regents written and required "prayer" was properly ruled unconstitutional.
AP reports, local headlines, and letters have since erroneously proclaimed "prayer" as not allowed in public schools. It is the hand of government (the essence of coercion) which is not allowed.
Religion flourishes in America, and there must be millions of "prayers" hourly. Anyone can pray anywhere, any time, including at school. Nowhere in my religion major or seminary education was silent prayer ever taught as being less effective or less proper than visible and vocal.
What persons voluntarily do when on free time and when not interfering with anyone else is not an issue, but a public school is not a church. No one has a right to choose to force religion upon others by injecting public religion exhibitions or vocal "prayers" into a classroom or at a school function. Jesus commanded (Matthew 6:5-6) a private closet as the proper place for prayer.
In 1954, in direct violation of the First Amendment, a misguided pandering Congress established religion by rewriting the pledge of allegiance and inserting religion ("God") into its wording.
In 1787 the Founding Fathers commanded that under the United States "no religious test shall ever be required." In 1791 the First Congress and the states commanded "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Religion is not the business of government.
If Congress can make one religion law, it can another. Congress has no such authority. The pledge of allegiance law (Public Law 396) is unconstitutional.
Gene Garman
Copyright 2003 Gene Garman