School Prayer Bill Shelved

April 6, 2011

A proposal to permit school prayers at sporting events and graduation ceremonies was blasted Tuesday by critics for oppressing minority religions at a Senate education committee.

Critics said the measure would require schools to police school prayer, which might violate federal law. Even by using the word “prayer,” the bill raises red flags because it indicates support for one religion, critics said.

“In order to protect religious freedoms of all students, including those of minority religious faiths, we must guard against promotion or endorsement of one set of religious beliefs over another,” said Danielle Prendergast, the public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, authorizes school boards to adopt resolutions regarding the use of prayers or inspirational messages. It permits prayers led by students and requires that prayers be nonsectarian. It also prohibits school faculty or staff from participating or influencing prayers.

But after the Anti-Defamation League and the ACLU said the bill could violate federal and state constitutional prohibitions of the endorsement of religion by schools, the bill was temporarily postponed on Tuesday.

Critics of the bill said they have no objection to students praying among themselves, or laws that allow for “moments of silence.” But when it becomes a public school policy to allow school prayer it could violate long-established federal and state laws that prohibit taxpayer-funded institutions from endorsing any religion.

Siplin said the intent is not to promote one religion over another. “Over 36 states have this kind of language,” Siplin said. He said the bill explicitly states the prayer must be non-sectarian.

But an attorney with the Anti-Defamation League said by putting parameters around what students can say puts school districts in the position of policing school prayers. “When a school is getting involved, when a message becomes school-sponsored or school-endorsed, that is when you cross the constitutional threshold,” said David Barkey, an attorney with the Anti-Defamation League.

“This bill is fundamentally unfair to school districts,” Barkey said. “It will set them up for costly litigation.”

In 2008, the Santa Rosa School District was sued by the ACLU for allowing school-sponsored prayers.

The next year, the district agreed to an order that prohibited school officials from promoting, organizing or endorsing religious services or promoting their personal beliefs.

Siplin’s bill has a House companion that has not been heard in any committees. With the halfway mark of the session nearing, it becomes increasingly difficult for bills that have not been heard in committees to become law.

Last year lawmakers passed a bill that prohibits school boards or school officials from taking steps to infringe upon First Amendment rights of employees or students unless those rights are waived.

Pictured: The Northview High School Class of 2009 Baccalaureate service at a Bratt church. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service of Florida

Comments

18 Responses to “School Prayer Bill Shelved”

  1. eab on April 9th, 2011 11:30 pm

    Thanks to you Bryan for your clear and reasonable comments on this issue. And to you, Thinker for that bit of scripture.

    I am a Christian man. I’m not the best Christian even in my own church (far from it) but I believe that my sins have been washed away in the only way that they could have been, through the shed blood of Jesus.

    One of the ways I know I am saved (and yes, the Bible says you can know) is the love I have,first for my Christian brothers and sisters, and for people in general. I have a strong sense of humor and a love for satire and I know I am a bit cynical at times and I hate willful ignorance but that love still exists.

    With that confessed, there are two things that disappoint me most about our Christian tendencies and that I will call my people out on. One is that we are very quick to judge others,even though we have been warned about that and we repeat that warning to ourselves often.The other thing that makes me uncomfortable is our desire to tell other people what to do and how to live their lives.

    I believe in presenting the gospel. I think all Christians are charged with that even though we don’t do it except to shout out “y’all need to get right” on forums such as this. I don’t believe you can legislate salvation or morality. It is very true that some of the things people think have always been part of our nation came much later. “In God We Trust’ on our money and “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance are two good examples. I’m not saying those things are not good and desirable, just that they were added well after the nation was founded.

    it seems to me that we have two somewhat rational ways to go on the prayer issue. One is to tell any people with spiritual beliefs that differ from our own to shut up and listen while we “prove” that we are good Christians. The other is to allow anyone with a divergent viewpoint to say their prayers and/or express themselves in whatever way seem suitable to them while we are doing the same. I believe that would get impractical quickly.

    So are we to ask others to respect our beliefs while we refuse to do the same for them?

  2. Thinker on April 9th, 2011 9:08 pm

    Mathew 6:6 please. Thanks.

  3. TorchOfFreedom on April 9th, 2011 5:04 pm

    The Constitution prohibits the establishment of a state religion, ala The Church of England. The reasons for this seem clear to me as a method to prevent adherence to a particular faith as a codified prerequisite for political service. As an aside there is absolutely NO mention in the constitution or the amendments stating “separation of church and state” (just for you, huh).

    Interpretation beyond this are usually based on a selective sampling of the personal writings of Thomas Jefferson – which are on no way, shape, or form the law of this land. But let us not forget, Jefferson also introduced and/or signed legislation calling for national days of prayer offered to Almighty God.

  4. Thinker on April 7th, 2011 2:24 pm

    Thank you, Bryan Bethea. Any religious person with knowledge of the Constitution would celebrate efforts to keep religion our of tax supported institutions. Religion thrives (unfortunately in my opinion) best when it is kept separate from government. We could slide down a slippery slope towards a theocracy like many Islamic countries have and which the first settlers came here to escape. Ask yourself which theology would or should be sanctioned by government? Baptist? Catholic? Snake handlers? Satanism? Islam? Get your foot in the government door and they all will come storming in behind you. Fascism takes over by going hand in hand with religion (“your either for us or againsts us”). Allowing “In God We Trust” on money and “One nation under God” in the pledge has resulted in a march towards fascism in my view. Rather than one nation indivisible, we have become more and more polarized and divided since these “God” changes were inserted. We are fighting “holy wars” around the world and ideology wars in our Senate and House. Our country has one ideology and only one. It is based on our Constitution and provides for liberty and freedom from religion and for religion. Learn to understand it before you join a mob.

  5. The Real Truth on April 7th, 2011 1:25 pm

    In the end, everyone will see who the real GOD is. All this disturbance about praying in school is the work of satan and it will not stand. Take a look back in the past, for many years prayer has been in school and nothing was ever said or done about it until a few years back. Schools have been bombarded with violence, drugs, murder, and disobiedent and rebellious children every since prayer has been taken out of school and it is going to get worse before it gets better because satan has found his way in through local and federal government and the people that you elected are the ones helping to put satan’s plans into effect. All non-believers will find out in the end who the real GOD and creator is. Christians don’t have to argue about that because they already know. Prayer changes things and if it’s not everlasting too late, this same prayer that non-believers want to get rid of will help them to know the truth. Don’t be deceived because GOD is not mocked. Blessings be upon you.

  6. Bryan Bethea on April 7th, 2011 12:00 pm

    To Wayne: Please re-read my statement. I said that “In God We Trust” wasn’t printed on paper money until after Congress adopted it as the motto in 1956.

    I will state again: I do not understand why it is so difficult for many to accept that the Constitution prohibits the government from sponsoring or promoting religion. Religious practice should be the private domain of individuals who are free to express that religion however he or she may choose as long as that expression does not infringe on the rights of others. My original point was that one who truly feels comfortable with his or her religion and relationship to God should not need the validation of the government.

  7. UD Better Belive it on April 7th, 2011 7:25 am

    Men ought always to Pray and not to faint, Luke 18:1

    If my people ,which are called by my name shall humble them-selves , and pray,and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive THEIR sin, and will their land. II Chro 7:14
    ( Kids arent the only ones that need to Pray)
    Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
    Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

    We can let the Heathen, Make our Laws But only God can heal our Land …

  8. Wayne on April 6th, 2011 10:28 pm

    To Mr Bethea. “In God We Trust” ,was first placed on the second striking of the 1864 USA 2 cent coin.

  9. Bryan Bethea on April 6th, 2011 4:58 pm

    The money in my pocket says “In God We Trust” because Congress adopted that statement as the national motto in 1956 as a reaction to the Communist scare of that era. Our country existed under the Constitution for 169 years before that motto was added to paper money. Again, please verify your assumptions before you take them as facts.

    I do not understand why it is so difficult for many to accept that the Constitution prohibits the government from sponsoring or promoting religion. Religious practice should be the private domain of individuals who are free to express that religion however he or she may choose as long as that expression does not infringe on the rights of others. My original point was that one who truly feels comfortable with his or her religion and relationship to God should not need the validation of the government.

  10. The truth? on April 6th, 2011 3:59 pm

    I have to admit I find this idea of prayer, voluntary or not, to be in violation of our principles for it would discriminate against some, albeit a minority, but that is the beauty of our religious freedoms for the majority can not dictate to the minority how to believe. Something Baptist should be well aware of for in the founding stages of our government they were for the separation of church and state for they were a minority.
    As to my personal beliefs, I have to say the idea of a god that is supposedly all powerful and all knowing and supposedly the creator of all that is, then there are some bigger questions to deal with other than when and where to pray. How could a god create a universe with evil as part of it? And suffering? Why is god’s greatest creation per some religious created to fail with the very first man and woman. I’m afraid the answers are this god is very human in his emotions of jealousy, judgements, and occasional mercies for he is a man made creation. Having read theological writings that are not apologetic to preconceived notions of what the Bible means has shown not only the Bible to be far from perfect but to be full of false prophecies, errors, contradictions and knowing its history it is not surprising. So bottom line those who hold religious beliefs from a traditional fundamentalist nature need to step back and consider that their ideas are not the only ones and that our country has a foundation of allowing differing religious belief or non-belief. Any one question this read what Jefferson and Paine wrote about Christianity; it is far more critical than many of today’s writers who critique the writings the world’s religions are based on.

  11. To Bryan on April 6th, 2011 3:33 pm

    I guess that is why the money in your pocket says ” in god we trust”. That is just a thought.

  12. think about it on April 6th, 2011 1:09 pm

    We are required by God to spread His word but no one needs to force religion onto others. God is a gentleman and never makes you do things but rather gives you a choice. But, I don’t understand why people have a problem with public prayer unless it makes you think about what you are doing? Maybe you feel wrong in your life so to keep that feeling away; one just removes the problem from their life, which wood be prayer. Think about it, if you are happy with your life and religion already, then how is public worship of God going to hurt you? We Christians can not make you change but only awaking your hearts.

  13. j on April 6th, 2011 7:33 am

    When I graduated from high school in 1988, we held the baccalaureate in the gym. Pastors preached and prayed in the presence of all school officials. At our graduation a student prayed but it too was for all the school officials to hear. Now the baccalaureate is not even held at the school and students cannot pray aloud with faculty around . If I’m wrong someone please correct me and explain to me what has changed!

  14. ET on April 6th, 2011 7:26 am

    “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters. Matthew 12:30

  15. Bryan Bethea on April 6th, 2011 7:18 am

    Do you research before you make claims like “our country was based on GOD”. It wasn’t. The late 18th century when our creation documents were forged found western culture in the throes of the Enlightenment. This prevailing thought was a movement AWAY from religion and TOWARD humanism. If you want concrete proof, check out Thomas Jefferson. He wrote his own Bible and which removed all of the verses he found to be objectionable. The Declaration of Independence references a “Creator” but that is where it ends. There is no clarity given on who or what this Creator is, nor do the words God, Jesus, Creator, or any other religious reference appear in the United States Constitution. In fact the only religious reference in the Constitution at all is the First Amendment prohibition of government sponsored religion.

    A true Christian does not need the government to endorse his or her religious beliefs. A true Christian is confident in the relationship he or she has built with their savior. A true Christian does not need to push his or her own views down the throats of everyone around them. True Christians learn from the life example of Christ and try to emulate it.

  16. To the truth on April 6th, 2011 6:45 am

    There is many false gods but only one GOD! Other gods will only lead you to a burning hell. Our country was based on GOD not these other religions. If people are offended then they don’t have to particpate.

  17. Anonymous on April 6th, 2011 3:17 am

    As One said,
    “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

  18. huh on April 6th, 2011 1:23 am

    Separation of church and state, its very clear . You are free to pray to yourself quietly all you want. If you want public prayer then go to a private religious school

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News