Foundation Pursues Congressional Prayer Following a rebuff by Wisconsin Senator Herbert Ko

Foundation Pursues Congressional Prayer

Following a rebuff by Wisconsin Senator Herbert Kohl, the
Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation has requested that new
Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold sponsor Dan Barker to present a
"freethought homily" before the U.S.  Senate.

"To our knowledge, in the last two centuries no freethinker has ever
been granted these two minutes to address the U.S. Senate or House,"
the Foundation wrote Feingold.

The Foundation pointed out that censorship of freethought and other
views has been entrenched.

In 1854, for instance, outspoken critic of religion Ernestine Rose was
denied the opportunity to speak at the Capitol on a Sunday morning.

In attempting to reserve that space for her friend, suffragist Susan
B.  Anthony was told that she had to receive permission from Mr.
Milburn the chaplain.

In her diary, Anthony recorded this censorship:

"He would not allow her to speak there because she was not a member of
some religious society. I remarked to him that ours was a country
professing Religious as well as Civil Liberty and not to allow any and
every faith to be declared in the Capitol of the nation, made the
profession to religious freedom a perfect mockery."

In quoting the words of Susan B.  Anthony to Sen. Feingold, the
Foundation noted: "Your sponsorship of Dan Barker would rectify two
centuries of censorship."

In correspondence with Senate Chaplain Richard Halverson, the
Foundation was told that guest invocations must be made at the behest
of a Senator sponsoring someone from his or her home state. Senate
rules require that the speaker be an ordained minister. Although an
atheist today, former minister Dan Barker still has a valid
ordination.

In 1991, a Muslim cleric was sponsored before the U.S. House, although
he was given a 7:30 a.m. spot when the House was deserted.

The Foundation has protested the chaplaincy as an unconstitutional
Christian sinecure, in violation of the constitutional provision
forbidding religious tests for public office. The Foundation has also
suggested that abolishing the two Congressional Chaplain offices and
all other federally-funded chaplaincies would not only help save
taxpayers money, but would correct a long-standing state/church
violation.


----------------------------------------------------------
This article is reprinted (with permission) from the May
1993 issue of Freethought Today, bulletin of the Freedom
From Religion Foundation.

For more information, write or call

Freedom From Religion Foundation
P. O. Box 750
Madison, WI  53701
USA
(608) 256-8900
-------------------------------------------------------