Freedom Writer - September 1995 [ref001] Conservatives push religious-equality amendment R

Freedom Writer - September 1995

[ref001]

Conservatives push religious-equality amendment

Religious Right groups are urging Congress to add a so-called "Religious 
Equality Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution. Broad-based, the amendment 
would allow student-led prayers over school public address systems, 
preaching from the Bible at graduations, the teaching of "creation 
science," and tax monies for private religious schools. Section 3 
of the amendment would assure that any activities initiated as a result 
of the amendment could not be construed as violating the constitutionally 
mandated separation between church and state. 

Students are currently allowed to practice silent prayer, to pray 
aloud among themselves, and conduct after-school Bible clubs. What 
the proposed amendment calls for are special exemptions from the guidelines 
established in the U.S. Constitution, specifically, the First Amendment, 
which already guarantees religious freedom.

An early version of the proposed amendment reads:

Section 1.__Neither_the_United_States_nor_any_State_shall_abridge_
the_freedom_of_any_person_or_group,_including_students_in_public_schools,_
to_engage_in_prayer_or_other_religious_expression_in_circumstances_
in_which_expression_of_a_non-religious_character_would_be_permitted;_
nor_deny_benefits_to_or_otherwise_discriminate_against_any_person_
or_group_on_account_of_the_religious_character_of_their_speech,ideas,_
motivations_or_identify._

Section 2.__Nothing_in_the_Constitution_shall_be_construed_to_forbid_
the_United_States_or_any_State_to_give_public_or_ceremonial_acknowledgement_
to_the_religious_heritage,_beliefs,_or_traditions_of_its_people._

Section 3.__The_exercise,_by_the_people,_of_any_freedoms_under_the_
First_Amendment_or_under_this_Amendment_shall_not_constitute_an_establishment_
of_religion._

Before an amendment becomes part of the Constitution it must receive 
the support of two-thirds of the House and Senate, and be ratified 
by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

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Copyright 1995 IFAS
The Freedom Writer / ifas@crocker.com

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