[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 23 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              VOLUNTARY SCHOOL PRAYER: IT MUST BE RESTORED

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, the U.S. Senate, since the inception of the 
104th Congress, has thus far participated in two significant debates. 
The first determined the role of the Federal Government in the affairs 
of the States; and the second will decide whether, after decades of 
insane spending of the American taxpayers' money, the U.S. Congress 
will finally get around to controlling itself with a balanced budget 
amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
  All of us should recognize the importance of these significant 
issues. Certainly, I do. However, one wonders whether liberal 
politicians, who time after time have beaten back attempts to restore 
moral and spiritual principles to our society, are not content for 
Congress to focus its attention on the Nation's economic woes while 
spiritual issues--for example, protecting unborn life and restoring 
school prayer--are being sidetracked with harsh rhetoric such as 
extreme, worthless, and insignificant.
  Mr. President, lest our leftward-tilted friends become too satisfied 
with the neglect of religious and spiritual values in America, they 
should be reminded of what our Nation's first President acknowledged--
and what so many in Congress have disregarded--that our Nation's 
material and spiritual wealth is bestowed by the Creator only when we 
seek His guidance in our Nation's affairs. George Washington stated:

       * * * the propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected 
     on a nation which disregards the eternal rules of order and 
     right which heaven itself has ordained.

  Mr. President, in 1962, the Supreme Court forfeited by judicial fiat 
the rights of millions of American children to invoke in their schools 
the blessings and guidance of God. Consequently, this act begat a 
popular culture, the values, discipline, and moral standards of which 
are devoid of God and laden with relativism. A greater crime against 
our children could hardly be conceived.
  Today, all of us should take note of the desperate need to return to 
our Nation's children their constitutional right to voluntary prayer in 
the
 public schools. In this regard, a guest column published by the 
Charlotte (N.C.) Observer and authored by Dr. Norman Geisler, dean of 
Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC, is very worthy of broad 
consideration. Dr. Geisler titled it ``10 Reasons for Voluntary School 
Prayer.''

  Dr. Geisler is a foremost theologian as evidenced by his impressive 
catalog of degrees and achievements. He has lectured and traveled in 50 
States and 24 countries on 6 continents. Dr. Geisler has been honored 
and listed in many leading publications including ``The Who's Who in 
Religion,'' ``The Writer's Who's Who,'' and ``Men of Achievement.'' He 
has authored or coauthored 45 books on a wide range of social, moral, 
and religious issues.
  Mr. President, I fervently hope that all Senators will spend a few 
minutes reading Dr. Geisler's convincing defense of the right of 
children to pray in public schools. His defense of one of our Founding 
Father's rule(s) of heaven has never been more needed nor more 
eloquently stated.
  I ask unanimous consent, Mr. President, that the January 30 guest 
column in the Charlotte Observer, ``10 Reasons for Voluntary School 
Prayer,'' be printed in the Record.

              [From the Charlotte Observer, Jan. 30, 1995]

                 10 Reasons for Voluntary School Prayer

                         (By Norman L. Geisler]

       There are many good reasons for a constitutional amendment 
     to permit voluntary prayer in the public schools. Ten come to 
     mind.
       1. Our government was based on religious principles from 
     the very beginning: The Declaration of Independence says: 
     ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are 
     created equal, that they are endowed by God with certain 
     unalienable rights . . . .'' Indeed, it speaks of God, 
     creation, God-given moral rights, the providence of God, and 
     a final Day of Judgment--all of which are religious 
     teachings. Indeed, the Supreme Court affirmed (Zorach, 1952) 
     that ``We are a religious people whose institutions 
     presuppose a Supreme Being.'' And school prayer has been an 
     important part of our religious experience from the very 
     beginning.
       2. The First Amendment does not separate God and government 
     but actually encourages religion. It reads: ``Congress shall 
     make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor 
     prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'' The first clause 
     merely declares that the federal government cannot establish 
     one religion for all the people. It says nothing about 
     ``separation of church and state.'' In fact, five of the 13 
     states that ratified it had their own state religions at the 
     time. The second clause insists that the government should do 
     nothing to discourage religion. But forbidding prayer in 
     schools discourages religion.
       3. Early congressional actions encouraged religion in 
     public schools. For example, the Northwest Treaty (1787 and 
     1789) declared: ``Religion, morality, and knowledge being 
     necessary for good government and the happiness of mankind, 
     schools and the means of learning shall forever be 
     encouraged.'' Thus, religion, which includes prayer, was 
     deemed to be necessary.


                      presidents encouraged prayer

       4. Early presidents, with congressional approval, made 
     proclamations encouraging public prayer. President Washington 
     on Oct. 3, 1789, declared: ``Whereas it is the duty of all 
     nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to 
     obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to 
     implore His protection and favour, and Whereas both Houses of 
     Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me `to 
     recommend to the people of the United States a day of public 
     thanksgiving and prayer. . . .'''
       5. Congress has prayed at the opening of every session 
     since the very beginning. Indeed, in a moment of crisis at 
     the very first Continental Congress Benjamin Franklin urged 
     prayer and observed that ``In the beginning of the Contest 
     with G. Britain, when we were sensible to danger, we had 
     daily prayer in this room for Divine protection.--Our 
     prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. . 
     . . And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we 
     imagine we no longer need His assistance? . . . I therefore 
     beg leave to move--that henceforth prayer imploring the 
     assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, 
     be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to 
     business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be 
     requested to officiate in that service.'' Congress has begun 
     with prayer ever since. If the government can pray in their 
     session, why can't the governed pray in their (school) 
     sessions?
       6. Public schools had prayer for nearly 200 years before 
     the Supreme Court ruled that state-mandated class prayers 
     were unconstitutional (Engel, 1962). The fact that prayer was 
     practiced for nearly 200 years establishes it by precedent as 
     a valid and beneficial practice in our schools.
       7. Since the court outlawed prayer, the nation has been in 
     steady moral decline. Former Secretary of Education William 
     Bennett revealed in his cultural indexes that between 1960 
     and 1990 there was a steady moral decline. During this period 
     divorce doubled, teenage pregnancy went up 200%, teen suicide 
     increased 300%, child abuse reached an all-time high, violent 
     crime went up 500% and abortion increased 1000%. There is a 
     strong correlation between the expulsion of prayer from our 
     schools and the decline in morality.
       8. Morals must be taught, and they cannot properly be 
     taught without religion. There cannot be a moral law without 
     a moral Law Giver. And there is no motivation for keeping the 
     moral law unless there is a moral Law Giver who can enforce 
     it by rewards and punishments.


                      secular humanism established

       9. Forbidding prayer and other religious expressions in 
     public schools establishes, in effect, the religion of 
     secularism.
       The Supreme Court has affirmed that there are religions, 
     such as ``secular humanism,'' which do not believe in God 
     (Torcaso, 1961). Justice Potter (Abington, 1963) rightly 
     feared that purging the schools of all religious beliefs and 
     practices would lead to the ``establishment of a religion of 
     secularism.'' In fact, the beliefs of secular humanism are 
     just the opposite of the Declaration of Independence. By not 
     allowing theistic religious expressions, the courts have 
     favored the religious beliefs of secular humanism, namely, no 
     belief in God, God-given moral laws, prayer and a Day of 
     Judgment.
       10. To forbid the majority the right to pray because the 
     minority object, is to impose the irreligion of the minority 
     on the religious majority. Forbidding prayer in schools, 
     which a three-quarters majority of Americans favors, is the 
     tyranny of the minority. It is minority rule, not democracy. 
     Why should an irreligious minority dictate what the majority 
     can do? The majority wishes to preserve our moral and 
     spiritual values and, thus, our good nation.
     

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