[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         LET THE CHILDREN PRAY

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                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 1997

  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, prayer in schools has moved to the front 
burner in American politics, and for good reason. Today, in many 
communities across the country, children are forbidden to pray in 
schools. Not just forbidden to participate in organized prayer, which 
most constitutional scholars believe would violate the U.S. 
Constitution, but forbidden to pray voluntarily, which is well within 
every child's constitutional rights.
  For this reason, I have introduced a resolution in the House of 
Representatives that would amend the Constitution to make it perfectly 
clear that voluntary school prayer is a fundamental right that all 
school children enjoy. The amendment, which is just 33 words, simply 
states:

       Nothing in this Constitution shall prohibit the inclusion 
     of voluntary prayer in any public school program or activity. 
     Neither the United States nor any State shall prescribe the 
     content of any such prayer.

  It is a sad commentary on the state of American jurisprudence that 
such an amendment is necessary. it should be obvious to all that the 
Government has no business, and no right, to prohibit voluntary prayer 
by anyone. Nevertheless, liberal activists have succeeded in 
propagating the idea that any school prayer violates the separation of 
church and state.
  Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, my amendment 
would restore a proper understanding of the church-state separation 
issue. School children would be permitted to pray voluntarily, but no 
Government entity could determine the content of such prayer--which is 
as it should be.
  There are those in America who would like to see not only prayer, but 
all other religious expression banished from public life altogether. 
They will not succeed. Our Nation was founded on Judeo-Christian 
principles and values that have just as much right to expression in the 
public arena as the culture relativism so fashionable today.
  It is amazing that in a time when civility seems to be breaking down 
all around us that school prayer could be regarded as a threat. On the 
contrary, it is the removal of moral influences from public life that 
has contributed to our Nation's social ills. By introducing a 
constitutional amendment to ensure the rights of school children to 
voluntary pray in school, I hope I have made a small contribution 
toward a restoration of the legitimate place of religion in society.

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