[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN OPPOSITION TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AMENDMENT

  (Mr. EDWARDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mr. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, tomorrow in this House I will vote to 
oppose the Istook amendment which would amend our cherished Bill of 
Rights for the first time in our Nation's history. Numerous religious 
organizations support this position. Yet incredibly and sadly the 
Christian Coalition has sent out a mailing in my district which I would 
like to submit for the Record accusing me of, quote, religious bigotry 
because I oppose the Istook amendment.
  They say this about me: ``His attitudes have no place in Texas or 
anywhere in America.''
  Madam Speaker, I never thought that my position in defending the 
first amendment of the Bill of Rights would be the basis for someone 
accusing me of being anti-American. Such a claim is outrageous. If I am 
a religious bigot for believing in the first amendment, the first 16 
words of the Bill of Rights, then I shall say I will be in good company 
with James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and our Founding Fathers.
  Perhaps the author of this hate mail should be reminded of the ninth 
commandment which says, ``Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
neighbor.''

                           Stop The Bigotry!

       Your congressman, Rep. Chet Edwards, is trying to stop 
     Christians and other people of faith from exercising two of 
     their First Amendment rights: the freedom of religion and the 
     freedom of expression. Rep. Edwards is the leading opponent 
     of the Religious Freedom Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
       This Amendment would allow all Americans the freedom of 
     religious expression in public places and would ensure that 
     school children are not punished for creating a Valentine to 
     Jesus, or for reading a Bible during free time.
       The Edwards bigotry directed at Christians and other people 
     of faith is outrageous and must be stopped! His attitudes 
     have no place in Texas or anywhere in America.
       People of faith cannot sit silently and allow this bigotry 
     to be used as a tool to stop the Religious Freedom Amendment. 
     We must stand for our right to express our religious beliefs.
       Call Rep. Edwards now and (1) ask him to stop trying to 
     silence people of faith and (2) encourage him to support the 
     Religious Freedom Amendment.


      Call To Action--Prayer Monitors In The Public School Halls!

       Blatant disregard for the rights of people of faith are 
     becoming more and more commonplace as our judges and 
     politicians turn their backs on religious freedom.


                 We Need A Religious Freedom Amendment

       Call your congressman at the numbers listed on this 
     postcard today!

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