[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 21098]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



STATEMENT OF ROANE COUNTY, TENNESSEE, HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL JODY McLOUD 
                        CONCERNING SCHOOL PRAYER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, several years ago, William Raspberry, the 
great columnist for the Washington Post, asked in a column these words. 
He said, ``Is it not just possible that anti-religious bias 
masquerading as religious neutrality has cost this country far more 
than it has been willing to acknowledge?'' I think that is a very good 
question.
  In light of that, I would like to read a statement that Roane County, 
Tennessee, high school principal Jody McLoud read over the public 
address system before his school's first football game on September 1, 
following the Supreme Court decision outlawing or banning prayer at 
high school football games across the Nation.
  Mr. McLoud said this:

       It has always been the custom at Roane County High School 
     football games to say a prayer and play the National anthem 
     to honor God and country. Due to a recent ruling by the 
     Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation 
     of Federal case law.
       As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public 
     facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it an 
     alternative lifestyle and if someone is offended, that's 
     okay.
       I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity by dispensing 
     condoms and calling it safe sex. If someone is offended, 
     that's okay.
       I can even use this public facility to present the merits 
     of killing an unborn baby as a viable means of birth control. 
     If someone is offended, no problem.
       I can designate a school day as Earth Day and involve 
     students in activities to religiously worship and praise the 
     Goddess Mother Earth and call it ecology.
       I can use literature, videos and presentations in the 
     classroom that depict people with strong traditional 
     Christian convictions as simple minded and ignorant and call 
     it enlightenment.
       However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and ask 
     Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, 
     Federal case law is violated.
       This appears to be, at best, inconsistent, and, at worst, 
     diabolical.

  Mr. McLoud continued.

       Apparently we are to be tolerant of everything and everyone 
     except God and His commandments.
       Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff 
     and students to abide by rules with which they do not 
     necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be at best 
     inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. I suffer from that 
     affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to 
     add an intentional transgression.
       For this reason, I shall ``render unto Caesar that which is 
     Caesar's'' and refrain praying at this time. However, if you 
     feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God and to ask Him 
     in the name of Jesus to bless this event, please feel free to 
     do so. As far as I know, that is not against the law yet.

  That is the statement by Roane County, Tennessee, High School 
Principal Jody McLoud.
  I can tell you that we open up every session of the House and Senate 
with prayer, but it is unfortunate, the recent Supreme Court decision.
  I commend Roane County, Tennessee, High School Principal Jody McLoud 
for this very fine statement, and I close by asking the question that 
William Raspberry asked a few years ago in his column, is it not just 
possible that anti-religious bias, masquerading as religious 
neutrality, has cost this Nation far more than it has been willing to 
acknowledge?

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