Istook Religious Coericion Amendment Defeated
Deborah
searles@summerlands.com
Thu Jun  4 20:35:10 1998
reprinted from ACLU website on June 4, 1998*br*-------------------------------------------*br*House Decisively Rejects School Prayer Amendment*br*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*br*Thursday, June 4, 1998*p*WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives today resoundingly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have twisted the First Amendment to protect religious freedom for some while denying that same liberty to others. Proponents of the amendment needed two-thirds of the House to vote in their favor; they barely obtained a simple majority. The amendment failed on a vote of 224 to 203.*p*"Today's vote should convince the Republican leadership and the Christian Coalition that the American public has no interest in reopening the debate over prayer in school," said Terri Schroeder, a legislative analyst for the ACLU who worked to defeat the amendment. "Americans understand that there is no reason to change the Constitution when religious expression is flourishing in our nation's schools."*p*Though commonly known as the "School Prayer Amendment," the proposed measure would have had a much broader impact. The proposed amendment would have mandated government funding of religious institutions, schools and houses of worship, allowing religious ministries to seek taxpayer funds for advancement of their religious mission.*p*The amendment's sponsor, Representative Ernest Istook, R-OK, attempted to paint the measure as necessary to preserve religious liberty. But an ACLU analysis revealed the legislation's true intent: taxpayer funding of religious programs.*p*"The founding fathers knew the dangers of allowing government to promote selected religions over others, and crafted the First Amendment to protect Americans from religious and sectarian strife that has plagued so many other countries," Schroeder said.*p*"That's why a broad coalition of religious leaders, including Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Seventh Day Adventists, Presbyterians and Jews, came together in the successful campaign to urge Congress to reject this amendment," she added. "Today's vote represents a victory for mainstream America and our religious leaders."*br*----------------------------------*br*Just keep in mind folks, our continued freedom to practice our religion as we are led to, depends on our constant viligance against forces like the Religious Reich and the Christian Coericion.*p*See you at the voting booth <G>*br*Deborah