November 10, 1999

House urges prayer at ball games
___WASHINGTON (RNS)--The House of Representatives has urged the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of school-sanctioned prayers at public high school sporting events, drawing the rebuke of groups that monitor church-state separation issues.
___The House action came in connection with a resolution that was largely symbolic and had no force of law. The House approved the bipartisan measure by a voice vote that followed a brief debate Nov. 2.
___The legislators acted in response to a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling earlier this year that said organized game prayers were unconstitutional. It did not preclude prayers by individual students.
___The ruling impacted events in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The Supreme Court has been asked to review the case.
___Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-Texas, said the "foolish" circuit court decision threatened the long-standing tradition of pre-game prayers at football games and other sports events.
___Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., cast the resolution as support for religious freedom. "We must stand up for our students' rights to freely observe their religious beliefs," he said.
___However, Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, called the resolution "shameless political posturing."
___In a letter to members of Congress, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism called the resolution "divisive" and said "it offends millions of Americans."
___"Notwithstanding the view of the resolution's sponsors, there is not one Constitution for football players and another for all other students," the center said.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!