Groups Who Opposed H.Con.Res. 239 *in Writing*

1.  People for the American Way, Washington, DC

2.  National PTA, Washington, DC

3.  Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, DC

4.  The Interfaith Alliance, Washington, DC

5.  American Jewish Committee, Washington, DC

6.  Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, DC

7.  Baptist Joint Committee, Washington, DC

> **[People for the American Way]{.underline}**

November 13, 2001

Dear Member of Congress:

On behalf of the more than 500,000 members and supporters of People For
the American Way (PFAW), we urge you to oppose H. Con. Res. 239, which
encourages unnecessary and potentially divisive actions by school
officials to promote government-sponsored prayer in public schools.

There is no question that students have the right to pray in school.
They can do so individually in non-disruptive ways, together with
friends before or after school, and in clubs if their school has
non-curricular clubs. Courts have repeatedly upheld those rights.

H.Con.Res. 239, however, does not adhere to constitutional standards; it
reflects the desire of some individuals and organizations to require
public school students to participate in mandatory classroom prayers.
This resolution calls on schools to set aside and announce a specific
time for prayer and a particular topic. The notion of the federal
government or local school officials specifying a topic for prayer is
offensive to many Americans across the political spectrum.

Since September 11, Americans all across the country have gathered for
memorials, prayer services, and other interfaith gatherings. These
freely chosen community gatherings reflect the strengths of American
religious liberty and pluralism. And they demonstrate that creating
potentially coercive religious ceremonies in public schools is
unnecessary as well as unconstitutional.

Even though a concurrent resolution has no legal effect, it sends the
wrong message to our nation's parents and school children, and it
disrespects our nation's Constitution. We respectfully urge the House to
oppose this Resolution.

Sincerely,

Ralph Neas Stephenie Foster

President Director of Public Policy

**[National PTA]{.underline}**

> 330 N. Wabash Avenue 1090 Vermont Avenue, NW
>
> Chicago, Illinois 60611 Washington, DC 20005
>
> November 13, 2001
>
> The U.S. House of Representatives
>
> Washington, D.C. 20515
>
> Dear Representative:
>
> On behalf of the 6.5 million parents, teachers, students, and other
> child advocates who are members of the National PTA, I am writing in
> opposition to H. Con. Res. 239, expressing the sense of Congress that
> schools in the United States should set aside a period of time for
> children to pray.
>
> Students currently have the right to engage in non-disruptive prayer
> at school, and courts have approved attempts by school districts to
> accommodate students who choose to do so. This proposed resolution is
> therefore not needed. Furthermore, because the legislative intent is
> clearly to endorse religious expression, it does not conform with
> current Constitutional standards.
>
> Recognizing the diversity of beliefs and religious denominations among
> our nation's families, the responsibility for these matters must rest
> with the home and family. Parents and clergy - not the Government -
> should teach children when to pray, how to pray, and what to pray for.
> This resolution proposes to strip parents of that control and place it
> with the government.
>
> While I recognize that this resolution would have no legal effect, and
> merely expresses the sense of Congress, I believe it sends the wrong
> message to our nation's parents and school children. I urge you to
> oppose to H. Con. Res. 239.
>
> Sincerely,

# 

> Shirley Igo
>
> President

**[Americans United for Separation of Church and State]{.underline}**

**OPPOSE H. CON. RES. 239**

**Scheduled for Suspension [Today]{.underline}**

Dear Representative:

I am writing to urge you to oppose House Concurrent Resolution 239,
which is scheduled for floor consideration today under suspension of the
rules. This resolution attempts to link the tragic events of September
11^th^ and our nation's war on terror to the controversial issue of
prayer in the public schools. This misguided proposal should not be
endorsed by the House of Representatives. The text of this resolution
violates basic principles of America's Constitutional religious liberty,
and we urge you to reject it.

Students already have an individual right to pray voluntarily in school,
as long as they are not disruptive. This resolution, however, is a
radical departure from Constitutional standards because it calls for a
[mandatory time]{.underline} for classroom prayer [on a specific
topic]{.underline}. This resolution instructs children what specifically
to pray for.

Under our Constitutional separation of church and state, it is the job
of parents and clergy - not the Government - to tell children when to
pray, how to pray and what to pray for. As Justice Anthony Kennedy
explained in the Supreme Court case *Lee v Weisman,* 505 U.S. 577
(1992): "The First Amendment\'s Religion Clauses mean that religious
beliefs and religious expression are too precious to be either
proscribed or prescribed by the State."

As a Christian minister, I believe in prayer. However, I believe that
authentic prayer springs from the individual conscience, not a
government directive.

I urge you to oppose this unconstitutional and divisive resolution.

Sincerely,

/s

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn

Executive Director

**[The Interfaith Alliance]{.underline}**

The Interfaith Alliance

1012 14^th^ Street, NW Suite 700

Washington, DC 20005

November 14, 2001

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

On behalf of The Interfaith Alliance, a nonpartisan national grassroots
clergy-led organization representing people from over 50 faith
traditions, I write to you today to urge you to oppose H. Con. Res. 239
that would encourage government-sanctioned school prayer.

This resolution is as disturbing as it is unneeded. Students already
have the constitutional right to pray voluntarily in public schools and
do so every day. Now is not the time for some members of Congress to
take advantage of the American people's massive and demonstrative
affirmation of the importance of faith. In this troubled time, it is
unconscionable that some congressional members are trying to achieve
through a resolution what they have not been able to achieve through
legislation. Manipulating the emotions and anxieties of a national
tragedy, these congressional leaders are attempting to circumvent the
constitution and establish government-mandated prayer.

Public schools have a tremendously important role to play in helping the
nation move beyond this time of crisis. The classroom is an
indispensable venue for teaching tolerance, advancing understanding of
various religious traditions, and giving students an opportunity to
discuss strategies for dealing with diversity. But neither now nor at
any other time does the nation or religion benefit from government
officials instructing students to pray or to reflect.

If, in response to terrorist attacks, the nation turns away from the
constitutional principle of religious liberty that has contributed so
substantially to the vitality of religion in this nation, we will have
destroyed a major component of the freedom for which our armed forces
are so courageously fighting and for which people of faith across the
land are so fervently praying.

I urge you to protect the American ideal of religious liberty and reject
H. Con. Res. 239.

Sincerely,

![](media/image1.wmf)

Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy

Executive Director

The Interfaith Alliance

**[American Jewish Committee]{.underline}**

**The American Jewish** **Committee**

**OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS**

**1156 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 202-785-4200 Fax
202-659-9896 E-mail: ogia@ajc.org**

November 13, 2001

Dear Representative:

The American Jewish Committee, the nation's premier human relations
organization, with over 110,000 members and supporters and 32 offices
nationwide, strongly urges you to vote against H.Con.Res.239 when it
comes up for a vote on the suspension calendar. Far from providing
comfort to the citizens of our land, so severely wounded in the wake of
September 11^th^, this initiative disrespects the Constitution and
promotes divisiveness.

H.Con.Res.239, even though a resolution without binding effect, would
send a message of congressional support for mandatory school prayer, in
defiance of our cherished protections of religious liberty. Students
have an individual right to pray in school and, no doubt, many prayers
are being said in school and out in the wake of the recent horrendous
attacks on the United States. But mandatory classroom prayer - in which
students are not only told when to pray but, incredibly, what to pray
for - would violate the long-standing constitutional principle that it
is up to parents and clergy, not the Government, to instruct children as
to the appropriate time, place and content of prayer.

We strongly urge you to vote against H.Con.Res.239.

Sincerely,

Richard T. Foltin

Legislative Director and Counsel

**[Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism]{.underline}**

##### 

##### 

##### ***RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER***

*OF REFORM JUDAISM*

*The Religious Action Center pursues social justice and religious
liberty by mobilizing the American Jewish community and serving as its
advocate in the nation's capital*

## 2027 Massachusetts Ave., NW

*Washington, DC 20036*

*Phone (202) 387- 2800*

*Fax (202) 667- 9070*

#### 

November 14, 2001

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
representing the Reform Jewish Movement, we urge you to oppose H. Con.
Res. 239, which would express the sense of Congress that American public
schools \"should set aside a sufficient period of time to allow children
to pray for, or quietly reflect on behalf of, the Nation during this
time of struggle against the forces if international terrorism." The
devastating events of September 11 have not changed the fact that
government promotion of prayer in public schools is a direct violation
of the First Amendment.

Because children in public schools are a captive audience, making prayer
an official part of the school day is both coercive and invasive.
Organized school prayer constitutes an unmistakable government
endorsement of religion. Furthermore, our public schools are for *all*
children, whether Catholic, Baptist, Quaker, atheist, Buddhist, Jewish,
Muslim, Hindu, Protestant or agnostic. Public schools are supported by
*all* taxpayers, and therefore must be free of any official religious
observance.

By all means, let our children "pray for, or quietly reflect on behalf
of, the Nation during this time of struggle." But let those prayers be
led by their houses of worship, their families or by their conscience,
wherever they may be. For even in public school students do have the
freedom and opportunity to worship. Under current law students can pray
and read the Bible privately, say grace at lunch, distribute religious
materials to their friends and join voluntary religious clubs. The
courts have declared only government-fostered prayers unconstitutional,
that is, those led, required, sanctioned, scheduled or suggested by
officials. It is dishonest to call any prayer \"voluntary\" that is
encouraged or required by a public official or legislature. By
definition, if the government suggests that students pray, whether by
scripting the prayer, asking them to vote whether to pray, or setting
aside time to pray, it is endorsing and promoting that prayer.

The Jewish community has a deep stake in the preservation of the
separation of church and state. As members of a religious minority whose
history is so dominated by oppression, we are especially sensitive to
any effort to weaken the safeguards of pluralism and minority
expression.

If our nation is to fight the forces of international terrorism, we must
strive to uphold the invaluable tenets of our democracy that we hold so
dear. We cannot allow this tragedy to become a vehicle for anyone\'s
political agenda, and this harmful, divisive resolution is nothing more
than an attempt to use the September 11 attacks to promote
unconstitutional school prayer and weaken the separation between church
and state. We urge you to reject this resolution, to stand in defense of
religious liberty and the ideals of American Democracy.

Sincerely,

![](media/image2.png){width="2.2465277777777777in"
height="0.7993055555555556in"}

Rabbi David Saperstein

Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

![](media/image3.wmf)

Judge David S. Davidson

Chairman, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

**[Baptist Joint Committee]{.underline}**

November 14, 2001

The Honorable Chet Edwards

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Edwards,

The Baptist Joint Committee is a 65-year-old organization dedicated to
defending and extending God-given religious liberty for all. We bring a
uniquely Baptist witness to the principle that religion must be freely
exercised, neither advanced nor inhibited by government.

In keeping with our mission statement, we urge you to oppose H. CON.
RES. 239. This resolution is misguided and unwise. Just as it is not the
business of government to compose official prayers, it is not the
business of government to direct the prayers of school children.
Especially during this time of crisis, our government should respect and
honor the shared ideals that are uniquely American and that are
protected by our Constitution. Indeed, we are fortunate to live in a
country where individuals pray according to the dictates of conscience
not the dictates of Congress. As the Supreme Court has stated and we
should respect, prayer for our country is a religious function that
should be left to the people themselves and to those to whom the people
choose to look for guidance in religious maters. Instead, this
resolution provides encouragement to those who would ignore the
Constitutional separation of church and state in favor of
government-sponsored religion.

Americans, including children attending public schools, enjoy
substantial religious liberty. School children may already pray
individually, pray in groups or discuss their religious views with their
peers as long as they are not disruptive. Students already enjoy the
right to read their Bibles or other scriptures. They may say grace
before meals, pray before tests, and discuss religion with other willing
student listeners. Students already have the right to pray quietly in
the classroom, except when they are required to be actively engaged in
school activities. Currently, students are permitted to pray in informal
settings, such as in the cafeteria or in the halls. Students may pray
either audibly or silently, yet are subject to the same rules of order
as apply to other speech in these locations.

As students have these rights to pray in school now, it is unnecessary
to approve this resolution. Prayer has not been kicked out of our public
schools. Now more than ever, legislators should concentrate on uniting
our nation and protecting the uniquely American principle of religious
liberty for all.

Sincerely,

/s /s

J. Brent Walker K. Hollyn Hollman

Executive Director General Counsel