From: vxv4@po.cwru.edu (Virgilio Velasco)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: HYPOCRISY of Public School Prayer
Date: 8 Oct 92 05:19:30 GMT
Reply-To: vxv4@po.cwru.edu (Virgilio Velasco)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

In a previous article, mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu () says:

>
>                       HYPOCRISY of Public School Prayer
>
>               Bush, Reagan, and a LOT of SELF-RIGHTEOUS fundamentalist 
>          "Christians" want to RE-IMPOSE prayer into the public 
>          schools, as well as in certain government ceremonies, etc.. 

	I think you are using the word "impose" rather loosely here.
Bush et al. do not want to force everyone to pray.  They simply want to
give the students the option of praying in public schools.  This is
hardly the same as "imposing" prayer on the studentry.

	Furthermore, it is not accurate to call them either
"fundamentalist" or "Christian".  Bush, for instance, is an
Episcopalian.  This means that his beliefs would not generally be
considered "fundamentalist".  Furthermore, while many of these people
belong to Christian denominations, that does not automatically make them
Christians.  A true Christian is someone who follows Christ.  Most, if
not all, of the people you're talking about are Christians in name
alone, and not in truth.

>               But what did Jesus Christ HIMSELF say about people who 
>          pray in public?  In Matthew 6:5 he called them HYPOCRITES!  
>          
>               He said in the next verse that people should pray 
>          SILENTLY IN THEIR CLOSETS, in other words, IN PRIVATE.  (Or 
>          if in public, they should do it IN THEIR HEADS, withOUT the 
>          SHOWY bowed head and folded hands.) 

	Not too far off.  You understand that Jesus was condemning
ostentatious prayer done to project an image of piety and holiness.  
However, you missed out on a key point.  Jesus never condemned public
prayer.  After all, why should He?  A true child of God should be ready
to speak to Him anytime and anywhere, without hesitation.  

	I find it strange that you consider a mere bowed head and folded
hands to be "SHOWY".  You are entitled to your opinion, of course.
However, I'd say that Christians generally bow their heads and close their 
eyes because they want to avoid sights that could distract them from their
prayers.  The folded hands, I believe, fulfill a similar purpose-- to
keep one's hands in a comfortable pose, while also keeping them away from 
things that could only serve as distractions.

>               Parents who want their kids to openly and verbally pray 
>          in school can send them to PAROCHIAL schools, as well as to 
>          Sunday school, withOUT forcing it on others. 

	If a child chooses to pray in school, is that "forcing" prayer
on the other children?  Certainly not!  The others are perfectly free to
pray or not to pray, as they see fit.

	I realize that some people find the sight of others praying to
be rude and offensive, which is why they want prayer kept out of public
places.  Personally, I have never understood this.  Does the simple
sight of people in prayer truly deprive nonbelievers of their rights and
freedoms?  I think not; not by any stretch of the imagination.  How
tragic it is that the wonderful, God-given privilege of prayer evokes
such feelings of discomfort and loathing in so many of God's creations. 

-- 
Virgilio "Dean" Velasco Jr., grad student & roboticist-in-training, CWRU

   "Bullwinkle, that man's intimidating a referee!"    |    My boss is a 
   "Not very well.  He doesn't look like one at all."  |  Jewish carpenter.