Religious leaders voice objections to proposed amendment on prayer Religious leaders voice objections to proposed amendment on prayer Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New York, and Washington. The written statements were distributed March 3. The amendment now goes to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
School prayer is one key area addressed by the amendment.
Critics fear the measure also could have broader implications, including blurring the lines separating church and state. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society strongly opposes constitutional amendments that would promote state-sponsored school prayer, said the Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, general secretary of the board. At worse, this resolution threatens the very religious liberties it proposes to strengthen. Speaking for the NCC, of which the United Methodist Church is a member, the Rev. Oliver Thomas, special counsel for religious and civil liberties, asked Congress to leave the First Amendment alone. Thomas asserted that the proposed legislation has a financial side as well.