Evening star., 1962-06-30

or tried to pervert spiritual
law to selfish human advan-
tage.
Paul McIIvaine.
The New York Civil Lii
berties Union, the American
Jewish Congress, the atheists,
and those who have put man
in the place of God long have
cried about intolerance, per-
secution. and discrimination
against them. How these
people mustered the gall in
the past to plead for toler-
ance and understanding when
today they completely. deny
tolerance for their fellow
citizens, who just happen to
be the overwhelming major
ity, is truly astounding.
To deny the majority Of
the people any participation
in what they regard as their
sacred heritage is nothing but
unbridled tyranny.
The aSinine acquiescence
Of the Supreme Court should
surprise no one-their major
ity opinion reads like THE
Rape of The Lock-" To rem
edy the Courts injustice, the
legislators should amend the
Constitution with words so
clear, so precise, and so ex-
plicit, that even the Supreme
Court can recognize that
voluntary prayers are per-
missible in the public
schools.
Robert E. Murphy
The Supreme Courts de-
c1Slon against a simple nom
sectarian prayer in the
schools is without logical
basis, outside the province
of any earthly court contrary
to the heritage of freedom in
our country, and should be
treated with contempt by
every American who believes
in God.
Dale Crowley.
\ 4 4 4
We Christians, as well as
our friends Of the Jewish and
other religions. have lost
nothing vital and gained a
great deal by the recent Su-
preme Court decision. At last
we can move away from the
notion that a thin veneer Of
religion in general is an
adequate substitute for a
personal religious experience
in particular.
No evidence has been Of
fered that the States where
worshipful Bible reading and
prayer are used in the schools
produce more people who are
religious or people who are
more religious, than the
States like my home State)
where such practices do not
usually occur. In fact, the
exposure Of pupils to such
exercises often conducted
mechanically" and in some
cases by teachers who are
not themselves believers in
God, may in too many cases
satisfy them that this Il
enough religion (thus keeping
them away from church anC
Synagogue) or make them
contemptuous of religion.
In my judgment God would
not have us force people to
worship Him, or to expose
themselves to ridicule by ex-
cusing themselves from wor-
ship. or to use the majesty
of the State and its tax pow
ers to propagate faith in
Him. Such would be foreign
to His nature. Our religion
is strongest, and really only
true, when it is on a volun-
teer basis. The denomination
to which I belong has a rich
heritage Of keeping church
and State separate, and one
of the first leaders of our
faith in this country founded
the only colony where COM
plete separation took place.
1t is not, as some have
charged, a communistic idea
to make religion a voluntary
matter; it is a deep-rooted
Baptist conviction and one
which we consider a part of
Christ's teachings.
This is not to say that our
religious heritage and the
role of the Bible and Of the
churches should not be a
part of the facts that are
studied in the schools. But
the study of the facts about
religion, as a part of the
body of knowledge of our
civilization, is far different
from acts of worship such as
prayer or public Bible reading
in an attitude of reverence.
Let us who have faith in
God share our faith with 9th.
erS through religious institu.
tions and informal groups,
and not ask the Government
to do that part of our religion!
activity for us through the
schools! Brief exercises in
the schools are unfair tc
those who do not believe, ano
are no substitute for the con-
tagion of a personal faith ir
person-to-person encounters
Carl w. Tiller.
4 Il y y
AS was to be expected, thu
Supreme Court has ruled out
religious exercises in public
schools. 1t has become quitt
clear that the public schoo
and college system alone car
never hope to properly salts.
fy the needs and wishes o.
all the citizens. Perhaps nov
a mutually satisfactory
agreement can be reached
concerning the support oi