Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-04-05
Freedom to Pray

Almighty God, tDe acknowledge
our dependence upon Thee, and we
beg Thy blessings upon US, our
parents, our teachers and our
country.
This simple little prayer, which
has been recommended by the New York
Board of Regents for use in public
schools throughout the State, is now
the subject of a great debate, so to
speak, in the Supreme Court of the
United States.
This is so because a handful of
persuasive parents with children in
one Of the schools of New Hyde Park,
L. 1.-are suing to have the prayer de-
clared unconstitutional. They them
selves want no part of it, and even
though virtually all their fellow New
Workers may be quite happy, and even
anxious, to have their own offspring
recite it each morning in class, the
SuerS are determined to impose their
will, and our highest tribunal is letting
them have their Say-which is as it
should be-
Yet it all seems to us to be a rather
bleak business in terms of the free mind,
the human spirit and the majorityS
right to pray, if it wishes to do so,
despite tiny minority's objection. AS
In the McCollum case, for example, why
should our Supreme Court have ruled
as it did, in effect, in 1948-that a
single atheist is entitled not merely to
practice atheism, but also to prevent
believers from holding certain types of
releaSed-time religious instruction in
our public schools? And why should this
happen in a land whose founders
thought 1t rather important to have
faith in God?
The Mayflower Compact of 1920
begins, for example, with these words:
I'm the name Of God, Amen" And the
Philadelphia Congress historic declara-
ton of ITS is studded with such
phrases as "the Divine Author of our
existence" "a reverence for our
great Creator" before God" and
1.-The supreme and impartial Judge and
Ruler of the Universe" And our Dec
laration Of Independence, of course,
speaks of Natures God," and of people
OF placing "a firm reliance on the pro-
lection of Divine Providence" And here
are some pertinent words from George
Washington's Farewell Address:
OF all the dispositions and habits which
lead to political prosperity, Religion and
Morality are indispensable supports-In vain
would that man claim the tribute of Patri-
otism, who should labour to subvert these
great pillars of human happiness these
firmest props of the duties of Men and
Citizens-The mere Politician. equally with
the piouS man ought to respect and to
cherish them.-A volume could not trace
all their connections with private and public
felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the
security for property, for reputation, for life,
if the sense of religious obligation desert the
oathS. which are the instruments of investi-
CATION in Courts Of Justice? And let us with
caution indulge the supposition, that morality
can be maintained without religion. What
ever may be conceded to the influence Of
refined education on minds Of peculiar struc-
ture; reason and experience both forbid us
to expect that national morality can prevail
in exclusion of religious principle.
Clearly, regardless Of how the
Supreme Court may decide on New
York's prayers, our country has strong
4clSlouS UdSlS III lllSIOly dllu IIduIIlOI.
Until recent years the concept of God
and the validity of prayer have not
been seriously challenged in America,
but now we have all sorts of militant
people who think otherwise. Legalisms
to one side, we don't understand them
because we can't see how petitioning
Divine Providence violates the First
Amendment