Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-28

Inc supreme Court Qeci-
sion on Bible reading and
prayer in the public schools
came as no surprise to me.
But I did not welcome 1t as
some ohurchmen who threw
in the sponge a year ago. To
me the decision has one
tragic implication above all
others:
The First Amendment in
PRODUCES what we have long
called THE Bill Of Rights"
That Amendment contains
two clauses. The first-the
Establishment clause-is in
tended to protect us from
the imposition of a state re-
ligion. The second-the Free
Exercise clause-is intended
to protect us from govern
mental interference with the
free exercise Of religion. To
the founding fathers, and to
generations of Americans
who succeeded them, these
provisions we're q mighty
bulwark defending our right
to worship.
But in recent years these
guarantees have been used
frequently for selfish ends in
the interests of atheism,
agnoSticism and secularism.
There has been a growing
confusion as to whether the
right not. to worship Is in
herent in the right to wor-
ship. Some have equated
these rights and commended
that indifference to God is
itself q religion.
The decision is the culmi-
nation of this quarter-cen-
fury Of confusion. The tragic
lasting effect Of that decision
is that the right not to wor-
ship is now held to be a
higher freedom than the
right to worship.
Henry b. Luffberry, DID
Pastor, st. Paul's
Lutheran Church
Like your fortnight edito-
rial Of June Is. I think that
this most recent prohibition
of the court Is a shame. I
agree, also that the learned
and sincere justices have
mistaken mere shadow for
real threat" and I would
add that they are not as far
from discussing how many
angels can stand on the
point Of a needle, only In q
tranSposed secular context,
as one might suppose.
What is wrong with the
ban on prayer and. Bible
reading is the inherent alb
surdity Of a sudden revela-
ton that a well-established
practice rooted In traditions
going back to our beginnings
and corresponding to the
deep instincts Of our people
for generations is unconsti-
tutional. There Is nothing
more surely established In
American society than
prayer, not as a private but
as a public expression.
Suddenly we are called on
to believe that this is i'm
proper as q school use and Is
contrary TO the Constitution.
The worst consequence Is
that the American Establish
ment - for we do have one
in our society, though 1t is
not churchly and 1t has now
embraced unconditional re-
ligious neutrality - seems TO
say to our young people in
their time Of maximum UNI
certainty and need: Religion
is a private matter: 1t is all
right for any one who wants
II. but II Is out Of place in
the main rushing stream Of
social and civil life.
Charles Wesley Lowry
President, Foundation for
Religious Action In the Social
and Civil order.
-
And now, class. we shall
have an objective lesson
This is the year 1853 AID.
What does that mean2 Very
good. Johnny The Year Of
OF Our Lord 1868. }..
I'VE spoke yesterday Of q
King David. Did he live in
AID. times7 That's right,
Susie, II was BIC, or Before
Christ. King David was
famous. among other things.
for poetry. Let US read one
OF them together. The Lord
is My Shepherd. I shall not
want
Recently, a woman said
that sounded like the rawlings
Of a mailman. Do you share
her belief, Mary. or do you
have another opinion7
Nov, going back TO the
Man from whom we get the
date on our calendar 1868
AID. you should know as part