Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-23
Our Stand on Prayer

VA SAAO OhfA CAAAC SOOA . 0C~
ciSion barring the Lords
Prayer and Bible reading in
public schools is more an
emotional reaction than a
logical treatment Of the sub
ject.
In evaluating Justice
Clark's admonition that the
Government m ust remain
neutral in religious matters,
The Star points to the rise
of secularism and material
ism In this country since the
Founding Fathers drafted
the First Amendment" Is
one to infer that The Star is
opposed to the First Amend
ment or that the First
Amendment is responsible for
secularism and materialism?
Whatever the case, one can
also infer that the years Of
recitation Of prayer In public
schools has not lessened the
rise Of Secularism and mate
rialism.
Would 1t not be more logi-
cal to assume that public
school prayer recitation
failed to retard the growth
Of secularism, materialism,
school dropouts and juvenile
delinquency? And would it
not also be logical to assume
that more meaningful reli-
gious experiences should stem
from the home and church or
synagogue. undiluted by the
hollowness of compulsory
public school recitation?
The Star finds it difficult,
II not impossible, to share
Justice Clark's concern, ex-
pressed in his S t atement,
1.-THE breach of neutrality
that Is today a trickling
stream may all too soon be-
come a raging torrent" Only
recently the world was
stunned by the self-inflicted
cremation of q Buddhist
monk in Vietnam In protest
Of the governments attempt
to impose a state religion
upon a people. a majority of
whom profess faith in q diff
ferent religion.
Can 1t happen here? 1t GER
tainly can, as evidenced by
the tragic events OF Missis-
sippi. Alabama and other
areas Of racial strife across
our Nation. where citizens
merely seek to enjoy the
rights guaranteed to them by
our Constitution. A century
OF reliance on the good faith
OF his fellow-citizens has not
produced a fraction Of the
progress achieved by the Ne
gro since the Supreme Court
decision on public school de-
segregation. In the final an
alysis, the Supreme Court,
and not Governors Barnett
and Wallace. must be the
guardians Of our liberties.
Already Gov. Wallace, flushed
with the political success Of
a civil rights defeat, has an
nounced that Alabama will
continue to have prayer re-
citations in the public schools
Of his state. Indeed, "a
trickling stream may all too
soon become a raging tor
rent"
s. ID. Wolf.
I wonder what our Found
ing Fathers would say II they
came back TO life and noted
the action Of the Supreme
Court. From the first incep-
ton Of the formation Of the
Government our Founding
Fathers minced no words In
deed and action calling on
Gods help.
The conclusion in the
splendid editorial was perfect
and It's a question that will
remain in the minds OF most
OF us. as the editorial ably
stated: I'm the process God
and religion have all but
been driven from the public
schools. What remainsp VIII
the baccalaureate service and
Christmas carols be the next
10 go2 Don't bet against IT,"
Congratulations and long
life 10 The Star.
George J. Burger.
You state that you feel II a
shame that God and religion
have been driven from the
public schools. Yet. you never
seemed TO even touch on the
subject Of whose God and
whose religion. / realize that
during these prayers no spe-
cific religious faith is men,
toned. nor is there any mem
ton OF sect: but, what pray
ers are being said and from
what source are they taken2