Date: 1984-05-15
Speaker: PHILIP M. CRANE (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. today we will have the opportunity to address an issue that most Americans supportequal access. This is a relatively new idea that has come about because many constituencies are distraught over the Senates inability to obtain the twothirds majority vote necessary to pass voluntary school prayer legislation. and the unwillingness of the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on this issue. Both the House and Senate have introduced legislation on this issue. The Senate bill. S. 1059. by Senator DENTON makes it unlawful for any State or local education agency that receives Federal financial assistance. and generally allows groups to meet during noninstructional time periods. to discriminate against any student meeting because the content of the speech is religious. The House bill by Mr. BONKER. H.R. 5345. differs from the Senate version because it imposes a funding restriction instead of a judical remedy for violation of its provisions. The bill states that no funds appropriated to the Department of Education can be provided to state or local education agencies that have a general policy of allowing studentinitiated groups to meet if studentinitiated religious groups are not allowed to meet on the same basis. To reiterate. the major difference is that the House bill imposes a funding restriction and the Senate a judicial remedy for violation of its provisions. We are debating. today. the bill introduced by our distinguished colleague. Mr. BONKER. and it deserves our attention. His proposal will allow religious oriented student groups the same right to hold voluntary. studentinitiated religious meetings on the same basis as other student groups. It is simply not fair to prevent students from meeting voluntarily for religious purposes when a school allows meetings for virtually all other legitimate reasons. Such a double standard is inconsistent with the principles of free speech and Government neutrality toward religion. H.R. 5345 is limited to public secondary schools and includes a number of safeguards to prevent coercion or official involvement in religious student meetings. These meetings .and/or activities must be voluntary. studentinitiated. not be sponsored by the school. the government. government agents or employees. nor interfere with the orderly conduct of regular school activities. or be otherwise unlawful. There are several concerns and myths surrounding the equal access concept. Opponents believe that children subjected to a religious belief other than their own may be emotionally scarred. or victims of religious dissension. A policy of equal access does not cause religious discord. On the contrary. it creates an atmosphere that teaches tolerance and respect for the views of other people. Children will learn that not everyone shares their beliefs and opinions. They will also learn that freedom means they do not have to participate in an activity they lo not believe inbut that. they canno prevent other people from doing so. Opponents also believe that school prayer and equal access proposals are unconstitutional. The First Amendment. in its historical context. was never intended to separate God from government. It was intended to prevent the Federal Government from requiring attendance at. and support for. a particular church. Simply put. it was designed to protect our religious liberty. not restrict it. When considering constitutional rights. the denial of equal access to religious student groups is in violation of their right to freedom of speech and assembly. The main thrust of opposition is that equal access would open the door for cults to enter our schools. because outsiders would come in and somehow convince students to be a part of their cult. If I thought that this legislation would be a stepping stone for cults to enter our schools you can be certain that I would not favor this approach. The irony of this opposition is that if cult leaders wanted to establish groups in our schools there is nothing to stop them from forming a group now that is nonreligious.e