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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 28, 1992                   TAG: 9201280477
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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KEEP PRAYER A PRIVATE ACT

KAY LONG (letter, Jan. 14) advocates a candidate for Congress because he supports a constitutional amendment allowing prayer in public schools. Such an amendment flies directly in the face of Christ's teachings, not to mention everything this country and its Constitution stand for.

In Matthew 6, Jesus states: "Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see. Otherwise expect no recompense from your heavenly Father . . . When you are praying, do not behave like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in synagogues or on street corners in order to be noticed . . . Whenever you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in private."

Who are these people who support prayer in public schools? They are none other than the same hypocrites Jesus warned us against nearly 2,000 years ago. They are so weak in faith that they feel the government must sanction their religion to make it valid. Let us keep the responsibility of teaching children religion at home with the parents, or in a church, where it belongs. JAMES D. RIEMAN BLACKSBURG

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