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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 15, 1992                   TAG: 9203160161
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NEVER THREATENED BY PRAYER IN SCHOOL

JAMES RIEMAN (letter, Jan. 28) accused Kay Long and those who support prayer in public places as being like hypocrites, citing Jesus in Matthew 6.

Jesus is not speaking here about prayers made in a gathering of people to give recognition to God, but to giving alms and praying to impress people about oneself.

I trust that people will not quit giving alms and showing charity, since in most cases this must be done in public. It seems that we will try to find any excuse today to make our belief in the sovereign God a closet belief. He certainly is not one to be ashamed of, and he certainly doesn't exist only behind the closed doors of a church or in the privacy of a home. He owns this universe and is to be revered everywhere.

I attended public school in Radford for 11 years, where we had Bible classes and public prayers. Never did I feel threatened or indoctrinated by these acts. I was, however, made aware that there was a sovereign power over me and over our nation. This instilled in me decent values and a respect for what is right in the sight of God and for my country. ROY G. QUESENBERRY BLACKSBURG

by CNB