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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 14, 1993                   TAG: 9307140456
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SCHOOL PRAYERS MERE SYMBOLISM?

OVER THE past several months, I've read several letters in this paper that are for integrating religion with public schools. Everyone knows about the First Amendment and what it says. That should be enough. Here is how some of our greatest leaders and thinkers felt about the subject:

Thomas Jefferson defined religion as "a matter that lies solely between man and his God." He also stated that prayer is a religious exercise that belongs in the province of religious societies, not government. His role in politics demonstrated that he thought government mixed with religion was dangerous and wrong.

John Adams stated that "Congress will never meddle with religion further than to say their own prayers."

Robert L. Dabney, who served under "Stonewall" Jackson and was regarded as the best theological teacher in the country, said, "If the state is the educator . . . education must be secularized totally. It has absolutely severed itself from all religions equally . . . and has forbidden the establishment of any religion by law."

Government mixed with religion is wrong. After all, how many people would like having government meddle with your churches? As far as these prayer-hungry students go, I wonder how devoted they are, and how many pray when they are not in church? I bet there are very few.

"Symbolism over substance" - isn't that how Rush Limbaugh would put it? If prayer is so important to them, have them pray at home. That is a much better place for it. THOMAS BASTRESS VINTON

by CNB