THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 6, 1994 TAG: 9412060352
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Marc Tibbs
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
The thought of dying in one's sleep could be horrifying for a kid of any age. Not to mention that somehow the Lord might be party to it.
But as children, we prayed that morbid prayer faithfully. Clad in our pajamas, down on our knees, at the side of the bed. Its sing-song cadence made it a prayer easy to remember and reciting it was a ``cute'' bedtime ritual that made our parents feel good about how they were bringing us up.
The same is true of the movement to resurrect prayer in public schools. Even the debate serves politicians and religious zealots more than it does school children. If you're for school prayer, you're considered somehow, more pious than those who are against it.
Opponents of state-sanctioned school prayer cite the constitutional tenet which separates church and state:
``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...''
That's pretty clear-cut. Congress should not get involved either for or against the issue.
Nevertheless, school prayer has become a political football tucked underneath the arms of religious conservatives and fair-weather politicos.
President Clinton has indicated he's willing to back a constitutional amendment for a moment of silence. Conservative Republicans and religious activists are pushing for more defined prayers in schools.
I don't support state-sponsored school prayer, but neither do I accept the argument the constitutional opponents offer. The framers' intent was to keep the state out of religion, not to keep religion out of the state. That there should be separation of church and state, not separation of church from state.
Public school students who want to form religious clubs or prayer groups at school shouldn't be discouraged.
In fact, kids who really want to pray in school already are doing so. You couldn't stop them if you tried. And those who aren't praying won't be persuaded to by some mandate from the school board.
To impose school prayer in any form would be to run the risk of alienating nontraditional religious groups.
Not even a reverent moment of silence could eliminate prayer's sectarian nature. Muslims, for example, often cite mantras which would be self-defeating for any ``official'' silent moment.
And for students to pray a nondescript, nonsectarian prayer would be the first steps toward politically-correct worship.
Prayer can't be legislated. Politicians can't foster or prevent it.
Kids who pray at school are probably praying at home as well, those who aren't won't be converted by a bureaucratic morning ritual.
As to that childhood ritual, no matter what my parents sanctioned, my secret prayers were all my own.
Each night I prayed the Lord would convince my mother to let me stay up late! MEMO: Got a comment or a complaint? Call Marc Tibbs' INFOLINE number. Dial
640-5555 (245-5555 from the Peninsula) and enter category 6272 (MARC).
by CNB