Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!bill From: bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: "Voluntary" Non-praying? Message-ID: <43@utastro.UUCP> Date: Tue, 13-Mar-84 12:02:56 EST Article-I.D.: utastro.43 Posted: Tue Mar 13 12:02:56 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 16-Mar-84 02:43:17 EST References: <920@qubix.UUCP> Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 33 > > utastro!bill: "Nothing *now* prevents kids from praying > > in school if they want to." > > I don't know if the prayer issue has gone to court, but meeting before > or after school for Bible study *has* been ruled "unconstitutional." How > much farther is it from listening to God to talking to Him? Come on, Larry, the difference is between organized religious activity in public schools (which I strongly object to) and individual activity (which has never been proscribed). Why this emphasis on getting the kids all together and having them pray in a group? Jesus advised us against public prayer, remember? Prayer is very personal and private, and the state ought to keep out of it altogether. > > utastro!bill: "As for 'voluntary', how many kids would want to stand > > out in a crowd and asset their rights *not* to 'meditate'?" > > Do you know what the pressure is *now* on a kid who *does* want to > meditate? What inmet!andrew stated works both ways: "Peer (and teacher) > pressure is a powerful force upon impressionable young children..." In > the rush of the day, it is very easy (even for an adult) not to do > something. Given a child's lower level of self-discipline, it's worse. There is a big difference between a child forgetting to pray, and a child being coerced into prayer of a kind that is offensive to him (or his family). The former is unfortunate; the latter is an outrageous infringement on religious freedom. -- Bill Jefferys 8-% Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712 (USnail) {ihnp4,kpno,ctvax}!ut-sally!utastro!bill (uucp) utastro!bill@ut-ngp (ARPANET)