Rep. Ernest Istook and more than 100 House members have introduced the “Religious Freedom Amendment” to the U.S. Constitution.  The proposed constitutional Amendment would permit but not mandate school prayer and other religious expression on public property.

     The proposed amendment reads as follows:

Reasons for the amendment:

     Thirty years of public opinion polls show that more than 75% of Americans support a constitutional amendment to protect voluntary school prayer.  Now is the time we carry out the wishes of the American people.

     Under the guise of promoting tolerance, religious expression is being singled out for censorship.  The supreme court has broadened Americans’ First Amendment free speech rights in many controversial ways, but it has pushed back our free speech rights when it involves religion.  We wouldn’t need a constitutional amendment, except that un-elected judges have changed the Constitution for us, by-passing the public and its elected representatives.  This is our only way to change it back; it’s our peaceful answer to the religious intolerance shown by activists who constantly sue to suppress religious expression.

When will a vote take place:

     House Judiciary hearings are expected to place this summer and a vote on the Religious Freedom Amendment is anticipated in the fall.  A constitutional amendment must pass by two-thirds in the House and Senate, and then be ratified by three-fourths of the nation’s 50 states, with no approval or other role involving the President or the Governors.

Groups sponsoring the amendment include:

•  American Conference of Jews and Blacks
•  American Family Association
•  Americans For Voluntary School Prayer
•  American Muslim Council
•  Christian Action Network
•  Christian Coalition
•  Christian Voice
•  Citizens for Excellence in Education
•  Concerned Women for America
•  Family Research Council
•  Focus on the Family
•  Free Congress Foundation
•  General Council of the Assemblies of God
•  International Pentecostal Church of Christ
•  National Clergy Council
•  National Association of Evangelicals
•  Southern Baptist Convention
•  Christian Life Commission
•  Toward Tradition
•  Traditional Values Coalition
•  U.S. Family Network
•  Wallbuilders
•  William Murray Report

TALKING POINTS

 Supporters have reached a consensus.

     Supporters of a constitutional amendment to protect religious freedom have reached a consensus. The Religious Freedom Amendment (RFA) has the backing of numerous conservative and religious organizations, more than 100 cosponsors, both Republicans and Democrats, and House leadership.

The RFA would reverse trends of religious restriction
 
     The RFA would reverse trends of suppressing religious expression, including student-initiated prayers in public schools. The RFA retains the First Amendment's intent that government should not control nor compel religion in America, but should accommodate it the same as other forms of speech.

The RFA would allow student-sponsored prayer, but prohibit government from composing prayers or compelling . anyone to join in prayer.

     The RFA would allow student-sponsored prayer in public schools, but explicitly prohibits government from composing prayers on their behalf, and from compelling anyone to join in prayer. The extent to which prayers may be involved in a school activity would no longer be different than any other free speech issue, so long as government is simply permitting what students desire, rather than compelling them

     It also assures that no student is required to join in any such activity. But a single objector (or a small number) could no longer censor the religious speech of the other students, so long as they are not compelled to join in such speech. Likewise, a large group of students could not censor the religious speech of a smaller number. Current court decisions have created a "freedom from hearing" that improperly supplants "freedom of speech". The RFA follows the same standard which the U.S. Supreme Court has applied to the Pledge of Allegiance: No student is compelled to participate, but they are not permitted to silence their classmates simply because they disagree.

Polls show the public supports a constitutional amendment for voluntary school prayer.

     Public opinion polls throughout the last 30 years show three-fourths of the American public overwhelmingly support a constitutional amendment to allow  voluntary prayer in public schools, and otherwise protect religious liberties from court intrusion.
 
Government regulation of religious freedoms go far beyond prayer in school

     Government regulation of religious liberties has gone far beyond prayer in school.  San Francisco was ordered to take down a cross that had stood in a city park for 63 years. The courts have upheld a zero given to a Tennessee student on her research paper because she chose the life of Jesus as her topic; the U.S. Postal Service has ordered "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanukkah" signs removed from post offices; Edmond, Oklahoma and Stow, Ohio have been forced to revise their city seals, removing crosses which reflected religious heritage of the communities. (More such suits are expected re: state and city seals, flags, etc.) The Internal Revenue Service has banned religious items from workers' personal desktop areas, calling them "intrusive" and directly equating them with sexually explicit material.

Religious Freedom Facts

In 1985 our nation's Supreme Court overturned a moment of silence
law because it gave students the opportunity to pray silently.
Wallace V. Jaffrees overturned the law of Alabama.

Recent examples of infringements of religious liberties include:

• The Supreme Court upheld a zero given to a Tennessee student on her research paper because she could choose a topic of her choice, and chose the life of Christ.

 
• The Ohio Court of Appeals stopped Cleveland's school voucher program which provided 2,000 disadvantaged children with publicly-funded cash vouchers. The program permitted parents to choose a better school for their child, and the court said it was unconstitutional because they might pick a parochial school.

 
• An Alabama court has forbidden the display of the Ten Commandments in a courtroom, even though it reflects the origins of much of our law.

 
• The Supreme Court agrees with a lawsuit forcing San Francisco to remove a cross which had been in a public park for 65 years.

 
• The Supreme Court upholds a lower court decision forcing the city of Edmond, Oklahoma, to remove a cross from among the emblems on its city seal.

 
• School graduations are commonly threatened by those who want to ban religious references. In Lee v. Weisman (1992) the offering of a prayer by Rabbi Leslie Gutterman was declared unconstitutional because it was "psychological coercion" to expect others simply to listen respectfully.

 
• A Nativity scene at a courthouse was declared unconstitutional in 1989 in Allegheny v. Pittsburgh ACLU.

 
• The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission had to be stopped by the 103rd Congress, after it published proposed new federal regulations to restrict religious discussions in the workplace, by on-the-job employees.
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