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February 28, 2008 Volume 4, Number 9 |
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In This Issue
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Protecting Our First Amendment Rights
Few instances bring people together in prayer
quite like tragedy does. We can all remember the scenes of the 9/11
tragedy when acts of prayer and patriotism were respected once
again. Just this month, thousands gathered in
However, in some environments, students’ first amendment rights are being trampled by school policies that are reflective of an anti-God, anti-Christian bias. The “politically correct” crowds have pushed their agenda so far they have attempted to erase much of the heritage and traditions that give us our moral fiber. Many people feel they must check any religious beliefs at the door. Yet, sadly, this belief is the exact opposite of the grounds upon which our country was founded. To ensure that every Missourian
knows he or she has the right to pray in public places, the legislature
recently took a first step. The House passed legislation onto the
Senate that will give
The sponsor of this resolution told a story
of students who had been prohibited from even carrying a Bible onto a
school bus. While I don’t believe this is indicative of all of
HJR 55 will ensure our students are not being
shamed and silenced while other students with far more outrageous
behavior are being encouraged. If given final approval by
the General Assembly and the voters of Missouri, the amendment would
guarantee a citizen's First Amendment right to pray and worship in all
public areas, including schools, as long as the activities are voluntary
and su
It also would reaffirm the right of employees and
elected officials of the State of
This constitutional amendment will not change the
law – but it will help define and strengthen the law for the people of
Some decisions make one think that the religion of atheism is being promoted above all others. Some people mistakenly think a secular setting is the same as being anti-religious. One component of the legislation requires that all
public schools receiving state funds display the text of the Bill of
Rights of the United States Constitution in a conspicuous and legible
manner. This can serve as a simple and strong reminder of our
rights, including religious freedom, which we are guaranteed as
Here is the text of the proposed legislation. The bold text is the new language. The normal text is already in our state constitution. Bill of Rights Article I,
Section 5,Constitution of
That all men and women have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person shall, on account of his or her religious persuasion or belief, be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, or be molested in his or her person or estate; that to secure a citizen's right to acknowledge Almighty God according to the dictates of personal convictions, neither the state nor any of its political subdivisions shall establish any official religion, but a citizen's right to pray or to express his or her religious beliefs shall not be infringed; that the state shall not compose prayers nor coerce any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity, but shall ensure public school students their right to free exercise of religious expression without interference, as long as such prayer or other expression is private and voluntary, whether individually or corporately, and in a manner that is not disruptive nor in violation of other policies, rules, or standards, and as long as such prayers or expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances; and, to emphasize the right to free exercise of religious expression, that all free public schools receiving state appropriations shall display, in a conspicuous and legible manner, the text of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States; but this section shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others. With the many challenges facing our nation, we
need the power of prayer more than ever. I for one want to make sure
If you need a copy of the constitution, please contact me. I will be happy to have one ready for you to pick up at my O’Fallon office. Your thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about this proposal. You can send me your opinion by clicking here: Cynthia Davis. A Little
Humor…
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