c. 1997 Religion News Service

Proposed”Religious Freedom Amendment”of Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla.:”To secure the people’s right to acknowledge God. The right to pray or acknowledge religious belief, heritage or tradition on public property, including public schools, shall not be infringed. The government shall not compel joining in prayer, initiate or compose school prayer, or discriminate against or deny a benefit on account of religion.” Proposal by the Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention:”In order to secure the right of the people to acknowledge and serve God, according to the dictates of conscience, neither the United States nor any state shall deny any person equal access to a benefit, or otherwise discriminate against any person on account of religious belief, exercise, or expression; nor shall the prohibition on laws respecting an establishment of religion be construed to require such discrimination or to prohibit government accommodation of public expression of religious heritage, belief, or exercise by the people, including the right of each student to engage in student-initiated, student-led prayer in public schools. This amendment does not authorize government to compel, sponsor, or inhibit religious belief, expression, or exercise.”

MJP END RNS