NEWS STORY: Atheist, Christian lawyer square-off in debate on religion, school prayer

c. 1998 Religion News Service ARLINGTON, VA. _ About the only thing the two groups agree on is this: the proposed Religious Freedom Amendment rejected by the House June 4 deserved to fail. American Atheists and the Christian Legal Society have little else in common, as was made clear at a first-ever debate Friday (June […]

c. 1998 Religion News Service

ARLINGTON, VA. _ About the only thing the two groups agree on is this: the proposed Religious Freedom Amendment rejected by the House June 4 deserved to fail.

American Atheists and the Christian Legal Society have little else in common, as was made clear at a first-ever debate Friday (June 12) between representatives of the two groups during the atheist organization’s national convention.


The debate was part of an effort by American Atheists to become more visible. The group has opened a Washington legislative office and met with White House officials in May.

Representatives of both groups said they were pleased the proposed constitutional amendment, which would have allowed organized prayer in public schools, did not receive the necessary two-thirds approval required for passage in the House.

Ron Barrier, American Atheists national spokesman, said he believes the Constitution’s First Amendment provides sufficient guidelines for church-state relations.

Steven McFarland, a Christian Legal Society official, said he thought the proposal authored by Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., would have violated the First Amendment’s clause prohibiting the government from establishing religion.

While the two agreed on the Istook amendment, they differed on a new congressional debate over a bill designed to curb the government’s ability to interfere with religious expression. The Religious Liberty Protection Act, introduced Tuesday (June 9), is meant to replace the Religious Freedom Restoration Act rejected last year by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.”We fail to see what religious freedoms have been deprived that need to be restored,”Barrier said.

McFarland was among a broad range of religious and political leaders who hailed the new proposal’s introduction.”There is no prohibition on Congress protecting religion,”said McFarland, director of the society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom.”Zoning boards, planning commissions routinely discriminate against less popular faiths,”he added, in arguing why the legislation is needed.

He cited zoning laws in Los Angeles barring an Orthodox Jewish group from meeting regularly to pray in a residential area. The legislation is also needed, he said to aid religious student organizations prevented from using college facilities because they require their leaders to be Christians.


The two men also did not agree on another key church-state law, the Equal Access Act, a more-than-decade-old provision requiring public schools that allow student clubs to meet before or after class to allow political and religious clubs as well.”We do not feel the public … high schools should be a venue for special interest groups,”Barrier argued.”Why should the public schools be used as forums that discriminate on public property?” McFarland responded that the act has allowed student-initiated groups _ from chess clubs to Bible clubs _ to meet in schools.”I think the Equal Access Act of 1984 was one of the best lessons we gave our succeeding generations,”he said.

McFarland acknowledged to his audience of about 90 people, which received him warmly, that he didn’t expect many there to agree with him.”I believe that religion is desirable, that it is _ particularly faith in Jesus Christ _ is the most important aspect in my life and desirable for society as a whole,”he said.”If one agrees with Ron that religion is the scourge of society … then needless to say you’re not going to be sympathetic.” Barrier said”I feel that rationality would be better for society than religion.” Nevertheless, the men ended their discussion with a big hug and a handshake.

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