A powerful message on prayer in school
Published on 5/1/2008
Yesterday, Thursday, May 1, was the National Day of Prayer. It is recognized and participated in by students in our schools all across America.
It is usually called "Meet Me at the Pole" meaning to meet at the flagpole on the school grounds, usually at a time prior to the start of school. It is, of course, voluntary. I know many of my church's youth participate in that each year.
Each year prayer is offered up for our schools for our students and for our country.
Prayer, so it seems, has become a very controversial issue whose legality is called into question in the public square of our national community. With that in mind, the Honorable Zach Wamp of the State of Tennessee read into the record of the House of Representatives on Sept. 20, 2000, a statement that was read over a public address system prior to a football game at Roane County High School in Kingston, Tenn., by school Principal Jody McLoud, on Sept. 1, 2000.
I have received this information several times by e-mail over the past few years and decided to check it out to see if it was true or not.
If you have access to the Internet and have an email account, you know as I do that we receive tons of e-mails that may sound great and true, but after researching it we find out that it was just a good story with nothing true about it or its roots.
Yet after checking out this story, I found out that it is indeed true. For the doubters among us, I want to give to you two Web site addresses where you can go and check it out yourselves.
I found the information attesting to its truthfulness at www.snopes.com/politics/religion/mcloud.asp.
I also found a copy of the item in the Congressional Record at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/Z?r106:E20SE0-0024.
The following was taken from the Congressional Record:
"Mr. WAMP: Mr. Speaker, one of the most troubling aspects of contemporary life is the continuing assault on values and morals. Nowhere is that effort more apparent than the determined drive to eliminate any voluntary prayer in our schools or at school events, such as athletic games. Recently, a distinguished citizen of my community spoke out on this subject. Jody McLoud is the principal of Roane County High School and has been for 11 years. He has spent 24 years as a professional educator. His comments summarize the situation about as well as anyone can. I am privileged to place them into the RECORD of the U.S. House of Representatives and urge everyone to read them carefully and pay heed. Here is what Mr. McLoud said:
"'It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games to say a prayer and play the National Anthem to honor God and country.
'Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law.
'As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it an alternate lifestyle, and if someone is offended, that's OK.
'I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity by dispensing condoms and calling it safe sex. If someone is offended, that's OK.
'I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a viable means of birth control. If someone is offended, it's no problem.
'I can designate a school day as Earth Day and involve students in activities to religiously worship and praise the goddess, Mother Earth, and call it ecology.
'I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as simple-minded and ignorant and call it enlightenment.
'However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, Federal Case Law is violated.
'This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical.
'Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone except God and His Commandments.
'Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules that they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.
'For this reason, I shall render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and refrain from praying at this time. However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God, and ask Him in the name of Jesus to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law -- yet.'"
That is the end of what is recorded in the Congressional record. However, what follows is what is contained in the email, which I received. It is given at the end of Principal Jody McLoud's statement about public prayer.
"... AND ... one by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand. And they prayed in the announcer's box. The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United State's of America -- the seat of 'justice' in the one nation under God."
Somehow, Kingston, Tenn., remembered what so many have forgotten ... we are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) says, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." May we ever be found praying.
Dr. C. Bradley Morris is pastor of First Assembly of God in Georgetown. His e-mail address is PastorBrad@sccc.tv.
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