Freedom Of Prayer

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that Americans from the time of our Founders found fundamental in the forming of our country. That issue is the freedom of prayer as it relates to that right as defined under our Constitution in Amendment 1, ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.''

Tomorrow, in the State of Florida, two men, including the Pace High School principal and athletic director, face criminal contempt charges for prayer offered at a fieldhouse luncheon for private contributors in which no students were present.

The right to practice religion is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. While this right is guaranteed through our Constitution under the legislative authority and responsibility of the legislative branch, it was the judicial branch and judges, I would argue, without constitutional authority, legislating from the bench, that imposed an unconstitutional infringement on the rights of teachers, administrators, and students to free exercise of their religion.

This outrageous action was driven by a lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the Santa Rosa County School District, claiming that some teachers and administrators were endorsing religion in their schools. The school district entered into an agreement without any legal argument that prohibited prayer at all school-sponsored events and even prohibited all employees from engaging in prayer. Prohibited individuals from praying.

Principal Franklin Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman offered a prayer. The prayer was offered innocently, without intent to violate the order, and they didn't do it to take a stand against the order. They did not realize the order applied to them in such a way--a prayer before a meal at an event with private contributors in which no students were present.

The U.S. District Court initiated criminal contempt proceedings and the two men face potentially fines, jail time, and loss of their retirement benefits for exercising a right guaranteed under the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, this is wrong. I stand with Principal Lay and Athletic Director Freeman to their right granted under our Constitution in Amendment 1 to freely exercise their religion and specifically to pray.

Mr. Speaker, I pray that we return to a time when our constitutional right to pray is honored, recognized, and, at the very least, not criminalized.

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