GET HIGH ON LIFE

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 27, 2000

Harold Keller / L’Observateur / June 27, 2000

I have to admit that I was angry last week when the U.S. Supreme Courtruled that public schools cannot let students lead fans in public prayer before athletic events. Had I written this article the day of the ruling, Iwould have condemned the Supreme Court for trying to rule God, not only out of school activities, but also out of society.

During the days that followed, every Christian I spoke to was up in arms about the decision. How dare the Supreme Court tell us we can’t pray? Iwas determined to encourage the schools to rebel. Let’s show them we canpray if we want to. “They can’t stop us from praying,” I thought. “We’llshow them,” (meaning the Supreme Court) was my attitude.

The next day after the ruling, Cal Thomas, a conservative Christian columnist for the Los Angeles Times, had an article about the same issue.

His reaction was completely opposite of mine. The title of his opinioncolumn was, “Court gives believers an opportunity.”Mr. Thomas said that since 1947, a case called “Everson” has confused theU.S. Supreme Court. They’ve been wrong on religion. In that case, over 50years ago, he said the Court ruled that what the federal government was prohibited from doing – establishing a national church – the states also could not do.

He went on to say that the Court’s recent decision offers an opportunity for religious believers, if they will seize it. He continued his article bysaying that the greater power to do good lies within individuals, not the state.

Conservative Christians, especially, are fooling themselves when they think that public prayers are a sign that all must be right with the world.

He went on to suggest that such prayers trivialize the act of prayer. Hethen explained that Jesus spoke about public displays of worship when He said of the Pharisees (the fundamentalists of His day): “Everything they do is done for men to see.” The bottom line is that Jesus accuses them ofshowing off. Jesus also had this advice for prayer: “And when you pray, donot be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men…But when you pray, go intoyour room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matt6:1 and following) I resent the directiion the highest court in the land has taken in the last 35 to 40 years. I think their ruling last week is ridiculous, but I agreewith Mr. Thomas. They have silently challenged Christians to pray as weshould. Will we accept the challenge, or just continue to be angry, and donothing?

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group.

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