CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, October 27, 2003

Are we a nation "Under God," or not?

One never knows if information received over the Internet is for real or not. But if what follows did not take place, it should have.

The unknown author claims this is a statement read over the PA system at a football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLoud.

“Ladies and Gentlemen: 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 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, no problem.

“I can designate a school day as ‘Earth Day’ and involve students in activities to worship religiously 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 to ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then federal 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 with which 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.”

“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!”

So, what does the 1st Amendment actually say about religion? It says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…"

Wait. What’s this about Congress shall make no law… prohibiting the free exercise of religion? Neither the atheist who filed the law suit objecting to “Under God,” nor the ACLU mentions the second clause of the 1st Amendment – the part that says we should be able to worship freely.

If the atheists and the ACLU would go back and read what was said by our Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, they would find the overwhelming majority of the Founding Fathers were men of religious faith. Some were members of the Church of England, AKA Anglicans or Episcopalians. Some were Presbyterians. Some were Baptists. But they all agreed they did not want the Congress they were about to establish to be able to dictate that all citizens must belong to the Church of England. At the same time, the Founding Fathers wanted all citizens to be able to worship freely.

So, next term, look for the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the phrase “Under God,” as we pray they should.

William Hamilton, a nationally syndicated columnist and featured commentator for USA Today, is the co-author of The Grand Conspiracy and The Panama Conspiracy – novels about terrorist attacks on Colorado’s water supply and on the Panama Canal, respectively.

©2003. William Hamilton.

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com