Not a Prayer

Ever since the Supreme Court declared official prayers in public schools unconstitutional in 1962, some local governments have contrived to circumvent the decision; often they simply defied the law-- at least until they were challenged.

For years a pro-prayer lobby tried to push through a constitutional amendment to provide for nondenominational or voluntary prayer in the schools. Last week the Connecticut general assembly passed a bill providing for an ultimate in nonsectarian spirituality: henceforth, the assembly decreed, all Connecticut public schools must set aside a moment each day for meditation.

Connecticut's Civil Liberties Union is likely to challenge the meditation period in the courts by arguing that it is actually a prayer period and therefore a violation of the Constitution's strictures against state support of religion. Meditation, of course, is an elusive target for the law. Provided that teachers give no spiritual coaching, no specifically religious words will be uttered, and whatever uplifting activity occurs will take place only in the privacy of the pupils' minds. To that extent, the Connecticut meditation bill may be a massive exercise in wishful thinking.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.