It is not the will of the great majority of American citizens nor was it ever the intent of the Founding Fathers that religious speech should be curtailed and censored as it is in our nation today--by courts and bureaucrats.

The 9th Circuit Court has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because it contains the words "under God." This was the decision of a few radical judges who ignore the fact that the Declaration of Independence and many of the founding documents and speeches are replete with references to God, and the fact that no one is required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

In other infamous cases, judges in their courtrooms and teachers in their classrooms have been forced to take down the Ten Commandments from their walls and put them out of view, as if the foundational legal and moral system of America and of Western civilization is something that must be hidden from the public, and especially from the younger generation. This is in spite of the fact that a large mural of Moses the Lawgiver looks down upon the proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States.

In contradiction to the spirit and letter of the First Amendment, the meddling hand of government has reached into countless local public school classrooms, to tell a teacher that a personal copy of the Bible cannot be left in view on her desk, or to tell a kindergarten student not to pray over his lunch, or a fifth grader not to do an art project or a book report with a religious theme. Valedictorians have their speeches censored and high school athletes have been forbidden to pray before games. The examples are too numerous to mention.

Our religious heritage which was present at the founding of America and which in recent years has been eroded by judges who wish to rewrite the Constitution, needs to be protected. Generations to come need to understand that the liberties we enjoy, the tolerance and morality of this great nation and its system of laws are based on belief in a righteous and compassionate God. Freedom of religious expression needs to be restored and protected by the Pledge and Prayer Amendment.

Contacts: William J. Murray, Chairman

Peggy Birchfield, Executive Director