AMERICAN ATHEISTS
                      Utah Regional Office


                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                        November 9, 1994


News Contacts: Chris Allen, Regional Representative
               Richard Andrews, Regional Representative
               Brian Barnard, Attorney

                     PROPOSITION 3 REJECTED
                STATE/CHURCH SEPARATION ENDORSED

     "American Atheists is very pleased with the defeat of
Proposition 3, the so-called Nonsectarian Study of Religion
amendment to the state constitution," said Chris Allen this
morning. "Utah's wall of separation between state and church has
never been very strong, and suffered a terrible battering last
year at the hands of the state Supreme Court, but this shows that
a majority of Utahans do not want to see it weakened further. It
is our hope that the legislature and the Supreme Court will
understand this message and respond accordingly."

     "Obviously many people are concerned about the divisive
effect of these contact crusades," said Richard Andrews. "They
want their leaders and schools to show respect for diversity in
their community. They want their tax money spent responsibly, on
important needs, like education, law enforcement, and health
care. They don't want to see any more of it disappear down the
litigation rat-hole."

     "Some Utah politicians seeks every opportunity to attack our
wall of separation, calling it hostility towards religion," said
Allen. They apparently think this will win them votes. Hopefully
this defeat will encourage them to rethink their tactics."

     "I think this also points out a credibility problem," said
Andrews. "The legislators pushing Proposition 3 said it would
only clarify the meaning of the word 'instruction' to allow
objective teaching about religion. They said it would deter
future law suits. Those arguments were rejected, indicating a
clear distrust of the legislature's real motives. The hidden
agenda of the radical right was just too apparent."

     "This is good news for our school teachers too," said Allen.
"It will take some of the pressure off them to push religious
'values' and 'heritage,' reducing their exposure to possible law
suits. I think most teachers have a good sense of the difference
between objective study of religion and indoctrination, but there
are just a few who have difficulty distinguishing established
secular facts from sectarian doctrine, and this will save those
few from possible embarrassment or worse."

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