(15)    Mon 12 Jun 95 23:18
By: Robin Murray-o'hair
To: All
Re: Religion Songs/H.S. Gradu
St:
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RELIGIOUS LYRICS DIVIDE SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL

Chaos Erupts After Students Insist on Religious Carols During Graduation
Ceremony. Others Are Insulted.

by Conrad F. Goeringer

     Last Wednesday's (June 7) graduation ceremony for West High in Salt
Lake City was disrupted when a faction of students insisted on singing
religious carols despite a federal court order.

     On June 1, a West High student, sophomore Rachel Bauchman sued the
school district, objecting to songs which were part of the a cappella
choir's program, such as "Friends" and "The Lord Bless You and Keep You,"
due to their religious overtones.  A federal judge initially refused to
ban the songs, but then the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the
ruling and ordered the choir not to sing the numbers. Last Wednesday
night, however, numerous students followed the lead of William Badger, a
student who is not in the a cappella choir, who moved to the podium
during graduation ceremonies and urged the audience to sing one of the
court-banned pieces.

     Allegedly, copies of the lyrics to the songs had been distributed
throughout the audience.  Badger insisted that the piece known as
"Friends" was a West High commencement tradition "for more than half a
decade."

     The incidents highlights the growing conflict over the role of
religion in public schools.  The Deseret News, in an opinion column last
Friday, declared that "Banning student prayers at graduation rites was
bad enough, but to outlaw the words God and Lord as they occur in choral
music sets a disturbing precedent that is tantamount to erasing even the
smallest hint of religion of any kind and drastically shrinking the world
of music in the process."

     Will Badger has hired attorney Jim McConkie to represent him,
fearing possible legal repercussions over his actions.  He told a press
conference last Saturday that  "I stand by what I said and did that
(graduation ceremony) night because it is something I believe strongly
in." He added that "Our country was intended to have freedom of religion,
not freedom from religion."  McConkie said that his client's actions were
a form of free speech and not religious intolerance.

     Meanwhile, Rachel Bauchman has become a heroine for state/church
separationists in Utah  and a target of vilification for others.  The
Salt Lake City Tribune says that conspiracy theories about the Bauchman
family are spreading, including one which claims that the family pulled
"similar stunts" in Texas and New York where they once lived.  "Some
believe the Bauchmans are part of some well-funded Jewish conspiracy,"
noted the Tribune.

     And what about William Badger, the boy who encouraged the audience
and fellow students to sing out?  He said that "We should honor the
traditions of both Judaism and Christianity, indeed all religions and
broaden our minds."  Critics, however, maintain that the  recitation or
singing of any religious verses has no place in a public school. Some
used the term "mob" in describing the actions of those who did sing and
lamented that the West High graduation ceremony became a platform for
political controversy.

     Others pointed out that the incident overshadowed a remarkable
academic record for the graduation class; half of the students had scored
in the 90th percentile on their SAT's (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) and the
school had won 40 percent of the first-place awards in local athletic
contests.

     The West High incident, though, is another chapter in a long history
of problems involving schools -- and indeed many other government
institutions in Utah -- where problems of state/church separation have
arose.  And it suggests that religious belief, rather than unifying a
community, often drives people apart.

******************

IT'S MORE THAN A TRADITION . . .

The Words In the Controversial Song "Friends" Are Not Only Religious --
They've Religion-Specific.

by Conrad F. Goeringer

     Words in a song which prompted last Wednesday's ruckus in a Salt
Lake City high school graduation ceremony were called a "tradition" by
one student organizer.  But the song "Friends" is loaded with religious
terms, some of which -- like "Lord" and "Father" -- suggest a distinctly
Christian religion.  We doubt that anything else would be permitted in
Utah, a state which is the home base for the Church of Latter-Day Saints,
or Mormons, and which has seen more than its fair share of state/church
litigation in recent years.  So, you decide for yourself.  THEISTWATCH
picked up the lyrics from Sunday's (June 11) edition of the Salt Lake
Tribune.  "Friends" was written by Michael W. Smith and Deborah Smith.
Copyright 1982, Reunion and Geffen Records:

"Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hope He's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through.
But we'll keep you close as always.
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong.
                      (Chorus)
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say "never"
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends.
With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show.
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong.


                          --30--



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