(427)   Fri 10 Jan 97  1:36
By: Christopher Baker
To: All
Re: Re: AANEWS #227
St:
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@Date: 10 Jan 97 06:36:59 UTC
 * Copy of message posted via A_THEIST
 * Date: 10 Jan 97  01:33:20
 * From: Christopher Baker
 * To: All
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From: Cgastbook@aol.com
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 14:32:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Atheist] re: AANEWS for January 8, 1997
Sender: owner-aanews@listserv.direct.net
Reply-To: aanews@listserv.atheists.org

from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS
subject: AANEWS for January 8, 1997

        A M E R I C A N   A T H E I S T S
                        A A N E W S
         #227                                  1/8/96
                 http://www.atheists.org
                   ftp.atheists.org/pub/
             e-mail: aanews@atheists.org

   In This Issue...
   * What Mischief Lurks In The 105th?
   * TheistWatch
   * A Word Of Appreciation
   * About This List...

     PRAYER, RELIGIOUS AID  AWAIT CONGRESS AS 105th SESSION BEGINS
    Will Gingrich Keep His End Of The Bargain With Religious Right?

   After surviving a vote to maintain his position as Speaker of the
House, Newt Gingrich now faces some tough decisions.  Among them: How
far can he go in maintaining a bipartisan agenda of cooperation with
Democrats and the White House, while still appeasing the increasingly
shrill demands of religious fundamentalists and evangelicals who see
the 105th Congress as "pay back time" for their work in last
November's election.
   * Pundits have been trying to read the direction of the new
Congress --admittedly, a difficult task since the November balloting
was not a clear mandate for any particular group or cause.  While Mr.
Clinton managed to keep his job at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Republicans
also held on to control of both the Senate and House.  But since
November, Speaker Gingrich has become a gushing fountain of "god talk"
observes the January issue of CHURCH & STATE Magazine, telling fellow
Republicans that his vision for America is one that is "submissive to
God's will."
   "We have an obligation to reassert...that this nation comes from
God, that it is in fact only successful when it is submissive to God's
will," declared Mr. Gingrich. He followed those remarks made on
November 20 with a December 3 address to the Heritage Foundation, and
declared: "We have to learn to aggressively but calmly bring back to
the public square the face that we are a noble people motivated by a
deep faith in God."
                           On The Agenda...

   Since the "Republican Revolution" in 1996 which swept the GOP into
control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate (for
the first time in four decades), the nation's religious right
leadership has been waiting for the party brass to pay the piper and
enact a slew of social-religious legislative proposals.  Bob Dole's
loss to Bill Clinton in November has not apparently dampened the smug
conviction of activists like Christian Coalition Director Ralph Reed,
who insists that distribution of approximately 50 million "voters
guides" in the final days of the November campaign, while not electing
Dole, prevented a Republican "melt down" allowing the GOP to hang on
to control in the Congress.
   Topping the list of religious right demands for the new Congress
will be some form of voucher program which would legitimize government
grants to private religious schools.  Vouchers are now being sold the
public as a way of "benefitting" poorer students, particularly those
in inner-city districts.  Already, the Low-Income School Choice
Demonstration Act has been sponsored by Sen. Daniel Coats (R-Ind.) and
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.).  It would funnel $30 million to
"experiments" in target states.
   Some states have already taken the initiative on their own to
institute some form of voucher scheme; but federal aid become
appealing in those states which are heavily strapped for funding.  In
late December, for instance, Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening
told constituents that the state could not afford to expand aid to
parochial and private schools.  This followed an aggressive letter-
writing and PR campaign by religious organizations calling for more
tax money to pay for transportation, health services, textbooks and
equipment in private religious institutions.  The Washington Post
reported that the Governor, following his decision, felt compelled to
telephone Roman Catholic leaders in Washington, Baltimore and even at
the Vatican in order to explain his position.
   Another sensitive issue for religious groups involves direct
political activism.  From Buddhist organizations to Christian "mega-
churches", campaign '96 was marked by efforts from religious sects to
move beyond the restrictions of their tax exempt status and mobilize
followers on behalf of select partisan candidates and causes.  A
little-noticed "Religious Political Freedom Act" was introduced in the
House which would permit non-profit organizations to use up to 5% of
their budgets on partisan activity.  CHURCH & STATES notes that while
the measure, introduced by Reps. Philip Crane (R-Ill.) and Charles
Rangel (D-N.Y.) remained in the legislative hopper last year, it may
attract wide support in this session.
   School Prayer in the form of a Religious Equality Amendment, or its
latest incarnation, the Religious Freedom Amendment, remains a siren
song for many religious groups and their capitol hill bidders.  On
paper, sufficient votes for passing any school prayer bill --
especially one which amends the U.S.  Constitution -- don't appear to
be there.  That could change, though, if representatives and senators
become jittery over well-orchestrated letter writing campaigns, or
succumb to deal-making.  And Mr. Clinton, while saying emphatically
that he opposes coercive school prayer in any form, may be less
intransigent on the issue in his quest to maintain bipartisan harmony
in his last term.  Clinton may also be vulnerable on the "culture war"
issues if developments in the Paul Jones sex allegation case get out
of hand.
   With the curtain ready to rise on the new congressional session,
state-church separationists cannot assume any easy victories.

                                ***

                       THEISTWATCH SHORT SHOTS

   Religious and political leaders assure us that all will be well if
we just traipse off to church, temple or mosque and embrace a faith-
based lifestyle.  They ignore, of course, the long tradition of
religious warfare, bigotry, intolerance and authoritarianism that has
characterized the institutional creed.  And there are times when even
within the same flock of believers, things can really turn ugly.  Take
the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Rembert, S.C.  The church " is now
torn by infighting so severe," notes an AP release, "that the pastor
gets heckled during sermons, competing collection plates are passed
around, and police once had to shut the place down when the arguing
got out of hand."
   It all began when the board of trustees of the church voter to
dismiss Mount Pisgah's minister of two years, Marvin Hodge, for
failing to report church income and raising money in the church's name
for his own use.  That resulted in exchanged volleys of lawsuits,
shouting matches, booing, spitting, heckling, yelling, and several
changes in locks on the front door of the building.  One church deacon
told the press "I've never seen such a mess... we need to fall down on
our knees and pray to God for a solution, because right now, I don't
know what we're going to do."
                                 **

   In Beaumont, Texas, a federal judge has ruled that a program which
brings volunteer clergy into public school classes in constitutional.
Three local citizens had filed suit to end the so-called Clergy in
Schools program, which allows local clergy to lecture students.  U.S.
District Judge Joe Fisher denied a request to issue a restraining
order.  The Beaumont school superintendent gushed that there "The
court does not find that there's any violation of Constitutional
rights," adding that the program allegedly was designed to use the
"communication and listening skills of ministers and rabbis."

                                 **

   An agreement has been reached in a complicated school prayer
lawsuit in Alabama.  Last week, U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent
approved the compromise between ACLU attorneys and the Talladega city
school system, dismissing the latter from a lawsuit filed by Michael
Chandler, a local teacher.  The lawsuit remains in force, however,
against the State Board of Education and DeKalb County.  According to
ACLU attorney Pamela Sumners, the case will challenge the
constitutionality of Alabama school prayer law which permits prayer at
official, school sponsored activities.
   The agreement with Talladega officials permits religious groups and
students to distribute their literature and meet on school property --
but not during official instructional time.  It prohibits any form of
prayer, including the "student initiated" or student led flavor,
during official school functions like graduation ceremonies, athletic
events and student assemblies.
                                 **
   And My Personal Thanks...
   A number of aanews readers sent "get well" messages to me during my
recent bout with the flu.  I appreciate this kindness.  Incidentally,
I'm happy to report that among all of the well-wishers, not one
offered prayers on my behalf.
   Seems to have worked!
-- The Editor
                                 **
   About This List...
   AANEWS is a free service from American Atheists, a nationwide
movement founded by Madalyn Murray O'Hair for the advancement of
Atheism, and the total, absolute separation of government and
religion.  For subscribe/unsubscribe information, send e-mail to
aanews-request@listserv.atheists.org and put "info aanews" (minus the
quotation marks, please) in the message body.
   You may forward, post or quote from this dispatch, provided that
appropriate credit is given to aanews and American Atheists.  Edited
and written by Conrad F. Goeringer, The LISTMASTER (cg@atheists.org).
Internet Representative for American Atheists is Margie Wait,
irep@atheists.org.

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