Preserve our diverse faiths: Protect our individual prayers
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 24, 1997
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- CONTACT:
- Jon Paone 202/639-6370
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- Preserve our diverse faiths: Protect our individual prayers
- STATEMENT BY REV. DR. ALBERT PENNYBACKER
- President, The Interfaith Alliance
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- Good afternoon, my name is Rev. Dr. Albert Pennybacker and I am the president of The
Interfaith Alliance, a national grassroots organization with 110 local chapters and 40,000
members drawn from over 45 different faith communities.
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- It is long established that the right to private personal prayer anywhere is protected.
Every citizen has a right to his or her own faith, as well as a right to be protected from
coercion by those who wish to impose their faith on others. Let us avoid ill-conceived new
formulas which will enable the religious purposes and sensibilities of one part of our
society to coerce all the rest of us.
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- Why is it that some legislators and so-called "pro-family" groups claim it is anti-family for
the government to feed the poor, but that same government is uniquely qualified to impose
something as important and personal as the appropriate expression of religious faith on
our children. It is a family's solemn duty and fundamental right to teach their children the
religion of their choice without interference from political activists turned government
bureaucrats. School prayer is not a one size fits all commodity.
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- While in the 1960's some religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell used religion to justify
racial discrimination, in the 1990's the Christian Coalition is now outrageously trying to
play the role of discrimination victim in pushing the so called Religious Equality
Amendment. They show a profound blind spot for what real discrimination is and they
should know better.
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- As we approach the end of Lent, I believe it is appropriate to look back to a Gospel many
of us heard on Ash Wednesday. The Gospel of Matthew 6:5-6 is as appropriate today,
especially today, as it ever has been. Matthew tells us:
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- And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen
by men. . .
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- But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your
Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you.
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- Prayer is too personal a matter to be put into the hands of any government. Matters of
faith are best left to families and their own, freely chosen faith communities. Let us
silently and sincerely pray that our leaders will understand and respect this sacred trust.
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- Thank you.
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