American Jewish Committee Opposes Voluntary Prayers in Schools

The American Jewish Committee urged today that the Dirksen Amendment to permit voluntary participation in prayer in the public schools be rejected.

In a statement submitted to the Constitutional Amendments Sub-Committee of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which is holding hearings on the amendment introduced by Senator Everett Dirksen, the American Jewish Committee said it has consistently favored separation of church and state and would be, therefore, opposed to measures which would weaken religious freedom or non-establishment by changing the First Amendment’s guarantees of those interrelated and essential liberties.

“Religion has flourished in this country, although religious indoctrination has not been subsidized from the public treasury,” the A.J. Committee pointed out, “and the public schools themselves have served as a great unifying force in American life — welcoming young people of every creed, emphasizing the common heritage of all and serving as training grounds for healthful community living. The public schools have performed an indispensable function, and any attempt to use the public schools to encourage religious literacy or commitment will tend to exacerbate the present public school crisis and create religious conflicts, competition, bitterness and hostility.”