Alabama Baptists pass resolution criticizing school prayer ruling.

The Alabama Baptist State Convention has approved a resolution criticizing a federal judge for striking down officially sanctioned school prayer and expressing support for state officials who plan to pursue an appeal.

Meeting in Huntsville Nov. 18-19, convention goers, known as "messengers," spent 30 minutes discussing the resolution before approving it by a two-thirds vote. Earlier, the resolutions committee had spent 11 hours writing the resolution.

The action came in response to an Oct. 30 ruling by U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent ordering an end to school-sanctioned religious activities in DeKalb County. The legal challenge was brought by Americans United and the state ACLU on behalf of Michael Chandler, an assistant principal and parent. Chandler objected to a variety of school-sponsored religious activities, and DeMent issued an order terminating the practices.

The Baptists' resolution cites religious references in the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence and notes that the phrase "under God" was inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance by an act of Congress in May of 1954. It goes on to assert that DeMent's order "has inhibited our public institutions from reinforcing the values upon which our country was established."

Ironically, the convention vote came just days after an editorial against government-sponsored religion in the Alabama Baptist, the state Baptist weekly. Editor Bob Terry wrote, "To require prayer of students is to use the power of government to force people to engage in religious activity. Baptists, among all people, should recognize such a position is a violation of one's God-given religious liberty. To use the power of government to require a religious activity of both the classroom teacher and the students is equally wrong. Government has no authority to invade the spiritual kingdom that belongs only to God.

"It seems to this writer," concluded Terry, "that in the wake of Judge DeMent's decision, we must be careful not to let emotions cause us to compromise basic Baptist teachings about religious liberty."

Some other conservative Christian leaders in Alabama appealed for calm about the DeMent ruling. Gene Davis, regional coordinator for First Priority, an organization that urges public school students to form religious clubs on campus, noted that the ruling reinforces the rights of students to meet for prayer in voluntary gatherings. John Gibbons, state coordinator for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, made the same point.

Nevertheless, far right operatives continue to fan the flames of hysteria. Syndicated columnist and right-wing firebrand Pat Buchanan joined those ranks in December with a column applauding Gov. Fob James and other Alabama officials for promising to openly defy DeMent's order.

"While the people rage at repeated acts of arrogance by federal judges, our president shrugs, and Congress wrings its hands," Buchanan wrote. "Now, Alabama has chosen the course of brazen defiance, and the rest of us, including Congress, will be forced to take sides. I'll take my stand in Dixie."

If Gov. James and others are arrested for praying at public schools, Buchanan predicted that "civil disobedience will erupt across Alabama and the Bible Belt."