Whereas, we believe that three decades of United States Supreme Court decisions have eroded 200 years of legal precedent regarding religious liberty; and
Whereas, we oppose government intrusion into religion, including government designed school prayer; and
Whereas, support of efforts to protect religious expression is consistently in the 70 percent range; and
Whereas, we believe every citizen should have freedom of religious expression as well as secular expression; and
Whereas, we believe a religious equality amendment to the United States Constitution is needed to clarify the freedom of religious expression which the First Amendment already allows;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the General Conference hereby enthusiastically support the following proposed Religious Equality Amendment to be proposed in the United States House of Representatives:
Section 1. Neither the United States nor any state shall abridge the freedom of any person or group, including students in public schools, to engage in prayer or other religious expression in circumstances in which expression of nonreligious character would be permitted; nor deny benefits to or otherwise discriminate against any person or group on account of the religious character of their speech, ideas, motivations, or identity.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 22619-CS-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference