February 3, 2017
For Immediate Release…
Legislative District 26 Democrats support maintaining the separation of government and religion. Local Democrats passed a resolution last night to oppose Washington House Bill HB-1178 and Senate Joint Resolution SJR-8205.
The bill, if enacted into state law, would allow religious observances on public (government) property. The resolution proposes removing language from the Washington Constitution that would allow churches and religious groups to apply for state funds.
LD26 Democrats met at their monthly membership meeting at the Givens Center in Port Orchard to draft the resolution opposing HB-1178 and SJR-8205.
Joseph Labrum of Port Orchard offered the resolution. He stated that the state of Washington would be granting special privileges to religious organizations that are not allowed by the federal constitution.
Anyone who has attended high school knows that students are susceptible to social pressure, both from their teachers and coaches and from their classmates. When a coach, a role model and an authority figure, holds public prayer at school events, the social pressure to join in can be overwhelming. Many students participate even when doing so is not consistent with their own beliefs. The Constitution prohibits public schools from putting that sort of pressure on schoolchildren.
Freedom of religion and belief guarantees that we can freely choose our beliefs because the government cannot compel us to fund or follow a specific faith, or any faith. This is true even where religious organizations propose to use public funds for good outcomes.
The citation for HB-1178 is “the protection of the rights of religious exercise and conscience from government discrimination act.”
The text for SJR-8205 removes the phrase “No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied to any religious worship, exercise or instruction, or the support of any religious establishment.”
Tags:
Joseph Kennedy, Bremerton High School, football prayer, public moneys
Issues:
School prayer, government aid to religious activities
Contact: Dan Ransom, PE; Secretary
(509) 330-6398
k7mm@arrl.net
John Kelly, Chair
johnpatkelly@aol.com
