Political Quotes

“William Raspberry, the syndicated columnist, has written some very fine columns in the last few days about governmental policy toward religion. Mr. Raspberry said, "It is a species of intolerance to require the religious to make a secret of their beliefs." In a Christmas column, he wrote this: Unfortunately the ACLU also opposes the moment of silence substitute for school prayer. Why? After all, the constitutional requirement is that the government not establish religion, not that it root out religion. Or to put it another way, our Founding Fathers came here in large part to get freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. In my home county this past spring, they would not even allow non-denominational prayers at high school graduations. In a column printed around the country today, Mr. Raspberry quotes Kevin Hasson, founder of the Beckett Fund, as saying this about the men who wrote the first amendment: They wouldn't have dreamed they were banning Christmas trees or the ability of people to pray in legislatures or to offer simple invocations at high school graduations. Mr. Raspberry asked this pointed question. Is it not just possible that anti-religious bias masquerading as religious neutrality is costing more than we have been willing to acknowledge? We need government neutrality toward religion--not government hostility toward religion. We need to reestablish freedom of religion in this Nation.”