Oppose Devotional Amendments
Diocesan Press Service. June 8, 1964 [XXII-1]
GREENWICH, CONN. --- Opposition to Constitutional amendments that would permit devotional exercises in the nation's public schools was voiced by National Council at its May meeting here.
"Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America which seek to permit devotional exercises in our public schools should be opposed," the Council declared.
In the resolution, National Council members stated that the Supreme Court's rulings on prayer and Bible-reading in public schools "are not hostile to religion and it is no proper function of government to inculcate religious beliefs or habits of worship."
Here, they added: "We believe that worship and religious education are the responsibility of Church and home, and not of the public schools or governmental institutions... There are no easy solutions to the task of infusing all of life with God's purpose without, at the same time, violating the religious liberty of citizens."
The Council also took note of the fact that the Supreme Court decisions "clearly allow for the objective study of religion, and particularly of the Bible, in public schools."
In a separate but related action, National Council heard a report from its Commission on Church-State Relations which recommended that the Church's governing body amend its "unalterable" stand against federal aid to church-related educational institutions for programs that affect the general public welfare.
Examples cited were the provision of textbooks for students in all schools, equal bus transportation, training of teachers in secular subjects, health and lunch programs, research grants, and scholarships and loans to college students.
"The public welfare purpose of such supplementary programs," the 11-page Commission report said, "justifies the inclusion of all schools which are recognized by the state as fulfilling its educational requirements and thus performing a public service."
The report will be put before the Church's General Convention in St. Louis. At the last General Convention, delegates endorsed the principle that "sectarian schools should be supported in full from private sources or from a Church" and declared themselves "unalterably against the use of federal funds for the support of private, parochial or sectarian schools."
The Commission, which is chaired by Dr. Wilber G. Katz, University of Wisconsin law professor, also pointed to the need for continued study of church-state matters.
"Unless the Church at large comes to grips with these underlying issues," it warned, "there is bound to be more heat than light concerning specific practices, such as Bible reading, prayers and Christmas programs in the schools."
National Council members also urged implementation of a 1961 General Convention resolution calling for the establishment of a public affairs office in Washington, D. C. Its purpose would be "to give attention to Indian affairs and to other matters of public concern."
A triennial budget for the Washington office of $57,153--$18,565 in 1965, $19,080 in 1966, and $19,508 in 1967--was recommended.
Also approved was a proposed total budget of $44,186,570 for Episcopal Church work during the next three years. This would mean an operating budget of $13, 750, 269 for 1965; $14,919,196 for 1966; and $15,517,105 for 1967.
Before adjourning, the Council also took these actions:
# Appropriated $4,120 as its 1964 contribution to the interdenominational Church Center for the United Nations and recommended that this sum be its annual contribution;
# Appropriated a sum of $20, 000 for the overseas interdenominational Theological Edu- cation Fund;
# Approved grants of $6, 000 and $5, 000 respectively for the education of the son and daughter of the late Missionary Bishop of North Dakota, the Rt. Rev. Richard R. Emery;
# Established a revolving loan fund of $250,000 for work among the Chinese in South East Asia, and particularly in Hong Kong;
# Accepted, as part of "mutual responsibility," the challenge of doing missionary work among the Rupununi Indians in British Guiana;
# Directed the Home Department to study ways in which Episcopal Church work among the Navajo Indians can be coordinated. At present, there is one Indian reservation overlapping three Episcopal jurisdictions--New Mexico and Southwest Texas, Arizona, and Utah--which carry on their Indian work independently.
# Memorialized General Convention to enlarge the National Council from 32 to 40 members and to change its name from "the National Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church" to "Executive Council of the Protestant Episcopal Church";
# Requested that General Convention amend Canon 34, section 10, to enable a deacon to be placed in charge of a parish.