LETTERS: SUPREME COURT'S VIEWS ON SCHOOL PRAYER ARE CLEAR

To the editor:

Apparently the Missourian will never tire of wrongly asserting that the U.S. Supreme Court has banned religion from public schools. Jay Eastlick continued this demagoguery in his Nov. 19 column. The court has ruled that a student can pray in a public school providing that it is a voluntary act on the part of the student and the act does not disrupt the education process. Secondly, the court has ruled that students can study their Bibles in non-class periods and in periods between classes.

Thirdly, the court has ruled that, if a public school offers its facilities to student groups for secular activities before and after the regular school day, it must extend the same privilege to student groups for religious activities. The court's qualifier to the latter is that school officials cannot take any part in the activities. The court's rulings on the subject of religion in public schools have been reasonable, fair and just.

ROBERT L. SMITH

Cape Girardeau