Prayer in the Naval Academy

A funny thing happened to me while I was driving down the road today.

I almost ran over a little old lady in a Yugo. Now you may or may not know this, but I drive an 18 wheeler. And if you think I was scared. You should've seen the look on her face.

I'll tell you what got me so rattled. I was listening to the radio, and a man came on and said that the ACLU was trying to have prayer banned in the US Naval Academy! Now you might not think much about this, but in my neck of the woods, that gets your attention.

I guess the thinking goes something like this, if you're in the military (or any other branch of the government), and you hear somebody pray, then that must mean the organization that that person is a member of, is trying to endorse a religion. Lest you think I've lost my marbles, try this on for size. We took prayer out of public schools because they said that would establish a religion. We took Bible reading out of schools because they said that to, would establish a religion. And now we discover that they're trying to take prayer out of the US Naval Academy, because they think that will establish a religion.

Now, I don't know where these people are getting their ideas, but just because the government tolerates something, or because the government allows something, does not mean that the government is endorsing something, or is trying to establish something. Do these people have no brains? Do these people have no backbone? Or any other part of the body that might denote independent thought? Can we not rise up up on our hind legs and say, "look, a Cross". And then go on about our business? Are we incapable of admiring a statue for its beauty and handiwork, (paid for by private not public money), without thinking that the government is trying to stuff us into a religion.

Now we've got crosses and statues all over this beautiful country of ours. (Trust me I've seen most of them). And at no time did I ever get the idea that the government was trying to get me to join a church, or make me eat the Eucharist, or hang crosses around my neck, or get me to recite the apostles Creed.

For those of you who don't know, here's how it reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791. Nuff Said.