Supreme Court on School Prayer

Neuhaus would have us believe there is something un-American about keeping private one’s own religious beliefs and practices.

Nothing could be further from the truth. By asserting that the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Lee vs. Weisman is “anti-democratic,” Neuhaus seems oblivious to the fact that the United States is a constitutional democracy. The genius of the First Amendment is precisely that it imposes a powerful check upon unbridled majoritarianism. The very essence of our nation’s unique contribution to civilization is that “the great majority of Americans” cannot ride roughshod over the rights of racial, ethnic, political, religious or other minorities.

Justice Kennedy was absolutely right in declaring: “The design of the Constitution is that preservation and transmission of religious beliefs and worship is a responsibility and a choice committed to the private sphere.” Any other view will surely create the kind of society where government imposes its own “statist” orthodoxy--an orthodoxy in which the rights of believers and nonbelievers will be undermined or disregarded entirely.

DOUGLAS E. MIRELL

Chair, Executive Committee

American Jewish Congress

Pacific Southwest Region