Religious fervor joining church, state across land

Stacy J. Willis

Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001 | 10:43 a.m.

John Mejia prayed under his high school's American flag this morning -- as did thousands of other students across the nation.

But participation in the annual "See You at the Pole" prayer vigil had particular significance today not only because of last week's terrorism -- but because the image of students praying on public school property calls attention to the social conservatism that terrorism has born.

Churches are firing off news releases inviting new members, adding folding chairs in rows behind their full pews, calling for a "revival" in Christianity. Government officials, once wary of being perceived as too religious by their constituents -- once wary of being dragged into a debate about the separation church and state -- are making appearances at altars in local churches.

The words "God Bless America" are in neon lights on the Las Vegas Strip -- a sign that some clergy welcome as the antithesis to years of preaching in a place dubbed "Sin City."

In this time of tragedy, the social pendulum is swinging. Whether the display of union between God and country is the short-term response to crisis or the beginning of a long-term shift in mainstream ideology remains to be seen.

"I think we've gone too far with the separation of church and state," said Mejia, a junior at Community College High School and a member of Foothills Baptist Church. "We're realizing that we've gone too far. This tragedy has taught us that. I think that schools need to be more involved with God."

Mejia's sentiments are shared by some Las Vegas religious leaders.

"The separation of church and state, or the perceived separation of church and state, is going to break down now," said the Rev. Tommy Starkes of Tropicana Christian Fellowship and a member of the National Conference for Community and Justice Interfaith Council.

"We are going to have more demand for prayer in our public schools, prayer in all public places. We've been stifled too long," Starkes said.

"And we're going to see some other things. People are going to have more time to listen to their clergy. Families are going to feel more solidarity and do more praying together," Starkes, a Southern Baptist, said. "And you're going to see people in the city council and county commission and other offices be more open to consultation with the religious community. There will be a conservative backlash."

After participating in many interfaith memorial services with Muslims and Hindus and Jews, some Christians now are moving toward evangelism -- a central tenet of New Testament teaching.

A tract on the website Christiansunite.com , reminds the faithful, "Each American needs to be told to make peace with God through the blood of the Cross ... Before the horrors of New York, few would have tolerated public talk about God. (Now) they cannot but listen to our voice. We were born for such a time as this ... This is an unprecedented opportunity for the Church. We are presently mobilizing to take advantage of people's openness to the Gospel."

Not everyone is comfortable with the onslaught of religious fervor, particularly when it is coupled with nationalism -- which, some say, is similar to the mix of beliefs that led to the militant Islamist terrorist acts.

"It's frightening," Mel Lipman, atheist and president of the Humanist Association of Nevada, said. "We have a great resurgence in fundamentalism now. That type of emphasis on religion is what motivated the terrorists, although it was a different religion, it was still this type of fundamentalism."

Lipman said those who don't believe in God are being discriminated against by the public officials in the massive display of religion that followed the tragedies in New York in Washington, D.C..

"I expected President Bush to ease the pain, and all he said was 'pray.' He is the commander in chief of the whole country, not just the religious.

"Atheists are afraid to come out of the closet right now, so to speak. There is an attitude that you can't be an atheist and still have morals, and still be an American, and still have a interconnectedness with other human beings," Lipman said.

"I put an American flag outside of my house on the day it happened. As far as I'm concerned, there is no relationship between being an American and believing in God. God is not mentioned in the Constitution," Lipman said.

Religious fervor, Lipman said, sometimes carries with it the baggage of other social agendas.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell used the terrorist attack as an opportunity to condemn "the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America."

Falwell, leader of a 22,000-member Lynchburg, Va., church, was rebuked by faith leaders nationwide and later tried to clarify his statement by saying, "I was sharing my burden for revival in America...I stated the deep concerns of millions of American Evangelicals over America's sharp spiritual decline during the past generation."

In addition to discouraging religious and racial discrimination in the wake of the attacks, the ACLU is preparing to handle other civil rights challenges as they arise.

"I'm not going to speculate about what's going to happen two or three months from now, but let me just say that we will stand true and strong in our defense of the U.S. Constitution and individual liberties and freedom -- after all, that is precisely why we were a target," said Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada.

Law enforcement is calling for easier legal access to wire tapping and 78 percent of the American public, in a New York Times poll, say they favor surveillance of all Internet communication.

The ACLU cautioned Congress not to take actions that would infringe on constitutional liberties.

"We at the ACLU, like the rest of America, are grieving and mourning the tragic loss of life. We know people's emotions are raw right now, so we understand that in the rush to figure out how to respond, some people may go too far," Peck said.

"But I don't think that the tragedy changes the need to remain committed to core constitutional principles. We will defend any challenges to civil liberties...and we remain committed to the separation of church and state," he said.

But teachers who monitored more than 20 students gathered Tuesday at Green Valley High School's after-school Bible Club said prayer has helped students -- and teachers -- deal with the tragedy.

Teacher Rochelle Schroeder, a Christian, said she doesn't think there should be a division between church and state, although in her professional capacity she respects it. "Some of these students are very confused right now -- as well as some of the teachers. It helps for them to be talking about religion," Schroeder said.

Jean Spicer, also a Christian, said, "I think it's refreshing to see students praying. It makes me happy to see these students participating in the Bible Club.

But watching the two dozen club members from the corner of the classroom, student Alex Cortes said the Constitutional division between church and state that prevents organized prayer during school hours is important to him.

"I think they (the Bible club students) are here for comfort. They are looking to religion to find answers right now," Cortes, a junior, said. "A lot of people are trying to block everything out with religion right now... I don't see anything harmful about this group necessarily."

But, Cortes said, he has no interest in joining the Christian, nor any other religious club.

"Do I believe in God?" he said. "I'm not sure."

archive