Missouri to vote on 'right to pray' constitutional amendment

[struggle4progress]

By Reuters
Published: May 24, 2012

MISSOURI: Voters in the US state of Missouri will decide on August 7 whether to approve a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to pray in public places.

Governor Jay Nixon signed a proclamation on Wednesday setting the election on the amendment, which Missouri legislators voted overwhelmingly last year to put on the ballot in 2012.

Had Nixon not signed the proclamation, the amendment would have automatically appeared on the November 6 general election ballot. A spokesman for Nixon declined to say whether his signing of the proclamation meant the governor supported the measure.

While the US Constitution protects the right to pray in public places, supporters of the Missouri ballot issue want to clarify those rights. In House committee testimony last year, they said there is increasing ignorance about religious expression. Opponents testified that the amendment adds nothing to existing law and may invite litigation ...

http://tribune.com.pk/story/383734/missouri-to-vote-on-right-to-pray-constitutional-amendment/

[liberal N proud]

1. I thought you said SPRAY

I didn't know it was illegal to pray?


I am sure this law only covers Christan Paying.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Oh goody! Then some Native American can stand in the Capitol and say his

prayers out loud! Or does the 'amendment' specify which god one must be praying to?

[skepticscott]

4. Maybe we should organize a

Muslim prayer day in front of the Missouri State Capitol. Every day.

[Ian David]

7. Or a Satanic Prayer Day. n/t

[skepticscott]

3. This Amendment violates the Bible

and establishes no right not already guaranteed by a higher authority.

Anybody looking for someone to put the "attention whore" label on, look no further than the people promoting this piece of flotsam.

[qb]

5. This is sure to stop the disturbing rash of arrests for public prayer.

[Ian David]

6. I want a right to masturbate in public places. n/t

[struggle4progress]

8. HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2012, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article I of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Section 5, article I, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 5, to read as follows:

Section 5. That all men and women have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person shall, on account of his or her religious persuasion or belief, be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, or be molested in his or her person or estate; that to secure a citizen's right to acknowledge Almighty God according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, neither the state nor any of its political subdivisions shall establish any official religion, nor shall a citizen's right to pray or express his or her religious beliefs be infringed; that the state shall not coerce any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity, but shall ensure that any person shall have the right to pray individually or corporately in a private or public setting so long as such prayer does not result in disturbance of the peace or disruption of a public meeting or assembly; that citizens as well as elected officials and employees of the state of Missouri and its political subdivisions shall have the right to pray on government premises and public property so long as such prayers abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances; that the General Assembly and the governing bodies of political subdivisions may extend to ministers, clergypersons, and other individuals the privilege to offer invocations or other prayers at meetings or sessions of the General Assembly or governing bodies; that students may express their beliefs about religion in written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their work; that no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his or her religious beliefs; that the state shall ensure public school students their right to free exercise of religious expression without interference, as long as such prayer or other expression is private and voluntary, whether individually or corporately, and in a manner that is not disruptive and as long as such prayers or expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances; and, to emphasize the right to free exercise of religious expression, that all free public schools receiving state appropriations shall display, in a conspicuous and legible manner, the text of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States; but this section shall not be construed to expand the rights of prisoners in state or local custody beyond those afforded by the laws of the United States, excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others.

Section B. Pursuant to Chapter 116, RSMo, and other applicable constitutional provisions and laws of this state allowing the General Assembly to adopt ballot language for the submission of a joint resolution to the voters of this state, the official ballot title of the amendment proposed in Section A shall be as follows:

"Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to ensure:
• That the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs shall not be infringed;
• That school children have the right to pray and acknowledge God voluntarily in their schools; and
• That all public schools shall display the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.".

http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills111/biltxt/perf/HJR0002P.htm

[struggle4progress]

9. Current Missouri Constitution Article I Section 5

Section 5. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person shall, on account of his religious persuasion or belief, be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, or be molested in his person or estate; but this section shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others.

[struggle4progress]

10. Missouri Ballot Initiative on Religion Amendment is Misleading, Says ACLU

July 7, 2011

Description of Ballot Measure Fails to Mention Amendment Would Revoke Fundamental Rights

... The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Eastern Missouri and the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri filed today a lawsuit challenging the misleading description of a constitutional amendment that will be put to a vote in November 2012 and which would deny religious protections to prisoners and would allow students to refuse to participate in any assignment that they claim violates their religious beliefs ...

The description of the amendment on the ballot states that the amendment will ensure that the right of Missouri citizens to express their religious beliefs shall not be infringed, that school children have the right to pray and acknowledge God voluntarily in their schools and that all public schools will be required to display the Bill of Rights. It does not mention provisions in the amendment’s text that would “remove any state constitutional protection of religious expression or liberty for prisoners in state or local custody” and require that “no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his or her religious beliefs.”

“It is extremely concerning that the summary of the amendment would fail to warn voters that religious freedoms would actually be denied to a significant number of people and leaves out components that would make many voters pause before approving,” said Doug Bonney, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri.

The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of two plaintiffs – a minister in the United Methodist Church who is a spiritual advisor to inmates in the Missouri Department of Corrections and an associate professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The plaintiffs are concerned that voters will not realize that the amendment will take away the rights of prisoners to practice their faith while incarcerated, and may compromise the education of students who opt out of assignments by depriving them of the opportunity to learn about cultures and concepts that they may personally disagree with, but are necessary to know about as part of a comprehensive, quality education ...

http://www.aclu.org/religion-belief/missouri-ballot-initiative-religion-amendment-misleading-says-aclu

[edcantor]

13. So this vote is ALSO about denying rights to people in

certain situations. AND it's about allowing religious students to refuse to learn any science, too!

This is a horrible vote.

I hope the ACLU is successful in keeping this off the ballot.

[edcantor]

11. High priority issue!! That should create a lot of jobs in

the state!


Then there's that pesky little First Amendment to the US. Constitution that already guaranteed that right to each and every person in the USA, way before Missouri ever existed.

Can we spell useless legislative redundancy?

[Swede Atlanta]

12. Do Missouri Xtians feel persecuted???

I'll bet they do......I feel so sorry for them. They are denied the right to pray in public places all the time. For example, if they are in a city park and are praying, cops come up to them all the time and point to the sign that says, "no praying here".

What a bunch of crap. I feel sorry for Missouri taxpayers that have paid likely hundreds of thousands of dollars while the state legislature debated and developed this amendment. Luckily there won't be any incremental taxpayer cost to put this before the voters in November because there is a Presidential election as well as election of Congresscritters and Senators this year.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. The vote is being held on August 7. See first line above.

[meow2u3]

15. Right to pray, or right to PREY?

Given the guanopsychotic politics of Mississippi, I'm inclined to believe the right to pray also means the right to prey--on the poor, the sick, etc.

[jeepnstein]

16. I can pray wherever I choose, nobody can stop me.

I don't see what all the hubub is about. Of course I don't go in for the big public prayers, the ones that are designed to show everyone how pious you are, when a simple quiet moment or two is sufficient.

[JDPriestly]

17. I was going to say. We all, every one of us, have the right to pray wherever and whenever

we wish. Not only can we as individuals pray in public places, but we can also pray in private ones, not just our churches, but in schools, hospitals, prisons, shopping malls, etc.

What we can't do is require others to pray with us or represent that a public prayer is established by or sponsored by a government entity -- especially if that entity is a school.

That is my understanding of the law. So what is new about this????

[cbayer]

18. I would think that this would provide the most protection for Muslims.

As they have prescribed times to pray and some ritual associated with that, it would seem that they would actually benefit from this amendment.

[laconicsax]

19. I'm going to suggest that your statement is very naïve.

[ButterflyBlood]

20. That's what I was thinking

Though it's moot, because I have yet to hear of anyone arrested simply for praying in public. This reminds me of when Tennessee passed a constitution amendment with over 90% "protecting" the right to hunt and fish...as if those rights were the slightest bit threatened.

[Humanist_Activist]

21. Law to be enforced by the Department of Redundancy Department...

I'm so glad my state is in the news again for such idiocy. So proud!