DESPITE RULING, PRAYER STAYS PART OF GRADUATION

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court banned prayer at school graduations. In response, area schools have found ways to keep this tradition alive while remaining within the letter of the law. It's good to see area schools have found a way to work within court guidelines.

The Supreme Court specifically prohibited officially-sponsored prayers at high school graduations. In Cape Girardeau and Jackson, local ministerial alliances are taking over sponsorship of baccalaureates. Other area schools will rely on student-led prayers during actual graduation ceremonies instead of area ministers.

This ruling simply carries the separation of church and state too far. It's not as if a religious blessing said at a graduation ceremony will brainwash students. These prayers are often short and non-denominational. No one is forced to bow their heads or join in. Likewise, no one is coerced to listen to the graduation speaker - or agree with everything he or she says.

Area schools are taking care to retain prayer at these ceremonies on a voluntarily basis. Last year, Jackson had a combined baccalaureate and commencement. The district will return to separate services this year - with the program hosted by the ministerial alliance. Cape Girardeau's baccalaureate will be held at Holiday Inn - giving little chance for confusion over school sponsorship. A number of local ministers - each with a child in the 1993 Central High graduating class - will speak. The service was organized by the ministerial alliance through the efforts of a group of parents, students and clergy.

High schools in Chaffee, Scott City, Oak Ridge and Delta have opted for student-led prayer as part of their graduation ceremonies. In the past, all four of these schools have had ministers offer prayers at commencement exercises - a practice now banned.

The Supreme Court first struck down organized prayer sessions in public schools in 1962. Since 1971, justices have required lower courts to use a three-part test in judging church-state cases. The test says a law or government practice is invalid if it does not have a secular purpose, if it primarily promotes religion or fosters excessive entanglement with religion.

We feel this ruling doesn't give our graduates enough credit. By the time these young men and women leave high school, most have the good sense to put things into perspective. After all, the laws have determined that 18-year-olds are mature enough to vote, be drafted, qualify for a loan, or even have an abortion without parental notification.

Surely then, they have enough sense to distinguish the difference between a ceremonial prayer and religious indoctrination. Baccalaureates are simply part of our school and community traditions. We just can't see the irreparable harm in sending our graduates into the world with God's blessing.