LETTERS: DISTRIBUTING BIBLES ISN'T COERCIVE

To the editor:

Regarding the Alabama court case that barred religious activity from public schools: One of the points of that decision involved an assistant principal saying the Gideons passing out Bibles on a high school campus and allowing a coach to pray before football games were coercive and violated an individual's right to freely choose his own religion. The Alabama Supreme Court agreed that these acts were coercive, and it barred those actions by the school.

I would like to address the claim that this is coercive. Neither of these acts threaten or force anyone to do anything. To call these acts coercive is an attempt by liberals to change a definition to fit their needs. This is an ongoing problem we have had in this society in the past few years.

The First Amendment speaks of freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The government's job is simply to protect its citizens from religious intolerance and persecution. It's not the government's job to protect its citizens from the message of a religion or denomination, unless that religion is in violation of the morals and values a society views to be true.

No Christian I know wants to coerce anyone to believe as they do. Conversion must be done by choice on one's own. To coerce would violate the sovereignty of God. Christians are called to spread the message of Christ, knowing that each person has a free will to accept or reject the message.

Prayer at a football game allows complete freedom to participate or not. That is not coercion.

Does the government prohibit the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance or money from being read or distributed at school? All are items our government promotes the use of, and they all have references to God and are accepted as important for citizens to read and accept.

The actions by the school in Alabama and other situation like that demonstrate not force, but rather choice. The majority must be allowed to practice it religion in public.

Finally, it should be clearly stated that I do not wish to imply that one is not worthwhile if one is not Christian. All people's souls are worthwhile in the eyes of God, though all people may not believe as God wants.

I sincerely hope people will support candidates on all levels who support the original intent of the Framers. I hope you will support and vote for these candidates, especially those seeking executive offices, because they are the ones who nominate judges who decide what our laws mean. Most nominations are accepted by legislatures. Therefore, we must vote wisely. Get involved and let your voice be heard.

BRUCE ADEN

Benton