| | LUBBOCK, Texas -- The federal court ruling that caused high
schools across the state to do away with public prayer before
football games is now causing Texas Tech to scrap the tradition.
Texas Tech, which had pregame prayers for 70 years, ditched the
practice for Saturday's game against Texas A&M, instead
substituting a moment of silence. A&M is also re-evaluating its
policy.
"Our attorneys said they could see no difference between a high
school game and a college game," said Texas Tech President Donald
Haragan. "They advised us that the law would indicate this should
be stopped. So we're going to allow folks to have a moment of
silence to do what they will."
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in February ruled that
pregame prayers violate constitutional guarantees of church-state
separation. The ruling was based on a 1995 Houston-area case.
Most public school districts that traditionally had student- or
pastor-led prayers prior to sporting events have done away with
them, fearing legal trouble.
Tech's decision to follow suit hasn't gone over well with
students and other Red Raider faithful.
Russ Murphy, university minister for Indiana Avenue Baptist
Church, began a petition and collected 1,500 signatures, including
those of most football players and coach Spike Dykes. Those who
signed the petition and dozens of others held a prayer meeting in a
parking lot before Saturday's game.
"I'm just going to pray," Murphy said. "This started as
something I was just going to do myself. I am not against Texas
Tech. I love Tech. I just want to take a stand for what we believe
in ... then I'll go about watching the game as always."
While Haragan acknowledges receiving dozens of phone calls and
letters about the decision, he says the school will not reconsider
unless the courts do.
"Unless there is a different interpretation of the 5th Circuit
Court ruling that says this doesn't apply to college football we
will not change the decision," Haragan said.
Many Tech students said the Lord's Prayer aloud when the
announcer called for a moment of silence.
"We're not going to be boisterous," said student Ralph Trent,
a junior economics major. "We're just going to do what we know to
be right. They can't stop us from praying out loud just because
there is this fear that someone might be uncomfortable. They can
take away the loud speaker, but that's it."
Officials at the University of Texas and the University of
Houston say they did away with pregame prayers in the 1960s,
knowing the practice would someday be contested. Texas A&M
officials say they are still consulting attorneys. | |
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