June 28, 2000
Page B3
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Court sets aside ruling allowing prayer in Alabama county
F aith g ro u p s g ath er to
explore farm workers justice
A ssociated P ress
The Supreme Court set aside a federal
appeals court ruling M onday that let
public school students in an A labam a
c o u n ty le a d g ro u p p r a y e rs at
graduations, assem blies and sports
events.
The justices told the 1 IthU .S . C ircuit
C ourt o f A ppeals to restudy the
A labam a case in light o f a major
s c h o o l- p r a y e r d e c is io n
th e y
announced last w eek in a Texas case.
In that ruling, the court said prayer in
public schools m ust be private and
that such prayers at high school
f o o tb a ll g a m e s v io la te th e
constitutionally required separation
o f church and state.
The S uprem eC ourt’s landm ark 1962
d e c is io n o u tla w e d o r g a n iz e d ,
officially sponsored prayers in public
schools. In 1992, the justices barred
clergy-led prayers at public school
graduation cerem onies.
T h e fo llo w in g y e a r, A la b a m a
COMRIBL ITUSIORT
ton T Ht P ortland O bserver
M embers from congregations across O regon will gather in Portland on
Sunday, June 25, for a four-hour w orkshop called “W orked o f the Land,
your People will be my People” offering information and insights about farm
w orkers in O regon and the religious com m unity’s response to com m unity
needs. Sponsored by Ecum enical m inistries ofO regon and the Oregon Farm
W orker M inistry, workshop will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at St. Luke Lutheran
Church, 6835 SW 46the A venue. The 45$ registration fee covers the cost
ofm aterials.
W orkshop highlights include: H ow the biblical story relates to the stories
o f farm w orkers w hat justice for farm w orkers would look like, w hat it would
take to obtain such obtain such justice, and how farm ers, farmers, farm
w orker and people o f faith can w ork together to benefit all.
EM O is a statew ide association o f 15 denom inations, including Protest,
Ca6hloic and O rthodox religious bodies, w orking together to improve the
lives o f O regonians. For m ore inform ation about the w orkshop, or to
register, call E lizabeth Pope at (503)221 -1054
Thousands celebrate faith
A b o u t 13,500 R om an C a th o lic s
prom ote justice and peace, forgive
one another from our hearts and
proclaim this day to all we m eet.”
gathered at M em orial C oliseum on
Sunday for a m ass celebration o f the
E ucharist, the holiest sacram ent o f
the Catholic Church.
C atholics believe this year is the
2,000th anniversary o f the birth o f
Jesus Christ, and Pope John Paul II
has called for sim ilar celebrations
around the world.
Eucharist 2000 w as the A rchdiocese
o f P ortland’s largest event since the
1997 installation o f the M ost Rev.
Jo h n G. V laz n y , arc h b ish o p o f
Portland, and the first big celebration
he has presided over.
V lazny greeted parishioners at the
“ M illennium G ate,” a purple-and-
w hite w ooden arch built for the
occasion and placed at the Coliseum ’ s
entrance.
Incense drifted through the air as he
told them to “take part in this with
reverence and a true spirit o f joy. W e
as follow ers pledge ourselves to
Inside the C oliseum , the m archers
w andered am ong booths offering
cassette tapes o f serm ons and plastic
fetuses m eant to dem onstrate the
ch u rch ’s opposition to abortion.
A t a late-aftem oon M ass, V lazny and
about 80 priests took holy w ater into
the C oliseum stands and sprinkled it
on the participants to bless them.
Church m em bers read blessings in
Korean, Polish, Spanish, V ietnamese,
R u s s ia n a n d A m e ric a n S ig n
Language.
“ It is here w e sense our closeness to
G od and one another. Here we know
not a single one o f us is a m istake,”
V lazny said. “T his is a tim e o f
rem inding us to go forth and share
and to m ake disciples.”
A 1990 study estim ated that less than
one-third o f the sta te ’s residents
attended church regularly and ranked
O regon 49th nationally in church
attendance.
A ssociated P ress
legislators enacted a law requiring
public sch o o ls to allow student-
initiated prayer at “com pulsory or
non-com pulsory” school activities
including sporting events, student
assem blies and graduations.
In 1996, M ichael C handler and his
son, Jesse, challenged the law and its
enforcement in DeKalb County public
schools.
They said Je sse’s school let students
lead C hristian prayers in classroom s
and over the intercom, and allow ed
students or clergy to lead prayers at
g rad u atio n s, football gam es and
student assem blies. G ideon Bibles
w ere handed out in classroom s by
non-school personnel, they said.
A federal ju d g e declared the law
unconstitutional and barred all non
private prayer, including student-
in itia te d p ra y e r at g ra d u a tio n s,
assem blies and football games.
The 1 IthU .S. Circuit Court o f Appeals
reversed last July, saying courts could
not p ro h ib it “ g enuinely student-
Briefs
initiated religious speech” at school
events, including graduations, or
im pose restrictions greater than those
on non-religious student speech.
The appeals court ordered the judge
to rew rite the order, saying the court
co u ld b a r sc h o o l o ffic ia ls from
e n c o u r a g in g s tu d e n t r e lig io u s
activity and appoint a m onitor to
ensure such actions do not recur.
T he court let stand the ju d g e ’s ruling
th a t d e c la r e d th e s ta te law
unconstitutional.
In the appeal acted on Monday, the
C h a n d le rs’ law yers said schools
cannot "engage unw illing students
in religious activity as part o f school-
controlled events.”
“Truly private prayer neither seeks
nor requires a m icrophone and an
audience,” the appeal said.
Lawyers for the state and county said
the 1 lth C ircu itco u rt’sru lin g “gives
genuinely private religious speech
no greater privilege than genuinely
pnvate nonreligious speech.”
Boys Ages 8-16
Do you have Skills?
Then “Shoot out fo r Christ” wants
you!!!
3 point Shootout
Speaker
Kory Benjamin
U rban Director
Fellow ship Christian
A thletes
Free
Prizes
Portable!. DPIayers
Dr Johnny Pack IV to
speak
contact G ladys Young, Chairperson
at 1(503)285-1762.
Dr. Johnny Pack IV to be Keynote
Speaker at M.W . Prince Hall Grand
Lodge F. & A M. o f O regon, Inc. &
Prince H all G rand C hapter O.E.S. o f
O regon and Jurisdiction 40lh and 39th
A nnual Banquet on M onday, June
26 ,2 0 0 0 , at 7 :00 p.m. at the Ramada
In n , 6 2 2 1 N .E . 8 2 nd A v e n u e .
D onations $35
Dr. Johnny Pack IV the organizing
Pastor o f the Fellow ship M issionary
Baptist Church will lift your spirits,
make you laugh, cry, upset and above
all he will make you enjoy coming out.
Do not m iss the Banquet o f the New
M illennium . O ur keynote speaker is
a gifted, full o f talent m an on the
m o v e. E v a n g e list, L ea d er and
M usician. For m ore information
What a Awesome Way
To Spend The Evening!
G ood Fellow ship, Fantastic Food,
M eet Old Friends, M ake N ew Ones.
W hat an Experience! B anquetofT he
Y ear2000!
The Prince Hall G rand Lodge Grand
C hapter O.E.S. A nnual Banquet
When: June 26,2000
W here: Ram ada Inn
6221 NE 82nd Avenue
Portland, Oregon
Com e and Experience a Fantastic Up
lifting, Spirited filled evening!
Space us lim ited, be one o f the first in
line.
For Tickets call 1-503-285-1762
D onations: $35
B a lls * C D ’s
I s'2 nd & 3rd Place
Trophies
Hamburgers,
Hot Dogs,
Potato Salad,
Chips, Pop &
More.
2-5pm Saturday July 1“
128 NE Russell
Portland Oregon
Sponsored by
The G race C ollin’s M em orial Center and The Portland O bserver
For Inform ation Call D anny at 288-0033
This is a G ood Shepherd C hildren’s O utreach M inistry
C ome visit us on the web at
w w w .portlaiidobserver.eom
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Tuesday evenings 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Northeast Health Center
M IK Blvd. and NE Killingsworth
(Enter in rear door near Emerson )
No appointment needed.
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Questions? Call 248-3030, ext. 0
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Christ in
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June 28th- July 1st at:
The Learning Center
4212 NE Prescott
each evening at 7:00 p.m.
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