Rep. Flowers Prayer in Classroom Bill Passes Both Houses

Clergy urge Rauner to give green light

By Chinta Strausberg

In an effort to restore morals and values for life, a bill introduced by Illinois State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-31^st) that puts prayer back into the state’s public schools has passed both the House and the Senate and Gov. Bruce Rauner is being urged by a myriad of religious leaders to sign the legislation.

Passage of this bill has been a dream of Spencer Leak, Sr., president/CEO of Leak & Sons Funeral Home and chairman of the Black-on-Black Love, Inc. initially formed by former chairman Ed Gardner.

Leak said it was the decision of the board to push for this bill. “I want the governor to sign the legislation. I am seeking to put the bible in the classroom as a teaching tool…as part of the curriculum so that our young people would have the bible as a foundation for teaching them morals and character that is required by state law one-hour a day to our public school children.

“That law is not being followed, and I’d like to reinforced this bill and then add the additional curriculum that includes the bible,” said Leak. “I believe by having the bible as a part of the curriculum morals, characters and values can be taught better to our children since by law they have to teach it by using the bible as a text book….”

“At the impressionable age of 8-10-years old, if young people receive this teaching of morals, values and character on a daily basis, they would think twice about destroying each other after or during school,” said Leak. “Black young people were destroying each other. They were all products of the Chicago Public schools. Had this been in place, then it may have prevented some of the homicides we see on our newscasts.”

“Our children are lost,” Flowers said. “Not only do they need education, healthcare, jobs, mother and father’s love, but they need to have somebody to believe in and the bible teaches the Ten Commandments and values. The bible is the Book of Life Before Leaving Life. All of the concerns are right there in the book, and if they keep it up, it would be revealed.

“We have lost that extended family,” said Flowers. “Thank God we grew up believing…. Our grandparents took us to church on Sunday and these children need the same thing,” Flowers told this reporter.

One of the first religious leaders supporting the bill, which was co-sponsored by Rep. LaShawn Ford, was Deacon Leroy Gill, from St. Dorothy’s Church, who quoted 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.”

Saint Sabina’s Father Michael L. Pfleger said, “The removal of prayer and God from our classrooms is one of the contributing factors that find us living in this day of madness. When you take God out of our children’s lives, you open the door to evil.”

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, senior pastor of Moody Bible Church, supported the bill saying, “I commend our legislators for giving our students the freedom to pray in our classrooms. This was the kind of freedom the framers of our constitution envisioned and which our country was founded.

“We are grateful that this legislation has passed in both houses, and we urge our Governor to sign it,” Dr. Lutzer told this reporter.

Dr. Gale B. Frazier, associate minister at the Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church, a former principal and teacher for 20-years at the Evangelical Christian School (closed last year after 53 years in operation), said, “Prayer is the backbone and structure to any successful program.

“Schools, in particular, must and should return to the foundation of prayer. Strategic prayer can curtail the pandemic levels of violence among our youth and assist in reinstituting moral grounding that no longer exists within this country. Prayer is the life source, without which destructive behaviors continue to escalate,” said Dr. Frazier.

Both houses passed HB 165, introduced by Rep. Mary E. Flowers (31^st-D) and co-sponsored by a number of elected officials including Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-8^th), Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-83^rd, Senator William Delgado (D-2^nd), Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-5^TH), Senator Jacqueline Collins (D-16^th) and others, allowing students in public schools to voluntarily engage in individually initiated “non-disruptive” prayer

HB 165 amends the ‘Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. In a provision allowing students in the public schools to voluntarily engage in individually initiated, non-disruptive prayer, provides that such praying may take place at any time during the school day.” Upon signature of the governor, it becomes effective immediately.

The legislation included a House amendment that amends the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. I provides that students in the public schools may, during the school day, voluntarily engage in individually or collectively initiated, non-disruptive prayer or religious-based meetings, including without limitation prayer groups. Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE) clubs, or ‘meet at the flagpole for prayer’ days (instead of providing that students in the public schools may voluntarily engage in individually initiated, non-disruptive prayer).

The Senate’s amendment replaces everything after the enacting clause. It “reinserts the contents of the engrossed bill with the following changes: Provides that students in the public schools may, during non-instructional times, voluntarily engage in prayer. Defines ‘non-instructional time’ as time set aside by a school before actual classroom instruction begins or after actual classroom instruction ends.” The bill passed on May 31, 2015.

Senator Collins, who is one of the co-sponsors, said, “I support this bill. We open daily sessions with prayer; so I find nothing amiss about offering a moment of silence, meditation or prayer.” Collins said this nation is a “multi-religious nation where everyone should have the right to meditate or pray or whatever their faith requires.”

Agreeing Bishop Dr. R.J. Saffo, pastor of the United Faith MB Church in Maywood, who said, “I think this is an important piece of legislation. It will create ministry opportunities, and allow the students of faith the opportunity to openly exercise a critical tenet of their faith, which is prayer.

“Furthermore, with strategic planning and collaboration between the local school officials and the local churches, programming can be developed that would help to harmonize the moral tones of the students,” Saffo stated.

Dr. Wynetta A. Frazier, assistant pastor at the Life Center Church of God In Christ, who said, “I support this bill. Our children need to know that a higher power is always present.”

Also supporting the bill is Pastor Derrell Gray, Anointed Whole Gospel FGBC, who said, “I support this bill because I believe that in every area of society where we allow a disregard for God we are opening the door to all manner of evil. Prayer will give children who may otherwise have no reference to God a minimum of an introduction to Him; and like anything else in life, often times an introduction is all that’s needed to establish long-term relationships.”

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.