Invocation Axed

" We'll on this holiest of weeks of the word that a major university plans to eliminate prayer at its graduation ceremonies. The university of Maryland's senate which is made up of students and faculty. Voting down prayer. At the graduation ceremony they say it is an effort to be sensitive to nonbelievers. And believers. The news comes as Newsweek the magazine boldly takes on the topic of religion on its cover. Reading the decline and fall of christianity of the Christian America. Joining us now with more is Matthew Spalding director of the -- center for American studies at the Heritage Foundation morning Matthew. Morning how are you I'm great thanks right so this controversial let me tell you that some of the folks on there at Mellon campus. From the professors who oppose that said you know the headlines going to be in the news it's gonna be. University bands prayer allows poor and that's exactly that's that I."

" Was is and they've been very unusual case of the first ball in occasions have a great tradition in American history. But here we have a specific. Example comparing a prayer prayer to porn. But what really points to is the deep and utter relativism. You have dominate the -- universities. This is a complete confusion is is this less anti Christian but that showed -- exactly where they are intellectually and morally and in Maryland is on the cutting edge. Of the -- university system."

" I was shocked to see the number but I looked at that says this at the Senate has about a 175 members. And it voted I guess that'd be voted 42 to fourteen to abolish prayer but it wasn't a -- they wanted to get rid of nobody."

" Which that you -- members made up of faculty which are probably wrote overwhelmingly liberal and students who were activist involved in student government. That recommendation has to go to the president they're still aboard above the president at a public university which means it's still reports to the legislature Maryland. This is not a done deal necessarily they show if you will liberal aspects of the university want to take us yeah and where few other universal like Berkeley of article on what."

" To think they they may know that both about that because they said they wanted to be more like their peer universities and they -- at the University of California Berkeley and on and I mean I'm no college expert but I'm not thinking of the University of Maryland is in the same. Field academically is okay. It happened but there are looking up you know when it comes to politics perhaps they are."

" But no that's right that they they want to be on the trend of what BO new intellectuals want to do they want -- on the cutting edge of these these ideas. But this is not about tolerating. Christianity. This is about changing the culture of their environment. And that culture they they think that any invocation of of prayer. Which can is nonsectarian. It's not necessarily Christian at all it's merely invitations have been greater than ourselves that it at a graduation. They take that as a moral offense. What I want to get rid of that."

" They say the morality they say that that big debates they say without citing numbers are without some point to specific -- interviews they did with anybody that quote many people. On the large and diverse -- campus felt excluded. Or marginalized by having any prayer -- indication even though they had something like fourteen clergymen come together and come up with something that was as generic as white bread -- there was no reference any particular. -- Catholic belief for episcopal belief."

" Oh that's right that's right. What what what -- what they airfield marginalized by is any claim of their being any power outside themselves that does not focus exclusively on them. The next thing that's going to happen is they're going to feel marginalized by graduation. -- your graduation implies some you'll get diplomas some people don't. That excludes people out but this is really gonna gonna point of of this is absurd this."

" Why why -- this I mean it does this. Prove they knew they Newsweek theory that that there's been a decline and fall of Christian America because I'll tell you what I -- to -- in -- on this. Last night I look to for Greta and she said this is this is a bunch of bunk this Newsweek cover but I read this story and I listen you I think maybe not buck."

" Well -- blade does show is not or America's going to show you where the moderate intellectual university crowd is going this is -- going for a long time. The university of -- on this trend continue on this trend. Places like Maryland Berkeley this just puts their cards on the table this is not a larger national trend if anything the national trend is to -- this. And today in this time time and age when it's hard to get a job and we're not sure our country is gone I can tell you that more and more people. Especially university students who want to get a job. -- Rangel a bit more about their own futures of."

" Amazing that these students on it on the campus of the University of Maryland some of them anyway are fighting. To get rid of prayer and fighting like the Dickens to get pirates to -- he's revenge. Which is described as hard core porn. Showing on campuses -- shown in a campus administration building in thirty minutes of it anyway. On Monday night."

" That's right as it just. Deep and utter confusion this is what we're being students are being taught by the university professors. And that is what these students believe is liberty this is what their freedom is about which is it complete confusion. About what what what we stand for in this country."

" Maybe a little -- how about you have you know sectarian -- yet liberty we have some pornographic speech and have some prayers offered many have. Everybody get to weigh in in any event we'll have to see what the president the university does. We are reaching -- to school to see if want to come on and talk about here I actually want comedy time soon meant that there for being here we appreciate you coming to great thing."