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Proposed school prayer initiative: wrap-up

August 5, 2008

Supporters of a proposed school prayer ballot initiative decided not to collect signatures to place the measure on the November 2008 ballot. The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado was concerned the proposal could threaten religious freedom and the separation of religion and government in Colorado. I am proud that we spoke out early and quickly against this ill-conceived proposal.

The deadline to file signatures to petition the measure onto the ballot was yesterday, Aug. 4. No signatures were filed, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Bishop Kevin Foreman and other members of Final Harvest Christian Center in Aurora were the proponents of the measure that would have required public schools to set aside up to five minutes for private or group prayer or meditation at the start of each school day. In a statement sent to 9News, Final Harvest leaders said:

"The proposal for meditation in schools was never an effort to impose one set of beliefs upon anyone. As we did not seek any media coverage for this matter, we did not anticipate that the contents of the proposal would be misconstrued. The proposal was originally submitted in October of 2006 and just approved to begin collecting signatures on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 and was simply aimed at giving students an opportunity for personal meditation at the beginning of their day and if that included prayer, then they'd be allowed to do so. As Christians, we practice love for all people and make no attempt to discriminate against others. To reiterate, it was never our intention to force Christian beliefs and practices on students, faculty or the public. With the short time to gather over 120,000 supporters, mass signature gathering campaigns were never launched and will not be launched. This will conclude this matter in all arenas."

We respect the convictions of Bishop Foreman and members of Final Harvest Christian Center. We also believe they made the best decision not to move forward with this proposal.

We firmly believe that our public schools should be used for education and not religious worship, ritual, or indoctrination. It is imperative to preserve our democracy by respecting religious freedom, protecting individual rights, and pursuing public policies that promote the common good, instead of a singular religious or political viewpoint. 

Thank you for standing beside us as we protect faith and freedom in Colorado. We cannot do this work without your support and active participation.

In peace and hope,

The Rev. Patrick O. Hurley, Pueblo

President