FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
OCT. 31, 2000

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
P.O. Box 5733
Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
Tel: (908) 276-7300
Fax: (908) 276-7402
http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org
http://www.AtheistViewpoint.tv

For more information, please contact:
Ellen Johnson, President       (973) 334-5110
Ron Barrier, Spokesperson      (718) 967-6453

         DECISION IN VIRGINIA MOMENT OF SILENCE CASE IS "HALLOWEEN
                     MASK" FOR SCHOOL PRAYER AGENDA
       "What cannot be imposed on an adult becomes a cowardly tyranny
                      when it is imposed on a child"

    A ruling on Monday from a U.S. District Court judge upholding Virginia's
"minute of silence" law skirts the First Amendment separation of church and
state, and is a ruse to smuggle Christian ritualizing back into public school
classrooms, American Atheists charged today.
    Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists, said that statute which
mandates all Virginia youngsters to observe a sixty-second period of silence
at the beginning of the school day "is the legislative equivalent of a
Halloween mask for the school prayer agenda."
    "Everyone knows what's going on here," said Ms. Johnson. "This is all
about finding a way -- any way -- to execute an end-run around the
establishment clause of the First Amendment, and force minor youngsters into
a position where they will pray."
    "The Supreme Court struck down a similar Alabama statute in the 1985
WALLACE v. JAFFREE case, and they will hopefully do the same with this
Virginia law," added Johnson.
    The Virginia statute requires school districts to organize a one-minute
period at the start of the class day where students will "meditate, pray, or
engage in any other silent activity."
    Ron Barrier, National Spokesperson for American Atheists, said that the
one-minute period has nothing to do with educating students, promoting good
citizenship,  preventing violence or achieving any of the other goals which
moment-of-silence supporters often cite.
    "It can't be a study hall period, it's not the Pledge of Allegiance, and
it doesn't encourage students to be tolerant and caring," Mr. Barrier said.
"This is all about finding some cheap ploy to reintroduce Christian prayer
into public schools, and most of the legislators and groups behind this
measure know it."
    "What cannot be imposed on an adult becomes a cowardly tyranny when it
is imposed on a child.  I cannot think of any other way to classify those
adults, ministers, and elected officials who are behind this exercise in
deception," said Mr. Barrier. "They don't have the courage to pull this
stupid stunt on adults."###

    American Atheists is a nationwide civil rights organizations concerned
with First Amendment public policy issues and the separation of church and
state.