The U.S. Supreme Court struck a rare blow for religious freedom this week. But it's not nearly as resounding a blow as its supporters think or its detractors fear.
We're referring to the court's decision that high schools that sponsor other non-curricular activities after class may not ban student prayer or Bible study groups.That's a long way from restoring prayer to the classroom, which the Supreme Court outlawed in 1962 on the grounds that it violated the constitutional separation between church and state. Still, it puts the high court in the somewhat awkward position of saying it's all right to pray at school after classes are over but not while school is in session.
Anyway, this week's ruling is merely a logical extension to high schools of a decision the justices made in 1981 regarding colleges - that students have a right to meet voluntarily for prayer and other religious exercises on college grounds if other student groups are permitted.
Understandably, Congress relied on that 1981 decision in passing the 1984 Equal Access Act to extend such protection to junior and senior high schools. It was this law that the Supreme Court upheld this week.
Despite the 8-1 margin in this week's ruling, the court's majority produced four separate opinions - demonstrating how divided and uncertain the bench still is when it comes to the separation of church and state.
Meanwhile, those who welcome the new ruling had better hold some of their applause. The same decision that permits prayer groups after school could also be used to justify the extracurricular use of school property by such groups as the Ku Klux Klan and the Young Communists League.