Colorado Church Group Seeking Ballot Measure On Moment of Silence

The Colorado Secretary of State's office last week approved the circulation of an initiative petition calling for schools to provide five minutes for private meditation at the beginning of each school day. According to the Denver Post (July 17), the petition was filed by Bishop Kevin Foreman and his 2-year-old Final Harvest Christian Center in Aurora. In order to get the proposal on the November ballot, 76,000 signatures must be collected by August 4. According to 9News yesterday, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado released a statement opposing the proposal, saying "we believe public schools are for education and not religious worship, rituals, or indoctrination." Some teachers are concerned about the loss of instructional time that would be created by such a long period for prayer each day.