The barrier between church and state has been lowered with the passing of three religious amendments by a US House of Representatives which refused to strengthen gun control laws.
Members of Congress who were unwilling to impose stricter controls on the sale of guns in the aftermath of the Columbine high school killings voted overwhelmingly to allow religious practices in schools and public places which have previously been banned under the separation of church and state clause in the Constitution.
One amendment authorises states to allow the public display of the Ten Commandments. A second makes it harder for a school to be sued when it allows students to pray or read Bible stories in class.
The third amendment allows memorial services in schools for those killed there to include prayers, scripture readings and hymns. Religious symbols could be used on permanent memorials in the schools.
The spate of school shootings in recent years has encouraged religious organisations to get around the ban on prayer in public schools. Conservative groups claim the lack of religion in schools contributes more to fatal shootings than the availability of weapons.
The campaign to have the Ten Commandments displayed in public places has been gathering support in southern states since a judge in Alabama three years ago defied a court order to take down the commandments in his courtroom.
The Supreme Court in 1980 struck down as unconstitutional a law in Kentucky which required schools to display copies of the Ten Commandments.
The new amendments, which would have to be approved by the Senate before becoming law, have dismayed defenders of the separation of church and state. Americans United for Separation of Church and State said that it was "a unique day in church-state history". "Never before in a 24-hour period has there been such a massive attack in the US House of Representatives on so many legislative fronts."
Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York said the amendments raised constitutional questions. "Whose Ten Commandments? Which version? The Catholic version, the Protestant version or the Jewish version?" he asked.
In an article in the New York Times yesterday, a junior high school student, who describes himself as an atheist, asks what will happen to students who are not Christian if prayer is allowed in the schools. He says he believes the "only outcome of any increase of religion in the schools would be an increase in anger directed against those students who are either not of the dominant religion or lack religion at all".