Why is prayer and the Bible allowed in prison and not in classrooms?

Answer 1

Because Christians won't stand up. Just like in here. They pet people on the head and feed them candybars. In the meanwhile, every prayer, every religious freedom we have is disappearing daily.

Go Figure.

Answer 2

Because America is messed up. If bibles were allowed in classrooms then a lot of those people wouldn't be in prison. Children should be taught to follow the 10 commandments. But there are always some hot headed groups out there taking out God whenever they can. They are in their own little world and don't focus on negative things. How about taking violence and drugs out of schools? No, they worry about the word God, in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Answer 3

I'm a teacher so I'll just answer it this way...

What if I was a Satanist? Would you like me to teach your child about my religion? What if I was a Muslim? Should I teach your child how to pray to Allah five times a day? That's just a can of worms we can't open up in the classrooms. Children are impressionable and we certainly wouldn't want to impart them with our personal belief systems and values. Values, morals and belief systems are something that should be taught at home...kinda like potty training. Your kids should learn your morals and values from you...their parents. Otherwise they may come home with different ideas from school...that just counteracts and undermines the important work you're doing at home.

Also, an important side note...prayer is not outlawed in the classroom...students can pray quietly, to themselves, whenever they please. It just cannot be a diversion for the learning environment.

In prison, well, those men and women have already made their choices and decisions on religious beliefs...sometimes they haven't. However, they're minds are not as impressionable as young children's minds. Also, the men and women in prison could be seen as needing some direction and help in all areas of life. As such, they should be provided with those things, and more! Like, books, GED's, schooling, etc.

Answer 4

Because people in prisons are adults and already have a connection to their religion, and thus are granted the right to have access to the things they need to practice their religion as best they can within the confines of the prison. It is their choice and they have access to the stuff they want from the religion they're already in.

By allowing these things in schools you'd be favouring a certain religion. Not everyone's Christian and people's freedom of religion - and not being made to practice or take part in other religions - needs to be respected through a neutral environment in schools. Forcing religion onto the kids in schools wouldn't be right. It's the choice of the parents how they raise their child - and the child is of course free to practice their religion outside school time - and the child will eventually be old enough to make their own decision about religious issues, but no religion is favoured or promoted actively in the school environment.

That's my take on it, anyway.

Answer 5

Because the men and women in prison are adults, who are capable of making their own decisions. They are allowed the freedom to choose to read, or not read the bible.
Children in school however are not allowed that freedom. When prayer was in our public schools, every student was expected to participate. This was wrong! Religion is a personal choice and should be left up to the parents/family to decide. This is still a free country right?
When I was in elementary school I had friends who were Jehovah's Witnesses and when the rest of the kids were doing Christmas or Halloween crafts they had to sit out in the hall because they did not believe the same as the rest of us. I always felt so bad for them, not because they didn't have our "religion" but because they were excluded and exiled from so many of our activities.
Public school is there to teach the masses Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Parents are there to teach their kids religion, and beliefs as they sit fit. If you want your kids to pray, then pray with them at home and church. Or send your kid to a religious school. Don't ostracize children because their parents beliefs are different than yours.

Answer 6

In prisons most of the people are old enough to choose what they want, and to make that choice consciously.

In schools you don't know most of the time if the choice is from themselves or from the parents or the community.

But anyway, the Divine is inside of any Man... the Bible and the prayers are just the tip of the iceberg. Don't look to the tree... you are missing the all forest.

Answer 7

Iguess trying to catch up with all the people they didn't get to reach in school. Isn't that sad though? Perhaps if God had been allowed to stay in school maybe the prisons wouldn't be so full. They are trying to do away with it in prison now. So many prisoners are being converted to islam (homegrown terrorists?) that now they are trying to protest the Bible and Christianity out of the prisons too.

Answer 8

The United States government is very inconsistent regarding religion. The Founding Fathers specifically excluded religion from government, allowing all citizens to choose their own religions. The First Amendment is the evidence of their intentions.

However, in later years, religious zealots in positions of power have "slipped" the notion of God into government. "In God We Trust" has appeared on our currency. "Under God" has been inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance. And some judges have posted the Ten Commandments in their courtrooms, as if those commandments had weight on their decisions.

Mandatory prayer and Bible teachings should not be permitted in prisons or schools. However, optional prayer and Bible study should be embraced in both places. "Moments of silence" in schools are entirely appropriate, and extra-curricular religious clubs and activities in schools should not be supressed. Likewise, optional religous sessions in prisons should be allowed and encouraged.

The answer to the question is that because of the autonomy reserved by state and local governments under our federalist system of government, and because of the misuse of power by influential individuals in the federal government, the United States has very inconsistent approaches to the presence of religion in public activity. Hopefully, in the future, these inconsistencies will be resolved.

Answer 9

In prison, all forms of religion are allowed. So if a person wants to read the Quran they can, if they want to attend a religious service according to their religion they can. Christians insist on "allowing prayer," which means, Christian prayer, and the Bible, which is used primarily by Christians and Jews. Prisoners are of an age of consent, children aren't. If you want religion in schools, it has to be open to all religious expression.

Answer 10

Because there are some restrictions on how people are going to act if the influence of the bible had come to their school. In school, people are to learn the evolution theory because it is widely accepted as the logical reasoning. We do not want the bible in the classroom because we want the kids to think on their own and choose their religion outside the learning area. Kids should not be believing in this kind of stuff in school because it will cause controversy and confusion on people's opinions and minds.

Answer 11

I love your question!!! Today people are trying to get God and prayer out the USA. This country was founded by Christian men. When you take God out, your doomed for destruction. I guess to have the prisoners change their lives. When you accept Christ, you are a new person. And also some prisoners will die for their wrong-doing and this is a great chance to repent and go meet the Creator.