Isn't it a bit simplistic to think that a lack of school prayer is the cause of our problems?

Question

Honestly! Don't you think that the main reason why there are now more behavior problems in schools is because the kids either aren't being disciplined effectively at home or that they are hanging out with the wrong crowd? Isn't it a bit simplistic to think that school prayer would cure all societal ills? After all, how many religious hypocrites have you seen attending worship services? Religion is NOT a panacea!

Answer 1

I have never heard anyone say that behavior problems in schools is due to the fact that they are no longer allowed to pray in school. Kids will do as they wish, as they are allowed to do when not punished. If they wanted to pray, they would pray. When they want to act up, they act up. It has nothing to do with taking away prayer from school.

I wholly agree with the 'hypocrites attending worship services'. This is the main reason I stopped going to church for so many years. I figured I would surround myself with true people and be able to worship him better at home than I would somewhere else with others like that.


For all of you that are going crazy saying that her question is suggesting that we should make prayer mandatory is school, you werent paying attention. big surprise. i saw that no where in her question. In fact she was saying the opposite. that prayer has nothing to do with the way kids act at school.

I believe in perhaps a quiet time in which a student can do as they please. Sit there and reflect on what to eat for lunch if they want, those who want to pray, pray.

Answer 2

No one can give you a "credible article" because none exists. There is no link between school prayer and lowered violence. I imagine you can find plenty of articles to the contrary. I am a survivor of Catholic school. We prayed every day, and a lot of the kids in that place were pretty violent. We had more than our share of bullies, and play-yard fights were a daily occurrence. If you look at the statistics referring to serial killers, you'll find many of them had deeply religious upbringing. Sorry, but any article written by a preacher, or a "religious leader," would automatically be suspect. We all know what their agendas are. Religionists want there to be a reason for kids in school to pray, especially, to pray to their Christian god. It isn't about salvation; it's about thought control. As far as I can see, it's a useless gesture, and the time is better spent teaching kids to read, write, add, subtract, and think.

Answer 3

Thinking about it in that small way makes it simplistic, but when you think of a "small" prayer and the long lasting effects-the cascading effects that prayer has. Maybe that prayer at school is the only thing introducing God to some kids...with that you get morals, that decisivness of "right" and "wrong", etc. If it's only a "little" prayer what is the big deal. Let us pray at school. A lot of kids aren't getting the discipline at home, maybe their parents should start praying with these kids at home too. God is just getting pushed out of everywhere. Look around; the world certainly isn't a better place because of it.

Answer 4

OK. You are right. It is not because PRAYER was removed. It is much more complicated than that. Calling it due to prayer IS a little too simplistic. It is even sugar coating it for those of us who believe that it does have something to do with the decline. I will tell you that it is because GOD was removed.
It is not prayer.
It is the removal of GOD.
How can we expect the next generation to have any respect for authority when we have removed the ultimate authority? We as adults walk around here like we own the world , doing whatever we please.
They are just taking our lead.
They don't even have to listen to the authority of their parents, or teachers for that matter.
When God was allowed in school, there was a respect for not only GOD, but for parents , elders, and teachers.
Oh and dont get me started on what teaching our kids that we were great big globs of oooze, has done to the psyche. And that somehow oooze managed to turn into humans? COME ON !!!
Please. Why else is there no respect for life, and its value.?

Great question!

Answer 5

I agree. The notion that praying at school is going to make any difference whatsoever is wildly optimistic to say the least.

If the child believes in God/prayer/religion etc then they are unlikely to misbehave. If a child doesn't believe in these things then it doesn't mean that they WILL misbehave and even if they do then no amount of religious force-feeding is going to make the slightest difference.

At my early schools in the late 1960s daily prayer was compulsory but it didn't stop one of my classmates setting fire to a teacher and another later going on to commit armed robbery. In fact I'm inclined to think that some of the bad behaviour at the school was a result of rebellion against the over-strict religious fanaticism of some of the teaching staff.

Discipline, respect and responsible behaviour starts and ends at home and it's parents who are ultimately to blame for the attitudes and behaviour of their children. Unfortunately, rampant political correctness also plays a major part (in the UK, at least) because no adult member of the public dares challenge bad behaviour on our streets because the Police are more likely to arrest the adult than the child.

Answer 6

Lack of prayer isn't the answer to the question nor is it the cause. Children who are raising themselves or growing up with no guidance is more to blame than whether or not someone mumbles a few words before doing their school work.

Unfortunantly, the way things are going these days, it's becoming almost impossible for parents to dicipline their children. Everything has become "abuse" or is "damaging" to children. I heard account of one lady saying her child could no longer jump rope in school because someone "might get hurt".

Jump rope.

Seriously.

We're raising children that are going to shatter or explode when they find out that the world is not all happy happy lets talk about our feelings.. and that, my friend, is why I want nothing to do with society as a whole.

The more people I met, the more I want to live in a house in the woods with no one around for miles.

Answer 7

I agree. I think the main reason there are more behavioral problems in school is because of a lack of discipline at home. I think prayer in school should be allowed as personal reconciliation though.

Answer 8

I agree! Religion does not belong in public schools at all. Religion should only be in religious schools only. The reason children are having more behavior problems has nothing to do with religion, I think it is because children are being ignored by their parents, many children from what I have seen are raising themselves.

Answer 9

I'm not sure why you made the angry "hypocrites" statement, but I agree with you on most of your other points. Prayer wouldn't fix much. It couldn't hurt certainly, but behavioral problems start at home. If parents don't teach their children to respect teachers and value education, then the school bears no responsiblity in promoting those ideals. We live in an selfish world. When we put "me" first, we're certainly not helping anyone else. We're certainly not leading with love.

Answer 10

I think you are missing the point. Taking the prayer out of school is not the sole cause, it is just one of the tumbling blocks.Obviously you are not a religious person. There are also religious people out there that are hypocrites.We go from one extreme to the other. That is the cause of our problems.If you don't believe, fine don't then. If I believe, fine.It is none of your business what I do and It is none of my business what you do.{As long as no harm comes to either.}If everyone could just respect each others beliefs, No need to push yourself on others. No need to harass others.I am a Christian. I have an Atheist friend.She is one of my best friends and our beliefs do not come into play in our friendship. We may ask each other questions of curiosity now and then but it is left at that.Why does it bother everyone what Joe Schmo believes in, in kukamonga?