Prayer in Schools?

Question

I'm torn between this issue because as a Christian, I don't think my views should be imposed on anyone, since god gave us a choice to believe or not to believe.

However, I don't see why anyone would want to restrict it because the first amendment of the Constitutions says, " Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF;

So, basically, I don't believe god wants us to make people pray with us in school, but I don't believe we should tell people they can't.

Answer 1

What the Establishment Clause prohibits is "endorsement" of religion. Thus, a school's principal cannot get on the intercom and say "let us pray." A school's teacher cannot stand in front of her class and say "let's say the Lord's Prayer," a school cannot endorse a graduation speech that says "we all must pray now," a school cannot give a microphone over to a student at a football game for the "daily devotion" (when such will include a prayer).

NOTHING in the establishment clause forbids students from praying quietly to themselves, or establishing a prayer group to meet after school (so long as other student groups are allowed to meet after school, too). Nor does it forbid the teaching of the bible as literature or critically as an objective course. People who think prayer in school is forbidden are simply not up to speed as to what the law is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Establishment_clause#School_prayer

Answer 2

Free exercise means nobody can prevent you from practicing your religion ON YOUR OWN TIME. If a teacher leads the class in a prayer, that's a First Amendment violation because it's imposing one religion on a group of students who may be from diverse backgrounds. If a student wants to say a silent prayer before eating lunch, I don't think anyone is trying to prevent that, but organized prayer in a classroom has no place in public schools. If you want your children to get a Christian education, send them to a Christian school.

Answer 3

I appreciate your question, because it is sincere and you want to do the right thing, so thank you for that.

Here is a misunderstanding: That those against school prayer don't want to allow it. That is false. Those against school prayer are against MANDATORY school prayer. Prayer is a silent, personal endeavor that no one can control. You are allowed to pray alone or in a group at any time during the school day and no one can tell you otherwise.

What so-called proponents of school prayer want is to have a MANDATORY "minute of silence" or some other arranged version of communal prayer. That is unconstitutional. We are not the Islamic Republic of Iran or the "Christian United States" or anything like that. Pray as much as you want, but don't institutionalize it for everybody else. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

The first amendment also says (as you quoted almost correctly), "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...". If the school makes christian prayer mandatory, they are in effect establishing christianity an official religion. If they make prayers of ANY religion mandatory, they still are saying that some form of religion is mandatory. If they exclude the atheists and agnostics and make them wait in the hall, they still are using government facilities to foster prayer.

The right to free speech doesn't stop those that want to pray from doing it if that is their wish. But the freedom of religion clause protects those who don't want any religion from having it pushed on them. Remember, freedom of religion includes freedom FROM religion.

Answer 5

as long as there are tests at school there will be prayer. you won't be able to alter that. it is not appropriate for a instructor to steer pupils in prayer. For one element, the 1st replace forbids it. for yet another, this u . s . is so religiously diverse that there is a huge probability the instructor and a few of his pupils could have distinctive faiths. Do you persist with the religion of the instructor (subsequently "coaching" the pupil that the instructor's faith is right) or of the pupil (forcing the instructor to make distinctive prayers in faiths which they could or won't have self belief in)? Do you have a prayer it particularly is so imprecise it could notice to any faith (which might mean it is so imprecise it could offend any actually god/goddess listening to it)? Do you waste time looking out what the religions of each and every of the pupils interior the class are and then having prayer for each of them on a daily basis? Do you verify you have ten male Jewish instructors/pupils who've been bar mitzvahed to make up a minyan? superb to not have any respected prayer in any respect, incredibly.

Answer 6

I like the thing that most schools have now: moment of silence.

As a person of faith, this can be a time to pray/meditate before classes. People without religious beliefs can take that time to take deep breaths and focus on a productive school day.

But, the law is that no one can "make" everyone pray, (i.e. prayer over loudspeakers at football games), but personal and private prayer is allowed.

P.S. Shouldn't prayer be personal anyway, right?

Answer 7

Well, because the prayer you mean is inherently a Christian value, and having it in school forces it on others and therefore prohibits their "free exercise thereof."

If you want to pray, pray at home like everyone else. It doesn't need to be shoved in everyone's face.

Answer 8

The problem with prayer in schools in any form is that many people- primarily Christians, I'm sorry to say- seem to believe that freedom of religion only applies to their religion. They're all for prayer, handing out bibles, and letting churches hand out fliers to students during school time, but the instant someone of a different faith wants the same privileges, there's an uproar. Until people can accept that freedom of religion means freedom of ALL religions, prayer and religion in general in schools needs to be a private, personal thing.

Answer 9

The issue is with organized or mandated prayer.
Years ago the lords prayer was said every morning during the announcements. Grace may have been said at snack times. Nobody is stopping a child from praying at school, however nobody is setting aside a designated time slot for the child to do it.

If you wish to pray, go ahead. Children are given free time during school to exercise their own values and beleifs, it is called recess and lunch. They are welcome to pray then.

Answer 10

Agreed. Kids should be allowed to pray independently at school. There shouldn't be designated times, or anything mandatory. But if a group of kids (and teachers) wants to get together and pray, they should be allowed to. That goes for any religion.