Do you think prayers should be in schools?

Question

There would be less problems in schools if prayers would be admitted because it would help to get focus back on God and making things right. What do you think? No sarcastic, rude remarks.

And, yes not all people are Christians. This is not to place judgment. It is not to see who agrees or disagrees but just to get other views.

Answer 1

Prayer is already in school.

What do you think the kids are doing before that test they didn't study for? LOL

Answer 2

The children who were gunned down in Paducah, KY were praying at school when they were shot, so obviously it didn't help them all that much, did it?

The fact is private, personal prayer IS allowed in the schools. If a group of students wants to pray, they can. Teachers can pray too. The caveat is that teachers or other school officials CANNOT lead students in prayer because it is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. There is the possibility of coercion , perceived or otherwise.

Check out the youtube video for an example.

Your suggestion also assumes that all students are Christian, or that the U.S. is officially a Christian nation. The first excludes a large number of Americans and the latter is historically false.

What is required in schools is not supernatural intervention, but rather more parental involvement. The spiritual education of kids is the parents' responsibility, not the government's (through thr public schools).

Answer 3

The only problem I see is the question of "Who decides the form of the prayers?" As there are families with children that are of the same faith as I am, I would say that they might be less than enthused about mandating prayers from a SPECIFIC religion UNLESS it is a school SPONSORED BY that religion (such as religious instruction in a Catholic school).

As I am sure someone will point out, it has never truly been possible to eliminate prayer from public schools as students will pray for Divine assistance with grades on assignments and test scores.

As my Gods are not your God, I do not think you would want mandated prayers to them any more than I would in a reversed situation.

Answer 4

Yes, as long as you include prayers for all of the religions since some people may not belong to your religion. That means we would have 4 or 5 hours of different prayers and then there would be any time to get into any trouble. Good idea you had.

Answer 5

No...not really. I think if you want to have prayer in your schools, then send them to private Christian schools. Public schools are way too diversified to satisfy everyone's religious beliefs. How are you going to satisy the Pagans, the Muslims, the Jews, etc, if all you are going to have is a Christian prayer offered? News flash, sweetheart, not everyone believes in your God or, for that matter, any Gods. You teach your children religion and let the schools do their job teaching them everything else.
Besides, isn't that what the "moment of silence" is for?

~Willow~ Atheist

Answer 6

Students can pray all they want to, but teachers should not be leading prayer in public schools. That would be in violation of the establishment clause in the First Amendment. The establishment clause says that the government can not establish or enforce a religion. Seeing as public schools are funded by the government, organized, teacher-led prayer in public school would be considered a violation of the clause.

Answer 7

Well, if I can't leave a sarcastic, rude, remark, what is the point of answering this?

Seriously, not everyone believes the same thing, and I don't want all day wasted on everyone's prayers being represented. Just have a moment of silence, and get on with education.

Answer 8

One can pray if they feel like it in school--there's no law or rule against it in and of itself.

"There would be less problems in schools if prayers would be admitted because it would help to get focus back on God and making things right."

The suggestion that it's impossible to be moral without being Chrsitian is absurd.

There already exist both "Sunday School"s AND churches for religious instruction, and the US provides one with the freedom to have those things without anyone being able to take them away. Be thankful for what you have instead of always wanting more.

Answer 9

I know prayer in US schools has never been band but in many of the public schools I've been to. If you pray in school or even before school starts you in trouble and yes I think it would help things if we could.

Answer 10

Back in the day when I was in high school....
During my senior year the school board decided that the moments of silence offered to students for silent prayers was inappropriate and could possibly offend those students who were athiest.
Hmph! As a religious person (doesn't matter which one), I was offended that the moment of silence I used for prayer was taken away!
By the time my sister was a senior (we're 10 years apart), the moments of silence had been reinstituted. The school board and school administration said that students ASKED for a moment of silence in which they could choose to pray silently. My sister's graduation was the first one in ten years to have a moment of silence. My graduation had nothing - no prayer, no moment of silence, NADA.

Moment of silence - those who want to pray can, those who don't want to don't have to. Who does this hurt? No one!

Answer 11

No, there wouldn't be. Go learn history. The Christian religion has caused more suffering than anything else in the world. And if you're going to have Christian prayer, then you have to accept ALL prayer, including Pagan ones, WITHOUT freaking out about it.

I have a better idea... how about we stave off alot of battles by just not having prayer at all in schools? hmm? That would work much better.