Society's ills blamed on lack of school prayer?

Question

Society's ills are often blamed on the fact that kids are not forced to pray in school. Usually the inference is that after about 1960-1965, society has been in decline due to this lack of forced school prayer.

I have a different hypothesis: 'Under god' was added to the pledge in the late 1950's, our motto was changed from E Pluribus Unum ("Of Many, One"), to In God We Trust in the 1950's, and that motto was then placed on our money in the 1950's.

Could it be that this divided our nation and forced people to squabble over religion when that condition need not exist before the motto was changed and 'under god' was added? In effect, it forced people who felt differently from the christian majority to voice objections when before they did not have to, when they felt more free to believe what they wanted?

This is a serious question, please, and I mean no disrepect to anyone.

Some have asked where I get that prayer being taken out of schools being the cause of decline in our society. I see that answer on here every day, that's why I thought of the question.

It seems many have put real thought into their answers, and I appreciate that.

Also, 'In God We Trust' was used on some money as early as the late 1800's, but it was not changed to our official US motto until the 1950's.

I guess you could sum this question up as: Did these supposodly uniting actions actually divide the country more than it united?

Answer 1

I think the original claim is based on a cause and effect fallacy. Two events happened together, so the christians jump on one being the cause of the other, especially as it seems to support their point of view.

As venganza.org shows, the number of pirates has declined since the 1800's, and the global temperature has risen since the 1800's, the decline of pirates is the cause of the increase in global temperature. Therefore we should encourage piracy to prevent global warming.

As to your hypothesis, it's as valid as the original one. But still makes the same mistake.

I don't think a mass decline in society can and should ever be put down to a single event or decision.

Answer 2

You make a good point, but I believe you are drawing correlations and trying to turn them into a cause. Let me give you an easier example. There was a study that said that students that play team sports are less likely to do drugs. Does it mean that sports causes someone to choose not to do drugs? Or, is there another underlying cause that connects both of them? They are correlated, but one doesn't cause the other. It was then discovered that mostly it was because the kids that were on team sports didn't have TIME to fool around with drugs and be on the street.

The time when they added the phrase "Under God" into the pledge and took prayer out of school and changed the motto also coincided with a bunch of other things. Society declined a great deal after WWII. People came back from the war away from loved ones for so long. The baby boomer generation was born. By the time they were in the 1950s and 1960s, the baby boomers were teens that were determined to rebel against the establishment and pull away from the "war generation". Many things spawned from this. I honestly don't think religion has a bit to do with it.

Answer 3

It's also a correlation that the 1950s/1960s is around the time that the fundamentalist evangelical movement arose. Could this not be the cause? Or, is this your point. That the minority religious groups suddenly felt that the religious freedom guaranteed in the US Constitution was being curtailed.

I agree that your previous national motto E Pluribus Unum is far more in keeping with the spirit of the Bill of Rights and Constitution.

Answer 4

I agree with your supposition, but some of your facts are a bit wrong.

God was added to the pledge in the '50's, but E Pluribus Unum was never taken off... and references to god were added to the currency in the 1800's.

But yes, I think you're right. Forcing religion on a populace that can't even decide with version of an imaginary being to worship only leads to strife.

Answer 5

no person provides you a "credible article" because of the fact none exists. there is not any hyperlink between college prayer and decreased violence. I think of you will discover lots of articles to the different. i'm a survivor of Catholic college. We prayed on a daily basis, and fairly some the little ones in that place have been fairly violent. We had extra desirable than our share of bullies, and play-backyard fights have been a on an primary basis incidence. in case you look on the information touching on serial killers, you will discover a lot of them had deeply religious upbringing. Sorry, yet any article written by employing a preacher, or a "religious chief," could right away be suspect. all of us be responsive to what their agendas are. Religionists want there to be a reason for little ones at school to wish, fairly, to wish to their Christian god. that is no longer approximately salvation; that is approximately thought administration. so far as i will see, it relatively is a ineffective gesture, and the time is extra perfect spent coaching young ones to study, write, upload, subtract, and think of.

Answer 6

I've never heard anyone put that much stock in the decision to end the tradition of ONE short prayer to start the School day. Many of us think it was a STEP in the wrong direction. But it was preceded by other STEPS and followed by MANY BAD STEPS.

And there's no question that today's Government Schools are far inferior to those of the past.

The tradition of starting the day with a short prayer started WAY before the Pledge of Allegiance was changed, btw.

Answer 7

I think that the problems in US society have much more complex roots than simply being forced to say "god" or not being forced to pray to one.

Otherwise Britain would be in a lot worse state from having to sing "God save the Queen." But it is not. Or Sweden and Japan - two of the most secular states on this planet - would be at crisis point.

Answer 8

I have to agree with you. It seems strange to me that religion has now become some sort of popularity contest. It's like a trend. Who has the coolest shoes? Or in this case, who has the coolest God? It's ridiculous. It's even gotten to the point now that Christians are squabbling amongst themselves over who's beliefs are better or, as I've sometimes heard, which one is "true" Christianity.

Why can't people just be happy believing what they do and respect the beliefs of other people regardless of wether or not they're similar?

Answer 9

I've seen people blame falling SAT scores on the ban on school prayer. As if God decided to teach us a lesson by making kids dumber.

The "pastafarians" made the claim (joking, of course) that global warming could be blamed on the the number of pirates.

Answer 10

Society's ills are the result of a lot of things, but I don't think the "decline" of prayer in school is the culprit. I did the pledge of allegiance overseas in a missionary school...and we did NOT have "under God" in our pledge.

I think people thrust religion as a deflector shield, just like they thrust racism or xenophobia as a deflector shield, to avoid dealing with the messy, complex, REAL cause-and-effect in the world.