Should we have public prayer in school? Isn't public prayer narcissistic?

Question

Matthew 6:5-8

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So, when people pray lofty prayers in church or public, or raise their hands in church...are they not just drawing attention to themselves, and how Godly they are?

Aren't people really doing these things to glorify themselves?

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

You are right. Public prayer in schools is not necessary, because any student is free to pray in private whenever he/she wants. God will hear the student just fine if the prayer is made in silence.

Moreover, if we allow prayer in school, whose prayer do we allow? A Muslim prayer? A Hindu prayer? A Mormon prayer? A Catholic prayer? A prayer from those who promote homophobia as "love"?

Answer 2

You are taking scripture out of context. This scripture is speaking of not boasting. There is a place that we should be with God where it's not about pride.What He was saying was if we pray with pride just to be seen of men then that's all the reward that we will receive(People noticing us)and we will have no reward in Heaven. But if we enter into that place with God where it is not about being seen of men but rather think about what God thinks about us, because He knows if the prayer we are praying is coming from our heart or not, It is then that God rewards us.There is no greater reward than knowing that people Can see Jesus in you and knowing that He in you can make a difference in their life, not only in this life but in the life to come. If Jesus was saying that it was wrong to pray in public, then why did He pray while He was on the Cross? And He was praying for the ones who were standing around. I can't speak for everyone elses school, but as far as ours goes there is still prayer in our school (and it is a public school).There is always a student or someone who says a public prayer at graduations, PTO meetings, Ect... And I have to believe that that is why we have such a good school district... We have not pushed God out!!!

Answer 3

In school is a different story. Those who do not believe in God or prayer should not have to pray in school. Years ago we had religion classes in school but it was only for those who signed up for it and it was done in the school cafeteria but not during lunch time. No one was offended and no one was forced to attend.
My thinking is that when you pray privately you do it alone and by yourself. If you want to pray within a congregation of people who are all praying at the same time you do it in church with those same people. If you want to make a spectacle of yourself you do it on the street corner in a loud voice so everyone who is not praying can see. If you decide at the same time to wave your arms around you could also make yourself a target.

Answer 4

My daughter prays at school before she eats, she also brings her bible for silent reading, this is her right, but to force prayer on any one for any reason is wrong.
When I'm in church I pray the way I want to pray and when I want to, not because I'm in a church I have to...
To me, prayer is very personal. It is MY time with God,MY petition to Him, not a show for others to "see" my obedience to Him.
I don't have to prove anything to anyone, I am only accountable to Him and Him only.
GREAT question!!!!

Answer 5

Well we had prayer and The Ten Commandments in school when I was in school, even though it was after the courts ruled against it. No one ever complained and we had no discipline problems other than chewing gum and talking. Are the two connected? What do you think?

On page 122 of The Gate Of Hell Shall Not Prevail by D. James Kennedy, he writes....The public school is the chief battleground of the present attack on Christ in the public arena.It seems like these days just about any idea is allowed to be presented in the public schools - except the G word, God. Columnist Cal Thomas said,"I think the philosophy in our public schools, and many other institutions today, is that a dose of God is more hazardous to your health than a dose of herpes or drugs".Consider the following:

Tulsa, Oklahoma. A student in 4th grade attempted to pray before a math test. He warched into the principles office and forced to write 100 times,"I will not pray in class" Johnny may not be able to read or write, say some educators, but at least we're ridding his mind of religious superstitions!

Coral Springs, Florida. One of the members of my congregation told me about a 5 year old neighbor who had just attended the first day of kindergarten where the teacher had told the class " no one can know for sure weather Jesus had ever really lived."Wheather or not the teacher actually said this we don't know. What we do know is that the 5 year old said that the teacher said this. Interestingly the historicity of Jesus Christ is well documented. We can reconstruct the highlights of the life of Christ through non Christian writers of the first century. After this incident my church member thought to herself, His first day in public school... and all of that in one morning! Imagine what they can accomplish in 12 years!

Bloomingdale, Michigan. A painting of Jesus had been hanging in the high school since 1962, when the doors first opened. One agnostic student claimed he received "psychological damamge" by seeing the portrait. The ACLU sued on his behalf. The court agreed, even though one concurring judge in the case said it regrettably creates" a class of eggshell plaintiffs - plaintiffs who are fragile and get offended too easily. The painting came down. Just another day in an increasingly secularized America.

Foster City, California. A former member of my church settled into a new home in a new state and enrolled her 7 year old in their local public school. She and other parents of the second grade were all encouraged to come in and share with the class how they would celebrate the holidays.Several parents came in and explaned Hanukkah and the Menorah, so my former congregation member asked to briefly share something related to Christmas, the birth of Jesus. She was told by the teacher" That's not allowed. That's religious."

Interestingly, Founding Father Benjamin Rush from Pennsylvania, a surgeon in the American revolution predicted the link between removing the Bible from the schools and the rise of crime in the schools. Dr. Rush was a member of the Continental Congress. He signed the Declaration Of Independence and helped draft the Constitution.....

I remember seeing a political cartoon that made a strong point. It shows two big, fat soldiers with "ACLU" writted across their helments. They are in a high school and they are looking with a flashlight into a young student's locker and reading the contents: "Handgun, cocaine, condoms... but no Bible... This one's clean". Now there the real tragedy comes through.

Answer 6

There has been no public prayer in schools for quite some time now.


No, in church, people are not trying to glorify themselves. They are glorifying God. Why ar eyou paying attention to what others are doing? Why not focus on yourself?
Or, if you are a Christian, why aren't you focusing on God rather than on what people around you are doing?

It seems as if you are the narcissistic one if you are comparing what others are doing to what you think they OUGHT to be doing.

Answer 7

Look at what has happened in schools since an atheist succeeded in getting prayer removed from schools.

Not only have there been numerous school shootings and fatalities, but the latest is that even the traditional red & green colors used for Christmas decorations have been banned from a few schools.

Insanity and chaos reigns!

Answer 8

Yes, so much for the meek and the humble! Making a big, public show of your praying is pretentious. Just say a silent prayer to yourself; he hears those too ya know.

Answer 9

you are making your point based on incorrect evidences.

we do know that on multiple occasions leaders in bible prayed publicly.

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as far as schools - you removed prayer from school and you got columnbine, virginia, etc...
you have people brining guns, doing dope, sex in bathrooms, attacks on school teachers... go ahead - do not bring it back. just don't expect this society to get any better.
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worse of course is when after 9/11 here in city college of SF they removed word God from song "God Bless America". Half of the audience left when they did it, but newspaper never picked up the story...

Answer 10

kids are allowed to pray in school... if they choose.

offiicals are not allowed to lead them in prayer; that's a good thing. School is not for indoctrination.