Do you think prayer should be allowed in schools?

Question

When the United States was founded, our fore fathers established our laws and constitution through a moral disapline from the Bible. Why is it we are not allowed to do so anymore?

Answer 1

i think they should allow a 5 minuet quiet period at the beggining of each class and it should be kept to a persons self and quiet ...

Answer 2

When the United States was founded, it was founded because we wanted freedom from religious oppression. It wasn't founded so the whole country could be Christian. For people of other religions, or atheists, it's offensive that Christians get to dominate most of our activities. It's the 21st century- let people believe in what they believe in. If it were the other way around, and schools allowed time for ritual animal sacrifices, Christians would be offended because that is a practice they don't agree with and don't believe in. If you want to pray in school, no one is going to stop you. But don't make kids outcasts by having moments of silence to pray or a communal prayer.
Also, moral disciplines from the Bible are followed by non-Christians. Christianity did not create morals. Many religions overlap and believe in the same things.

Answer 3

If you only had a clue, you'd be better off. First of all, prayer is allowed in schools. What isn't allowed is school led or mandated prayer. Secondly, even if the laws and constitution were based on a moral discipline that came from the Bible (And what proof do you have of that anyway), the fact that the Constitution makes no mention of god or Christ should be pretty significant, don't you think?

Answer 4

Well if you look throughout history, the integration of church and state caused the internal decay and factions that brought down many successful societies (i.e. it was a faction within the church that mainly brought down Rome and created the Byzantine, and conflict with the musilms/christians that brought down the Byzantine). Societies used to be known for their religion, such as the dar al islam and the christian kingdoms like the Normans that created England, and their fighting amoungst each other caused tension that survives even to this day. It was king Henry the 8th's discrimination and corruption of the church that created Martin Luther's 99 thesis and the protestant reformation that forced immigrants to come to America in the first place and create their own tolerant society (well, in the end), creating the Founders to separate church and state, making all religions tolerated even though they were specifically christian. Since schools are socialized and immediatley controlled by the government, having teachers teach prayer would be against the framer's guidelines and be favoring one religion, ignoring the freedom of religion ammendment. Integration in schools would mean re-integration into the gov't, which would lead to disunification, faction, and rebellions amoung the people creating a repeat of history and turning America into a potential ancient Rome or post-classical England. And as Abraham Lincoln once said, "A house divided cannot stand".

Children are, however, say the pledge of alligance with the line "Under God" (which was added in 1960's i do believe, bt don't quote me on that) although they are not required to. They are also allowed to pray, do religious rituals that are not disrupptive to class, and dress in religious clothing (such as head covers that muslim women wear). So prayer is not allowed in public school though it is in private christian schools formally, but is allow if the child wants to do so due to the fact that state cannot interfer with religion.

rather long answer;]
hope it helped!

Answer 5

Prayer is allowed in schools. What is not allowed is school sponsored or mandated prayer.

Students have equal protection/equal access under the law and the constitution.

So students can have Bible studies and pray (even outloud) in schools.

Teachers are also allowed the same rights. For example, a teacher can be a sponsor of a group that meets and prays.

In summary, students are protected by the first ammendment and have equal access protection under the law.

Believe what you want about the issue itself, but the law is behind the students.

Answer 6

You can pray in school if you want. Kids can pray in school if they want. However, the school cannot push prayer on the kids. It cannot set aside prayer time. It cannot lead the prayer. The kids can pray but they do not have the right to force others to join in or observe them.

If the founding fathers were so big on the bible, then why did they not make it the final word in our law? The US constitution is the final word in our law. The bible cannot override the constitution. Why would they set up the system like that if they believed that the bible was the basis for everything?

Answer 7

Your argument is incorrect. The United States, and its laws and constitution, was founded philosophical principles inspired from everything from Greek democracy to the Age of Enlightenment.
The separation of church and state has always been a major fundamental point in American law - so although we are granted freedom of religion, we are also granted freedom FROM religion. The government cannot and should not insist that a citizen practice any particular religion, or any religion at all, in order to access basic services like education.

So you can pray in school if you want to - but you can't insist that others do so as well.

Answer 8

There is more than just the Bible and Christianity and public schools cannot cater to any one (or all) religious groups in a formal manner. The school is there to educate at an academic level. If you or your parents want prayer to be a part of your education they have the option to apply and enroll you in a religious school. You can also do whatever you want on your own time or in between classes. The schools should allow you to form a prayer group or club...but it's not their job to administer and fund such a group.

Answer 9

Prayer in school is not relevant to raising a moral child. Proper parenting is the responsibility of those with children. As to being allowed to establish moral discipline, every individual has that right should they choose to do so. It should not be necessary to establish it as law. Religion does not equate morals.

Answer 10

I truly & honestly believe that prayer should NOT be allowed in public schools. Our fore fathers were immigrants as many people in our society are now as well. Immigrants coming from multiple cultures with different beliefs. Having to make children raised as buddhists, hindu, islam, arabic, even satanism, should not be the choice of the government.

Imagine if the first immigrants here were Jamaican and ran the U.S. should they make Christian followers, praise their rasta religion? It is immoral and un-just. I believe religion should be taken out of every aspect of our government, as things have changed dramatically from when the U.S. was originally founded.

Answer 11

I am a Christian but I think that state instituted prayer would be a mistake. Now if my child is praying quietly alone and someone prevents him or stops him I would have a problem with that. My high school had a Prayer Club and students could join if they wanted to, I thought it was a good idea.