Prayer in School Controversy

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In recent years, teaching religion, or the individual practice of religion in school, has become a very controversial topic. There are many different views on this matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. There are people on both sides of the spectrum; there are those who believe that it should be taught and allowed in school, and those who believe it should not be taught or practiced in school. If the practice of religion were an option in public schools, students may become more tolerant, as well as knowledgeable, of religions and cultures beyond their own. Secondly, a time interval during the day may be implemented into the school schedule to allow the practice of student’s personal beliefs. Finally, since prayer was eliminated from public school systems, the nation has seen a decrease in education and the increase in crime rate. Even though public schools today are without school prayer, most schools have replaced prayer with a "silent moment of reflection." Prayer should be established into schools, because it generates the exposure to other cultures, allows a calming period for students, and creates well-rounded individuals in society.
Knowing about the beliefs and practices of people who share this world is vital to the future. In the United States, where people of many nations, faiths, and ethnicities live together, the responsibility of the citizen is to learn about one another to create a positive atmosphere. People accept civic education as a way to reinforce the practice of equity and religious freedom protected in the United States Constitution, but these principles are hollow if the people who inhabit this land do not know one another. Learning about the history, cultures, and belief systems of peo...

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...ifferent culture (other than Christianity) to practice their own beliefs, opens the mind of the younger generation to the understanding of other cultural practices. This acknowledgment, as well as the knowledge of having a diverse culture being introduced in schools, will benefit generations to come.

Works Cited

Douglass, Susan L. The World in the Clasroonm. "Teaching About Religion." Educational Leadership Vol. 60 (2002): 32-36 . Web. 10 April 2014.
Prayer in School Affects all of Society. “Creation Today” 1 January 2014. Web. 9 April 2014. .
Religion in schools. "Education Week" 4 August 2004. Web. 4 April 2014.
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Smith, Hallie. MA CCC-SLP. The Benefits of Downtime: Why Learners’ Brains Need a Break. “Scientific Learning.” 13 December 2013. Web. 12 April 2014.

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