Prayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools

1740 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Religious controversy in school

Prayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools

School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. The issue of school prayer is about whether the public school systems should let the students pray, at the start of the school day, as a class. The issue of school prayer began in the late sixteenth century when people in England did not approve of the way one religion was forced upon them, so the Puritans, known as the Pilgrims decided to come to the colonies. Even in the colonies the Pilgrims had problems with religion they had to sometimes resort to highly creative strategies in order to pray. When people were caught having a secret service they would have to face the consequences that the law enforced, whether it was going to the gaol, being kicked around, or being killed. In 1688 these situations were so awful that something had to be done, so the Toleration Act of 1689 was established. It was an incomplete solution and it had a lot of loopholes but it was a step in the right direction. Students today have to sometimes resort to highly creative strategies in order to pray in a public school, so as not to offend anyone.

When Thomas Jefferson spoke on public education he said, “ ‘One goal of democracy is the recognition, solution and tolerance of controversy; public education should prepare citizens for this reality’ ” (Murray, 1995, p. 98). This is very true, people need to be prepared for controversy and religion is one of the most noticeable of the issues. If religion is taken out of the public education system then the system is now defective because religion is eliminated and people do not learn how to deal with controversy in religion, putting a stop to their training ground in becoming a better dem...

... middle of paper ...

...ght and to ask for the safety, protection and guidance that we as people need.

Work Cited

Bryce, Robert. “To pray-or not to pray.” U.S. News & World Report Sept. 1999: 26.

Haas, Carol. Engel v. Vitale Separation of Church and State. Springfield, New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1995.

Kaminar, Wendy. “A Wing and a Prayer: Religion Goes Back to School.” The Nation Dec. 1997: 18-20.

Kloehn, Steve. “Supreme Court ruling on school prayer is no big deal.” Chicago Tribune 28 June 2000.

N.A. “La. School Prayer Law is Struck Down.” Los Angeles Times 15 June 2000.

Murray, William J. Let Us Pray A Plea for Prayer in Our Schools. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1995.

Van Biema, David. “Spiriting prayer into school.” Time April 1998: 28-31.

Constitutional Amendment on School Prayer or Moment of Silence ( www.aclu.org ).

Show More
Related

  • Santa Fe Independent School District V. Doe Case Summary

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Doe case, Taking place in Texas in the year 2000, ended with a five to four verdict (Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe). The decision was in support of Doe, a Mormon family and a Catholic family that contested the school’s support of prayer at football games. The result of this case restricted the first amendment freedom of religion. The “wall” between religion and government that the Establishment Clause creates was present in this case (Cornell University Law School). The end of this case led to a strong divide between public schools and students’ religious practices. This case caused social changes to occur that affected public schools across America. Other public schools and parents of public school students saw the outcome of this case as an example of the “wall” that exists between church and state and that it will be enforced. Because of this case, many schools changed or abolished their own policies regarding

    Read More

  • Abington V. Schempp Case Study

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    This example of a Supreme Court case shows that the court is not above politics. Even though most Americans, including government officials, practiced some form of Christianity, the judges were not willing to compromise the information in the Constitution for the popular beliefs of individuals. I agree with the Supreme Court in its decision to ban the practice of prayer in public schools. Not only does it violate the Constitution, but it encroaches on our freedom of thought and action. Being excluded from a public classroom because of personal beliefs does not sound just.

    Read More

  • Engaging God's World Chapter Summary

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    The following three articles examine the different effects secularization has had on society. Firstly, Swezey & Ross (2012) discuss what potential implications secularization may have on faculties’ perception of religious institutions who appear to be abandoning its religious mission to bolster academic creditability. On a similar note, Stallones (2011) discusses the implications that secularization has on the development of progressive educators. The takeaway of this article is that progressive educators need to be reminded that education should be student-centered. Stallone states: “[T]his value arose from a conviction each child has dignity, which in turn has its roots in the theological concept [. . .] that people have intrinsic value because they bear the image of God. [. . .] that the school is a community derives from the ecclesiological idea that the Church is actually an expression of the Body of Christ” (p.

    Read More

  • Upon This Rock By Jeremiah Sullivan Analysis

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    Per Regnerus et al, professors who hold reputable positions at accredited teaching institutions, studies “display strong evidence that public schools now lag behind Catholic schools in the average educational achievement of their students, most poignantly in cities and low-income neighborhoods” (16). Although this study pertained mostly to a specific type of school- Catholic school- similar results can be achieved by requiring a child to take at least one religion-specific class. Similarly, another study expressed the impact of religion on academic achievement: “Individuals with no religious affiliation reported the fewest years of education and were also likely to have the least religious socialization. Not being affiliated with a church resulted in a detrimental impact on educational achievement” (Brown & Gary 422). Without some form of religious impact on an individual’s life, one experienced low academic achievement. Religion should being an integral of public education and should be a requirement of all students; however, an array of different religious courses should be offered so that one is not forced to learn something they have no interest

    Read More

  • Prayer in School: One Hypocrisy of Our Democracy

    1961 Words  | 4 Pages

    The issue of prayer in school cannot be dealt with in a manner that will please everyone. The main thing that needs to be stressed is that tolerance of other people and their beliefs is the only true way to ensure that everyone has freedom and equality in America. Until that day comes there will always be groups of people who cause disruption in our schools and take away from what the focus really should be: quality education and an understanding of others as well.

    Read More

  • One Nation, Under God

    2046 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rieff, Burt. "Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty: The School-Prayer Controversy in Alabama, 1962-1985." Alabama Review 3(2001):163. eLibrary. Web. 31 Aug. 2011.

    Read More

  • George Bush as a Machiavellian Leader

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lampman, Jane. Christian Science Monitor. “New scrutiny of role of religion in Bush’s Policies”. March 17, 2003.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay: Religion and School Prayer in Public School

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning, the argument was whether or not the school day should be started with a prayer over the PA system. This didn't last long, as anyone can see that there is so much diversity in the religious beliefs of high school kids today. The argument then moved on to replace "prayer" with "moment of silence. " Those in favor of prayer in school pose several arguments. They say it will increase tolerance in schools, as children learn about different religions and how they practice.

    Read More

  • Essay On Controversy Over Religion In Schools

    1433 Words  | 3 Pages

    "God help, I'm so lost!" If you listen carefully, this is a common thought that is heard throughout many schools in the nation. Is this thought appropriate? The following statement clearly shows that the law allows students and adults to practice religion, but at the same time be respective of others and their beliefs even if they do believe or if they don't. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances." (First Amendment, The Constitution of the United States). Prayer is not normally permitted as a scheduled part of classroom activities, because it would result in the violation of the principle of church-state separation, which has been defined by court interpretations of the 1st Amendment to the U.S, Constitution. The separation principle is extended to Public school as an arm of the government, with an exception which can be permitted if, during the school year, a mixture of prayers, statements, etc are delivered, using material derived from a number of different religions and secular sources. So far, this has never been tried in a school or ruled upon by a court (Religion in Public).

    Read More

  • The Origin Of Sleep Paralysis

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    Catherine Valente remembers clearly about her terrifying experience. It was around 3 in the morning when she woke up in the middle of the night, she saw an old woman figure with long white dress, long black hair, and awfully long nails sitting on her chest. She felt like as if she’s paralyzed. She couldn’t move a muscle or even open her mouth to scream. She laid there unable to move for at least 15 minutes. Have you ever had the same experience like Catherine, felt like you were awake but had some difficulty to move your body? You might have even felt petrified but could not call for help? This weird phenomenon is called Sleep Paralysis.

    Read More

  • Sleep Paralysis

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sleep paralysis is a condition that occurs at either the onset or upon awakening of sleep. The medical terms for the two forms of sleep paralysis are hypnogogic and hypnopompic (1). When a person falls asleep, the body secretes hormones that relax certain muscles within the body, causing it to go into paralysis. Doing this prevents the body from acting out a person's dream, which could result in an injury. Sleep paralysis generally runs within one's family or in those who suffer from narcolepsy (2), but there is currently no explanation for why some people get it while others do not.

    Read More

  • A New Positive Look at Hazing

    1190 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hazing in universities across the nation has become a common tradition that develops mostly in Greek organizations. Hazing is seen in many different social groups such as schools, military units, sport teams, fraternities, and sororities. Prohibited by law for unnecessary reasons; hazing is a way to grow with friends in a closer way than independent students will ever have the chance to. Every year there are thousands of teenagers that pledge for a fraternity knowing of the possible chance of being hazed. People that join fraternities join for a sense of belonging and to meet people with similar interests. Trying to fit into a new college campus can be hard for a person to do. Almost every group pressures the new pledges to participate in hazing activities to create a sense of brotherhood. Hazing is a process that creates a sense of unity, also it teaches the one being hazed about himself and his brothers; being hazed into a group will help someone become a well-rounded person and will help them overcome struggles later in life.

    Read More

  • Prayer Should Not be Allowed in Public Schools

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. This issue has been a problem since America was first founded, in that the country was founded on religious beliefs. The Pilgrims wanted to be able to express their beliefs freely, but in England this freedom was not found, so they decided to come to the Americas, where their beliefs could be expressed freely. As time passed they realized that having this kind of freedom caused problems between different belief systems. Many people started questioning the founding of their nation and what the foundation was made of. This questioning is still going on today and people are torn between letting prayer in to the public school system or keeping it out.

    Read More

  • Religion Should Not Be Allowed in Public Schools

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    While students are attending public schools they should be aware of their religion options. The student should have the right to practice their religion as they please, just on the own time. Yes, religion plays a huge part in molding a person but, should be practiced when the time is available, not in a classroom setting. The government should have the ability to control the protection of the students that just want to learn. The capability to regulate the religious practices while attending public educational institutions should be left to the government. Faith, religion and belief, usually are three words that are used to describe one situation, although these words have three different meanings. To have faith in something or someone you must first believe in it and also accept it as well, but have a belief without evidence. Religion is a belief in a heavenly superhuman power or principle, such as the almighty or creator to all things. Everyone has faith and belief, but not all believers believe in the almighty. Allowing religion into public schools while everyone attending not having the same belief is unfair, unconstitutional and is complicated to teach to a verity of students.

    Read More

  • Have Human Needs Changed?

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this essay I aim to identify the needs of humans and how they have been met from the early days of humanity, right through to the present day. I will be placing a lot of emphasis on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as this is the most widely accepted model and it makes sense that humans will have progressed up this hierarchy over time, this is something I will be exploring in the essay.

    Read More

More about Prayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools

Open Document