Prayer and Religion in School

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Recommended: The influence of religion in education

Religion and prayer can benefit students in educational settings by positively contributing to better grades and behavior. Personal faith and prayer are important to people in many walks of life. Some individuals believe that this need for religious stimulation includes the youth in our school systems. There are different reasons why knowledge of religion and prayer can be important to students. For example, if students do not know about diverse faiths, it can be difficult for them to have a well-rounded knowledge and understanding of other cultures. There are oppositional sides to this issue as well. Some people believe that prayer in educational settings could be used as a way to persuade students into believing certain things that they otherwise would not have believed. We live in a diverse world, so it can be hard for everyone to agree on religious convictions and what prayers, if any, to pray.

The incorporation of religious practices has been shown to increase awareness of beliefs and values held in different cultures. The article “Teaching religion in America’s public schools: A necessary disruption,” talks about how “In our global society it is more important than ever to know about and understand the religious beliefs of others” (Passe, J., & Willox, L., 2009). This statement is so true. The more knowledge students possess about diverse ways of thinking, the better they can relate to and understand the world around them. The article goes on to say that “Without studying religion, how can a student possibly understand such topics as the crusades; religious prosecution; the formation of India and Pakistan…” (Passe, J., & Willox, L., 2009). It seems that the information is there to have, but it is just not used very often ...

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...public-school students. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 18(1), 36-36-55.

Hoff, C. "COLUMN: Public school teachers, private prayer." University Wire. 2005, November 01.

Lester, E., & Roberts, P. S. (2009). How teaching world religions brought a truce to the culture wars in Modesto, California. British Journal of Religious Education, 31(3), 187-187-199.

M., W. W. (2011). School Board Meeting Prayer Ruled Unconstitutional. Education Week, 31(1), 4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Passe, J., & Willox, L. (2009). Teaching religion in America’s public schools: A necessary disruption. The Social Studies, 100(3), 102-102-106.

Public schools are no place for prayer. (2005, Sep 11). South Florida Sun - Sentinel, pp. 4.J-4J.

S.C School Officials Drop Email Proselytizing After AU Complaint. (2011). Church & State, 64(6), 17-18. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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