There are many people in the world, in fact at this moment there are 6,877,185,416 with a newborn child gasping for its first breath every ten seconds. With that said many may follow a religion or worship a higher power. Not everyone follows the same religion as there are twelve major religions and over 1,200 around the world (Wilson, 2006, p.11). Having religion included in the public school system is one of the most difficult issues to debate. When should the separation of church and state come into play? The fact that not everyone holds the same religious faith brings up the question of whether religion should be either public or privatized in schools. This essay will explain the history and background of religion in public schools, viewpoints of conservative and liberal elites on religion, and whether the issue of religion in the educational system will grow or decrease in the years to come.
Section II. – History and Background of Religion in School
There are many public schools around the United States that are guilty of having religious activity in their curriculum at some point in the day, whether it be a morning prayer or even the Pledge of Allegiance as some have argued. But where should the line be drawn as to what is too much? How can there be an unbiased decision on to what should be restricted and what should be allowed in the public education system?
There are many private schools throughout the United States that hold a class prayer or a broadcasted group prayer throughout the school. The question is, should that same school prayer be held in public school systems? In this case the problem arises when you have a classroom full of students of different religious faiths and you broadcast throughout the sc...
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...d and what should not. A line needs to be drawn between what is and is not acceptable; the only problem is where to place it. To many including myself, keeping religion out of the public eye is for the best, to keep peace and avoid future conflict caused by religious confrontations.
Works Cited
Hennessey, J. & McConnell, A. (2008). First Amendment. The United States
Constitution: a graphic adaptation (pp. 23-24). New York: Hill And Wang.
Holm, J. L. (1975). Teaching religion in school: a practical approach. London: Oxford
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The Holy Bible (pp. 6.5-6). (2008). Matt 6.5-6. Chicago: North American Publisher.
Marshall, P. (2001, January 12). Religion in schools. CQ Researcher, 11, 1-24. Retrieved from http://0-library.cqpress.com.library.svsu.edu/cqresearcher/
Wilson, M. (2006). World religion. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
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
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.
With sounds of youthful laughter, conversations about the students’ weekends, and the shuffling of college ruled paper; students file into their classrooms and find their seats on a typical Monday morning. As the announcements travel throughout the school’s intercoms, the usual “Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance” becomes no longer usual but rather puzzling to some students. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” Confusion passes through some of the student’s minds. With the reoccurrence of “God” in the backdrop of American life, the relationship between church and state has become of little to no matter for American citizens just as it has with American students. While congress makes no law respecting an establishment of religion, the term “freedom of religion” presents itself to no longer be the definition of “free”, while also having its effects on debates today. According to Burt Rieff, in Conflicting Rights and Religious Liberty, “Parents, school officials, politicians, and religious leaders entered the battle over defining the relationship between church and state, transforming constitutional issues into political, religious, and cultural debates” (Rieff). Throughout the 20th century, many have forgotten the meaning of religion and what its effects are on the people of today. With the nonconformist society in today’s culture, religion has placed itself in a category of insignificance. With the many controversies of the world, religion is at a stand still, and is proven to not be as important as it was in the past. Though the United States government is based on separation of church and state, the gover...
Washington, D.C.: Regnery Gateway, 2014. Mueller, Arnold C. "Religion in the Public Schools." In Church and State Under God, ed. Albert G. Huegli, Ph.D. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2004.
Throughout our history there has been an ongoing argument between religion and government. Should religion play a part in the government, schools and other social compasses or should it be separated? Some believe that religion should be a part of the government while others believe that there should be a distinct separation. Some believe that religions should be able to influence the workings of the government and attempt to elect their own politicians. I believe the opposite. I believe that religion should have no influence on the way our government approves laws, elects officials or conducts their business. Throughout this essay I will give reasons and references as to why I agree with the separation of government and religion.
In her article “Beyond the Wall of Separation: Church-State in Public Schools”, Martha McCarthy, a Chancellor Professor and chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, makes it clear that her aim is to inform educators of the legal history and constitutional precedents of the Establishment clause and Free speech Clause of the First Amendment with an attached understanding of how educators should implement these findings. She summarizes and analyzes key Supreme Court rulings over the course of the 20th century as they pertain to religious expression in public schools. She clarifies the usage of both the Establishment Clause and the Free Speech Clause, including recent changes in trends that have been noted in the Supreme Court during the last decade. From the late 1940’s to the 1990’s most Supreme court rulings focused on the Establishment Clause to the increasing exclusion of the Free Speech Clause such that students were increasingly limited in the ways they were allowed to express themselves in school even in a private manner. In recent years, however, it has been noted that forcing students to suppress their religious expression is itself a religious statement and one that denies the role of religion in people’s lives. McCarthy notes that the public schools must take a neutral stand in relation to religion such that they do not defend or deny its role in people’s lives, either directly or indirectly.
until the middle of the 20th century, organized prayer and Bible reading were practiced by public schools across the country. In 1961, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled school prayer to be unconstitutional in the landmark case, Engel v. Vitale. Just two years later, in another landmark case, the court would decide that school sanctioned Bible readings and other similar religious activities should not be allowed as well (http://www.oyez.org/cases). Should these rulings continue to stand in this country? Yes. The government of the United States of America should continue to disallow prayer in the public school system. Praying public schools ...
The removal of prayer from public schools is a very controversial and misunderstood debate. This paper will address the history of the debate, common myths and misunderstandings, and the current trends.
Religion is one of the most controversial issues in society today. The concern of allowing prayer in schools is an on-going debate and has resulted in numerous lawsuits. Religious school clubs, after school activities, curriculums, and moments of silence during school are just a few of the court cases that judges have administered. People in favor of prayer in schools believe that their children can only learn certain values through religious practice. On the other hand, an individual against religious practice in schools views this issue as an infringement on his or her children’s rights as Americans.
"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).
Until the early 1960s, religion was accepted in most public school systems across our nation. One of the main purposes for school in early America was for religious purposes (Prothero). Benjamin Franklin stated, "It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand." Thomas Jefferson stated, "The question isn't what religion is true. The question is what religious traditions do we need to know something about in order to be an effective citizen." Something that can be beneficial to our nation should not be taken away. Even though religion offends some people, it should be allowed in public schools because of its influence on America and western civilizations, and its ability to help form closer relationships.
Prayer in School: Good or Bad? As secular humanists and groups like the Christian Coalition are at war with each other regarding prayer in high schools behind closed doors in Washington DC, the average high school kid is the one that gets caught in the middle. For years now there has been a heated debate about whether or not prayer should be allowed in school. Every time the argument is rekindled, it ends in a stalemate, and is a topic that campaigning politicians tend to stay away from.
University of Michigan. “Religion in Schools: A look at how religious practices influence education.” .
The argument over the separation of church and state has been an ongoing debate without a conclusion, and has always been a topic to speak on. Many people have strong opinions for or against the separation. While some believe that prayer in school is beneficial to the development of children and of their faith, others believe that it could completely criticize their faith by not giving the student the option to explore their beliefs. In the “Resistance to Civil Government” by Henry David Thoreau, the author is passionate about allowing people to beli...
To have prayer in the public school system is against the idea of separation of church and state. The state should not institute school prayer because the public schools are for education, not a place where religion should be taught (Gaylor, 1995, p. 1). The state should not force every child to say a prayer in the classroom because not everyone believes...