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Public schools and religion issues
Controversy on prayer in schools essay
Prayer should be allowed in public schools controversial topic
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The necessity of prayer in school has been debated for many years. Some believe this is not necessary because prayer should be taught in religious organizations and worship areas. Schwadel states that “Thus, growth in contact with secular Americans may lead to lower levels of support for state-sponsored prayer and reading the Bible in public schools.” This quote explains one of the viewpoints on prayer and religion in schools. I will be taking the position that believes prayer should be allowed in school because freedom of religion, personal beliefs/needs, and our nation was founded on religion opposed to how most believe prayer should not be practiced in school, this forces religion on children and things are different in this nation than …show more content…
I believe that if we have a Constitutional right to our religion, then we should be able to express this whenever, wherever and with whoever we choose to. I have these feelings because I have a law allowing me to feel this way. Prayer is the key to many people 's lives all across the world. I believe that as a school student you should be able to complete this action freely whenever and however you like. As a citizen of the United States of America, I have the right to have freedom of religion. I feel like if I cannot pray at school, then I am having my rights taken away. Kramer states “But public prayer, whether in school or the United States Senate, is not remotely the same as a church service presided over by a clergyman or clergywoman trained in the teachings of a specific faith.”(Prayer Does Not Violate) This goes to show that no, there should not be an entire church service, but a simple daily prayer would do just fine. A simple thank you to God for the wonderful day He has created, I believe, would do no harm to anyone. All different types of religion could be recognized at the same time in a sequence. Then no one would be offended or take things the wrong …show more content…
Since other people and denominations are allowed to come out and practice their ways in public, I believe prayer should be allowed too. If a person of a denomination other than christianity had a belief that they had to do a certain ritual every hour, it would be allowed, but public prayer in school is not. I do not believe this is right, and that it should be changed. Where as prayer may offend some people, gay people offend me and my religion. I believe all relationships should be male, female, and to see people with other ways of thinking expressing this way of life in public makes me angry. This makes me angry, because I am not “allowed” to complete the simple, harmfree task of prayer for the thought that it may, or could offend someone. So, I can be offended by gay people, but me praying is not allowed. I do understand the schools were not built to establish religion, but I do not think practicing religious things should be banned from this
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.
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.
In 1962 the Supreme Court decided that public schools did not have the power to authorize school prayer. This decision made public school in the U.S. more atheistic than many European nations. For example, crosses still hang on the classroom walls in Poland, and the Ten Commandments are displayed in Hungary. There are prayers held at the beginning of legislative and judicial sessions and every President has mentioned a divine power in his inaugural speech. In keeping with a spirit of religious freedom as stated in the First Amendment, there is no reason why students should not be allowed to have a moment of silence during the school day when they can pray or do as they choose.
No Prayer in Public Schools Chapter three of Civil Liberties: Opposing Viewpoints inspired me to research today’s issues of school prayer. To understand how we got to where we are today, I first delved into our country's history of court cases pertaining to rulings on prayer in schools. Lastly, to update my audience on how our lives are being affected today, I directed my efforts toward finding current situations. By analyzing these situations, I gained knowledge for a better understanding of why society needs to be aware of these controversies. I don’t think there should be any form of organized prayer in today’s public schools.
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 ...
wrong to many, but when religion has a home in public schools, it singles out
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).
Prohibiting School Prayer Threatens Religious Liberty. Civil Liberties. Ed. James D. Torr. -. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003.
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.
In an article by Camille Myrick a teacher at Oak Grove Middle School, Randi Rogers, was quoted in a letter that stated, “Ms. Rogers said that even if the word ‘prayer’ was illegal, she would continue to write names on the [prayer] board for whom she would be praying” (Myrick). This sounds like a case of a child who possibly questioned the teacher 's actions, which would explain why it was brought up. However the article also noted that, “It also accused Rogers of being aggressive towards a student for disrespecting her religion” (Myrick). The teacher should realize that she should have been handling the situation in a professional manner, rather than blaming the student who really was not at fault at all. The teacher was also to blame for handling the situation as the letter mentions, “‘Ms. Rogers said that if a student didn 't like it [her religion] he could move to another part of the classroom’” (Myrick). The teacher should know that schools are funded by the state and she should have taken into account that it was not an appropriate way to approach the circumstance she was in. This also gives one an outlook on how a teacher can easily control a child 's surroundings and experiences, and whether prayer should be part of a child 's learning. Moreover, the law made against religion did not not allow children to not
The reasons why prayer should be kept in school is because it makes kids feel good by letting kids practice prayer in school, for students to
...meone of their rights and taking them away. It is discrimination against whichever religion is not taught. While prayer and religion may help aid in development, not every child or every person will develop the same. Different backgrounds, including religion and culture, produce different results. Religion should not be allowed in public schools, it would cause more harm than it will do good.
Annie Laurie Gaylor quoted Thomas Jefferson in her article The Case Against School Prayer, “No citizen shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever…” and that to “compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of [religious] opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical” (Gaylor, 1995, p. 7). No man should have to be subject to anything that he does not believe in. Prayer should not be allowed in the public school system because of the idea of separation of church and state and the First Amendment.
Before starting the concept mad and breaking down the issue, I knew that school prayer was a social issue but never knew why. From my point of view, I would say that school prayer should be allowed, except limiting what they can do. For example, a class has the moment of silence, but the other students who have different beliefs can have their own time where they do their prayers and practices.