Religion in Public Schools

14 Jan 2011. Religion In Public Schools: Prayer In Public Schools. Anti Defamation League. 2011. Web.

The absence of religion in public schools seems to be fine with the public since many parents do not want their children to make religious choices that differ from their family tradition (Passe and Willox). Does this controversy makes it difficult for teachers to teach the required material in schools since religion can be involved in historic events? Proponents of bringing religion back into the public school curriculum state that religion is needed in order for students to understand the Social Studies curriculum and current world events. Religion played a major role in the Crusades, the formation of Pakistan and India, and the Israeli-Palestinian dispute just to name a few. One reason for why religion needs to be involved in the teaching of the Crusades is because it focused solely on religion.

Prayer in Public Schools - More Questions than Answers Censorship is a very broad topic. Is it good or bad? Often, we ask ourselves if such things need to exist because of the First Amendment right. It states, "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, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." (Amendments.)

This invasive practice would create unnecessary divisions among children by making them unduly aware of their religious differences. Public schools are for everyone, whether they are Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim, or Taoist. The practice of organized prayer in schools invades the student's right to an education free of the discrimination which organized prayer would encourage. Many people mistake the religious indifference of public schools for hostility. Public schools must to be very careful to neither discriminate for nor against any single religion, and people often incorrectly perceive the schools' attitudes toward religion.

There is a great deal of ongoing debate surrounding the issue of religion in public schools. When you consider the rights of all Americans under the Constitution’s First Amendment, it is outrageous for the United States of America to have “freedom of religion”, and then place excessive limitations on students and teachers in public schools. There are a growing number of people opposed to the idea of religion being in school for a variety of reasons, from which the Government’s solution was to impose restrictions on all religions and deny others their rights in the defense of protecting the rights of a few. Teachers and students of all faiths should be able to attend a public school and freely express their beliefs without these limitations being imposed. Currently in the United States of America there is a separation of church and state that exists when it comes to the appearance of religion in public schools.

One of the biggest reasons is due to the argument concerning whether or not religion should be allowed in school. It is believed, by many, that allowing education and religion to coincide is going against the first amendment. This argument is one that dates back to the eighteen hundreds, and has yet to be resolved. It is an American citizen’s right to freely express and learn about religion wherever they please, including the public school system. Many individuals believe that the first amendment prohibits religion to be taught or exercised in a public school setting.

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. In the early 1960s, people started to view religion in public school systems as a problem. Parents thought that their children should not be taught religion in 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... ... middle of paper ... ...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.

“The First Amendment of the Constitution removes government from the realm of religious belief and practice so that the state can neither subvert nor manipulate religion to serve secular, public ends” (Keynes and Miller 177). It is pure ignorance for someone to think that one religion is accepted throughout the world. No man or woman should be forced into a specific religion, quieted by peers, or not allowed to gather as a group of students just to pray. “A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schools can teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is wrong, out of t... ... middle of paper ... ...reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.

Retrieved from www.diverseeducation.com Gunther, V., & Purinton, T. (2011). Closing school for the holidays--whose holidays? Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 33-37. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=39dd3b75-2dbd-4909-974b-e1599b9486e8%40sessionmgr15&vid=4&hid=14 Haynes, C. C. (2011). Getting religion right in public schools.