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It is true that if prayer in school is not done properly it can lead to students feeling uncomfortable. For there to be true freedom of religion all faiths must be represented equally. If this is done correctly no student will feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Instead, there will be a feeling of peace and unity where all students feel comfortable sharing their religious exercises with others. If there are still one or two students who feel uncomfortable hearing the prayers of their peers is that enough to make the whole class stop? Loconte brought up the idea that if a prayer is said by a different faith each day in class the students would begin to feel like all prayers are equally relevant, therefore, offsetting the religious instruction …show more content…
Many of the students who participated claimed that the prayer helped direct their attention to what needed to be accomplished in class that day. In addition, he found that having a teacher pray for his or her students, or having a student pray for the other students, can produce a sense of unity in the classroom. Students will feel loved and cared for resulting in a classroom atmosphere that exudes positivity. One student said, “I am not a religious person by any means (I 'm an atheist), but I appreciated the way a prayer at the beginning of class ended all conversations and focused the students on the subject at hand. I equate it to turning down the house-lights at a concert hall to make the audience shut up and listen” (Grenardo, 2014, p. 50). This is an excellent example because the student is not religious at all, but he or she felt like the prayer really got the class’s attention focused on the upcoming tasks. This student was not offended by the prayer because it was not said in a way that made him or her feel excluded or unloved, it was a simple prayer that expressed a wish for the students to be able to learn and succeed. Prayers not only help focus the students’ attention, but evidence has been shown that it also has positive effects on their …show more content…
When pupils are allowed to practice prayer at school the way they are taught at home, they are able learn about others religions and become open minded. This notion of knowing and accommodating every person’s religion is imperative to our nation’s survival. It is said that all religions should be studied in school, and David Warren, the director of education in the Anti-Defamation League, said, “Every effort should be made to obtain accurate information about different religions” (2013, p. 3). What better way to learn about religions then to discuss classmate’s different religions in an open and supportive manner? You could have a different child lead the class each day in one of their religious exercises. If a student doesn’t belong to the religion when it’s their turn they could choose to do an activity of something they do believe in. This way the teacher isn’t forcing a religion upon any of the children, but they are encouraging their students to understand that everyone is different, and that’s okay. Religion is a huge part of most people’s lives. It’s what they use to make everyday decisions, and it shapes how they see the world. If we take that away from children in school we are missing a huge opportunity to teach tolerance and
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.
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.
Religion was and is beneficial to schools because it sets a positive tone. Schools and teachers setting a consistent positive tone for students was broken when prayer was taken out of schools. Prayer helped teachers to set an enlightened tone among their students’ day, as well as aided them to push them in a positive direction. The positive tone in schools helped to promote unity. Teachers are supposed to be positive role models to children, as the absence of both mother and father in homes continually diminishes. There is also less bullying among students when religion is in schools.
This week's assignment has taught me a lot about religious oppression and how it's affecting our world today. One thing that I really found interesting is religious diversity in schools in America. While reading section 58 in our textbook, I grasped more information about the different ways religion has an effect on the lives of students on a school campus. While discussing religion in a school setting; I believe that it is important to remember that a
On June 17th, 1963 school prayer was taken out of public schools because of a Supreme Court ruling that all students shouldn’t be subjected to prayer. As a result of this ruling, the teaching of the character and belief of the founding fathers, which played a large part in our country’s history, quickly decreased. Although never mentioned, the Supreme Court’s ruling suggested to the public that prayer in public schools was incongruent with the beliefs and attitudes upon which this country was founded? In the following report, I will attempt to present information concerning cognitive dissonance that will assist you in answering the aforementioned question.
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.
Students are guaranteed the right to pray, as long as it is not disruptive, and it is not promoted during classroom hours. Not only are these permitted, they are actually protected forms of speech under the U.
Leitch, Keith A. "School Prayer." Dictionary of American History. Student Resources in Context, 2003. 265-266. web .
Religion in school can be defined as the practice of any personal religious belief or act in a place of education. To say that religion is a big topic of interest to a lot of people in the United States today is a bit of an understatement. The debate over the separation of church and state has been going on without end for years. With many different perspectives on the matter and even more opinions on how it should be handled. Since the beginning many people have challenged the role that religion has played in education. Should schools teach religion? If so, can they do it evenhandedly? Will they misinterpret the religion wrong? How many people would be offended? Would we be better off without it so that it doesn’t cause controversy? The problem is can we truly answer any of these arguments without the opposite side disagreeing? Many of these questions are rooted from the same controversy that is happening in schools today. Aside from the separation of church and states comes one of the vastly debatable topics of education allowing religion which is prayer in school. While a few believe that prayer in school is constructive to the development of a child and their faith, others may conclude that it could completely denounce the faith of a child. Because this is an ongoing controversy further research on whether religion should or should not be allowed in public education is usually boils down to two major points the First Amendment and is religion good for our children? Could we potentially have a compromise or could the two opposing sides meet somewhere in the middle?
The intercom comes on in a classroom first thing in morning and says “now kids, it is time for our prayer”. Every kid in the class joins hands and starts to respectfully pray. Once the prayer is finished, they all go back to work and are more unified together, right? That is usually not the case. More likely than not, only several kids in the class joins the prayer. Most kids then laugh at the others praying, breaking the bonds between the two. With religion being brought up in school, there are more possibilities for debate between children ending in violence. Three fourths of kids at my high school will not even recite the pledge of allegiance just because it says god in it. Public schools should not have any impact on religion. Christian Groups are sneaking religion into high schools.
Many feel it will help to surface the personal questions kids have about god and religion and allow them to search for their own belief system. The most common, however, is the argument that bringing prayer back to schools will help reverse the moral degradation of this country. As the Reverend Jeffery L. Osgood, pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church in Dover wrote, "Back in 1962, when prayer was removed by the Supreme Court, something happened to America's soul and America's schools. Our nation has become increasingly secular and less tolerant of moral standards and values. Since America became so proud to pray to the God of Heaven who created us, we have been reaping the rewards.
Many individuals believe that the first amendment prohibits religion to be taught or exercised in a public school setting. They believe this because they feel as if it infringes on an American citizen’s right. Often times there can be discrimination against minority groups. An example of this was after the 9/11 attack in New York. Discrimination against Sikh-Americans became increasingly worse because they were often accused of being allied with Al Qaeda. People are worried that if we do teach the religion in school, bullying will grow to become an even bigger problem (“Religion in Schools: A”).
University of Michigan. “Religion in Schools: A look at how religious practices influence education.” .
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.
Dan Dennette 's speech about teaching all religions in schools has some truth to it. I do think that all schools should teach about religion. It is critical for students to learn about their religion