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cent
thank you
posted by
Xeno-x
on November 13, 2004 at 8:21 AM
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All,
The one main reason prayer is not allowed in school is the constitutionally proscribed separation of church and state. AND we are only talking about public schools here. PUBLIC schools are where this is not allowed, as they are state funded and state run. What we are talking about here really is prayer led by the teacher in a public school classroom of all the children in the class. THIS is what is prohibited. Public schools are secular, not religious bodies or entities to promote any one religion. If any citizen of the free United States wants their child to pray in school asnd receive religious training there is not a person or governmental body that says they cannot start, fund or send their child to a school which teaches their faith and allows them to pray however and whenever they wish. The Catholics and Muslims seem to have no problems funding and maintaining their own religious schools. Why is it that the protestant christians can't do the same if they are so adamant that their child pray in school? No one will try to stop you doing so. Then you can have prayer in your school, bible classes, prayers at your sports events and other school events, visiting ministers giving religious sermons during rallies and school functions, prayers before lunch. You can have whatever you want in this way to teach and educate your children in a religious setting, just not in the publicly funded public schools which are free schools for our children of all religious persuasions and backgrounds to get a state and federally mandated education of 12 years of a certain quality and standard. One of the main reasons this was started to be disallowed, this prayer in the classroom, was because of the diversity of religious belief in our country. What prayers will be said? Whose religious beliefs will be followed? What about those kids and parents who aren't religious and don't want their children involved in prayer? What about the children who are in the minority religions of our country? Will their religious needs be met, or will they feel ostracized and left out from the dominant religion of the area where the school is situated? Shall we say the prayers of every religion of each and every child in the class, same as we put now-a-days all the languages on the back of the report cards in many of the ethnically diverse areas and cities of the country?
The easiest and fairest way to overcome these problems and questions is to follow the constitution of the United States and not allow any mixing of religion and state. These are state run schools. You want more, build your own private schools and do as you like regarding your religion, or say your prayers before and after school, or in your own mind during school in a private manner.
Some people really make too much of this, and usually it is because they want it all, they are selfish and cannot compromise or see the problems that this can cause. Christ, you'd think these peoples kids are going to go straight to hell if they don't say a prayer in class or at the local football game the strident way they act and behave over this subject.
Cent
posted by
Cent
on November 12, 2004 at 6:48 PM
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What's the point?
Good call West. I'm a Christian and I can't honestly see what the big deal is about having prayer in schools. In fact, I see it as a very good thing that there isn't any prayer in schools. So, I couldn't have said it any better than you just did. And to all who read this post, "Yes" I am a real Christian. 
lol
posted by
Barnabas
on November 10, 2004 at 6:17 PM
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Funny Thing...
right after 9/11, all of the churches nationwide were full. Full of the masses of people praying. Unicorn is right. It is a pity that it takes some disaster to jolt people today to pray. Then we have people like westwend who would rather people pray at home, not in public. Listening to westwend, I guess it is just a long stroke of good luck that this nation is great; I guess, according to him, that it has nothing to do with be blessed. This nation used to have prayer in schools. Westwend wants to keep that from happening again and when mentioned , you are automatically labeled a tyrant. Sounds a lot like communism.
posted by
RedStatesMan
on November 9, 2004 at 8:01 PM
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west
I thiink this whole prayer thing is being blown way out of proportion and said as much in my blog "to pray or not to pray? who cares!" I'm not saying that a child or anyone has to stand up and make a big production out of praying-that in itself is spoke of as being wrong in scripture-but what would be so wrong with having a specified time, like two minutes, of silence in school? Then if a child wanted to pray they could do so quietly in their seat, those who don't can just sit still and quiet. When the incident at Columbine took place, they took a moment of silence to honor those killed, when 9/11 occured, there was a Nation wide moment of silence to honor those. It's a shame that it takes a crisis to bring people to their figurative knees in prayer. Why not do a little preventative maintanence and pray?
posted by
PastorB
on November 9, 2004 at 10:28 AM
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i mean
anywhere and anytime -- outside of school -- so why should it be necessary in school?
and you are very welcome.
we all are much more similar than we can ever imagine
posted by
Xeno-x
on November 9, 2004 at 10:12 AM
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west
I find it interesting that you again contradicted yourself. You say, "prayer in schools is totally unnecessary", then in the next breath you say; "they can pray however and whenever they want to pray", wouldn't that then include praying in school?
BTW, thanks for your prayers for my baby girl.
posted by
PastorB
on November 9, 2004 at 9:29 AM
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