Prayer In School Essay

Essay on Prayer in School
Over the years, there has been a very controversial debate on whether there should be prayer
incorporated within the public schools; half the population votes no on the topic. Many individuals
feel that allowing prayer services within the schools will be offensive and time consuming. A
common fear among the people is that there would not be an equal way to recognize everyone's
religion. There would be even more controversy as to which religions should be taught, in what
manner, and it's a very big possibility that one person's religion may offend someone else's which
would simply cause even more controversy.
It is argued that there isn't a way for every religion to be recognized within the public schools to
accommodate everyone...show more content...
It becomes very complicated, and there just isn't enough time in the day for it. In the United
States, school is held five days a week for seven hours a day, for one hundred eighty days of each
year. There simply isn't enough time for schools to be holding prayer services in order to meet
everyone's religious needs. Teachers are given a certain amount of information that needs to be
covered, taught, and learned by the end of each year. Based off of how little time there is, it just
wouldn't be practical.
Acknowledging religious beliefs also creates diversity among students. By addressing everyone's
faith, it can create a bad sense of discrimination among students. Secular Humanists believe that
it's very possible that by having discussions and prayer services within the school system, it can
create walls and barriers between the children and make clicks even stronger than they are already.
This may introduce differences amongst the children that were not necessarily noticeable or known
before hand. Prayer is often times looked at as a public issue that should be handled privately.
Other individuals have a different on opinion on the matter and feel that having prayer in school
would be a positive attribute. In 1962, there was the Engle decision which focused on "Taking God
out of the classroom." Many, often times religious conservative groups, have been fighting for a
passage
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Research Paper On Religion In Schools
Prayer in Schools
Religion is any system of beliefs or the moral values that people follow. Some people actually
define religion as their whole purpose in life. Religion is often times the key that defines who
people are. Religion is where people find themselves and the purpose for their lives. Combine all
these beliefs about religion and people's pride and it is understandable why people are so devoted to
their religious beliefs. This makes religion a crucial component to most peoples lives. The fight to
keep religion out of schools, specifically Christianity, has been a controversial issue for many years.
People have fought to keep other religions from being taught to their children so that they may not
be led...show more content...
Today, it is illegal for a student to have a Bible atschool and to share with other students what they
believe. So many people have chosen to go against having religion in schools because it is not
their religion. There are many issues that are involved with this topic. The fact that the country
has fallen away from Christianity and into more of a variety of religions has made it difficult to
determine what religion would be acceptable to teach and be open about in the
classroom.Everyone wants their own religion to be taught and in the best light possible, but no
others. They want the youth of the country to be converted to their religion, but want all the other
religions to be neglected and ignored. I think that it is not bad to teach about religions in school. I
feel that it is important that the children of the future know about what is out in the world today.
However, if they are going to teach religion in schools, it is imperative that they teach about all of
the religions and in an unbiased way. Many people do not mind religions being taught about in
schools, but they want their religion to be shed in the best light possible, even if it is not the truth.
They want their religion to stand out above the others as a more appealing religion for the young of
the nation. Religions need to be looked at in a scientific way rather than in a passionate and
emotional way. The students must be presented with the facts and

Prayer In Schools Essay
Religion and prayer can benefit students in educational settings by positively contributing to better
grades and behavior. Personal faith and prayer are important to people in many walks of life. Some
individuals believe that this need for religious stimulation includes the youth in our school systems.
There are different reasons why knowledge of religion and prayer can be important to students. For
example, if students do not know about diverse faiths, it can be difficult for them to have a
well–rounded knowledge and understanding of other cultures. There are oppositional sides to this
issue as well. Some people believe that prayer in educational settings could be used as a way to
persuade students into believing certain things that they...show more content...
Some teachers may have a personal bias against certain faiths or religion in general. These
problems can be dealt with. According to this article, "To address the challenge of teaching about
religion without proselytizing, we must explore the assumptions and causes underlying each set of
factors..." (Passe, J., & Willox, L. 2009). We should ask ourselves what lies beneath the problems
of teaching religion. We should look to see if prejudice and impartiality are factors motivating
against religious teachings. Achieving high grades and doing well in school has previously been
attributed to knowledge of Biblical learning. In his article "The relationship between Biblical
literacy, academic achievement, and school behavior...," William Jeynes talks about how a study
was completed by 160 students who were grades 7th through 12th. The student's Biblical knowledge
was tested. The end results proved to be that the students with the highest level of Biblical
knowledge also had the highest grade point averages and portrayed the best behavior of students
from both public and Christian schools (p. 102–106).
Learning courses specializing in religion can foster open–mindedness, cultural appreciation and
improve behavior among students. Students may be more apt to accept differences in people around
them, and portray a positive attitude when they have access to learning about diverse religions.
In the article "How teaching world religions

Prayer in Schools Essay
Prayer in Public School
There are many different philosophies regarding prayer in public school. It seems to be a difficult
issue to decide upon. The opinions are wide–ranging and convoluted. This paper will attempt to
highlight the many ideas and opinions as to whether prayers in public school should be allowed and
to what extent. It will further show how our founders' idea of a separate church and state has been
taken out of context and why prayer in school should be allowed, but not required.
The first opinion to evaluate is that there should be absolutely no prayer of any kind in public
schools. Bob Croddy has been teaching for almost 30 years and he wrote an article for the NEA
Today opposing any type of prayer in school,...show more content...
Pollitt goes on to say that prayer in school does nothing to lower crime rates or teen pregnancy rates,
much less raise SAT scores. She concludes that," Nothing reveals the bankruptcy of the new
conservatism more than it is promotion of school prayer. The message to youth is clear. We have
nothing for you here, start thinking about the hereafter" (Pollitt 788).
In the same NEA Today that Bob Croddy wrote an article for, Connie Comeaux debated the merits
of a moment of silence. She has been teaching for nine years and is president of the Monroe City
Association of Educators in Monroe, Louisiana. She feels that if tragedy strikes a school and an
announcement goes out over the public address system for a moment of silence it should not be
against the law. She says that a moment of silence is not promoting religion. Ms. Comeaux says
that a moment of silence is not relative to any one religion and can be very beneficial to students to
clear their minds of clutter before the day begins (Comeaux 45). She also states that she does not
believe in state mandated prayer, and she does not want any government dictating how and to whom
her children should be praying (Comeaux 45).
These two feelings on the rights and reasons behind prayer or moments of silence in school are very
straightforward and clear. As we get

Argumentative Essay: Prayer In Public Schools
Prayer in School
As the bell rings you walk through the lunchroom doors. It seems just like any ordinary day. You
smelled the mystery lunch as soon as you walked in, you fought your way into the lunch line, and
you saw the principal escorting some troublemaking kids from their tables. But wait, those kids
weren't the usual trouble makers. They were the kids that always follow the rules and even pray
before lunch. Was this some kind of alternate universe? No, they were actually in trouble. No one
ever paid it much attention but praying in school was against the rules. Why is it that our school
system is so concerned with students that pray when there are students with problems that deserve
much more attention? Students...show more content...
In 1962 in the case Engel v. Vitale the court outlawed prayer and bible reading. In 1963 in the
Abington School District v. Schempp case and the 1992 Wiseman case ruled that prayers during a
commencement ceremony were unconstitutional. In the year 2000 the case Santa Fe v. Doe barred
students from leading prayers at public school events. (School Prayer Case History) For the past
fifty–five years the court has worked to rid the public schools and America?s children of religion.
Prayer: A Prohibited Privilege
Praying is a privilege every American is given in the First Amendment where it states: ?Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.?
Many people get caught up with the phrase that says, ?Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion.?(The Constitution) It is true that the founding fathers of this country
wanted to ensure that no American citizen would be forced to practice a religion. However, when it
comes to understanding the laws concerning religious freedom it is crucial that both parts of this
statement are given equal attention. The second part states that Congress can make no laws
concerning religion that would result in ?Prohibiting the free exercise thereof.? Therefore, Congress
can outlaw schools from forcing religion upon a student, but they cannot keep a student from
exercising their beliefs. It is not up to the administrators

Prayer in Public Schools Essay
Prayer in Public Schools
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.
In a particular trial, Wallace V. Jaffree, an argument arose concerning a one
–minute "meditation
...show more content...
This amendment evidently states that everyone in the United States is entitled to practice the religion
of his or her choice and the right to voice his or her opinions. After a careful analysis, the District
Court "question[ed] whether the First Amendment impose[d] any barrier to the establishment of an
official religion by the state of Alabama" (Wallace V. Jaffree). The District Court considered the First
Amendment of the US Constitution as clearly prohibiting the federal government from setting up a
state church. Yet, when the First Amendment was ratified, there was no section preventing state
governments from establishing a church. The District Court interpreted the First Amendment as
emphasizing freedom of religion to all, including in the state of Alabama. Shortly after this analysis,
the District Court concluded, "the establishment clause of the first amendment to the United States
Constitution does not prohibit the state from establishing a religion" (Wallace V. Jaffree). Thus, the
one–minute period of meditation or voluntary prayer in Alabama's public schools was acceptable
because the state was entitled to freedom of religion.
Similarly, Jaffree regarded the First Amendment as "the individual freedom of conscience," which
protected his right to decide on any religious faith or none at all

School Prayer In Schools
School Prayer is a very controversial topic in our country today. Many famous figures in this nation
support the idea, but there is a number of citizens that do not. Wonder what the verdict is
constitutionally? Let's "dig in" and find out. The conflict of school prayer goes all the way back to
the nineteenth century. There was a lot of immigrants coming to the United States, and the majority
of them were catholic. A big influence on making schoolprayer in schools were mainly catholic and
other denominational and non denominational groups. In the twentieth century, a number of states
passed laws that it was mandatory for schools to have prayer and bible readings everyday before
class. School Prayer should be permitted in the United States because it is in the constitution, former
presidents have promoted it; and teachers would have freedom of religion in the class.
The Supreme Court made school prayer unconstitutional, but is still debated today. People who
agree with prayer say that if they remove prayer, that it is the public school's mission to "provide
children with an education in mores and values, as well as academic preparation." Supporters also
say that when students volunteer to pray, they have the right to the law of separation of church and
state, and other laws between the lines of freedom of religion. In "God we Trust" mottos and using
the Bible for swearing in public officials and federal holidays that have a religious background on
them. People that are

Prayer In Schools
Prayer is an important aspect of religion. Many religions incorporate prayer as a form of worship.
Many people around the world worship by praying daily. People feel the need to worship through
their religion by the use of prayer every day. Prayer in public places such as schools should be
allowed for a variety of reasons. First off, school prayer is defined as a state–sanctioned or mandatory
prayer by students in public schools (Phillips page 1). Based on this definition, it is logical that
mandated prayer in schools can be considered school prayer. In modern society, in the United
States of America, mandated prayer in schools is prohibited (Phillips page 1). Ever since 1962,
school prayer is not allowed (Phillips page 1). However, there are many beneficial advantages and
reasons to why this prohibition should be undone. The first reason that prayer should be allowed in
schools is that prayer shows solidarity (Phillips page 1). This example is especially...show more
content...
In modern America, showing expression is encouraged. People express themselves in different
ways and it is accepted. In fact, students and people show expression through a variety of ways
including speech, poetry, and song (Lipka page 1). Prayer is another way that people show
expression. Students use prayer to express themselves and many students do it in unique ways.
Schools allow students to express themselves in many different ways including reciting poetry,
memorizing a speech, and playing a musical instrument (Lipka page 1). So, why can't students
express themselves through prayer? Also, prayer gives students additional opportunities to convey
there religious beliefs. For example, if a student uses prayer in a meaningful way, it can benefit
other aspects of school (Lipka page 1). Prayer can be a very important part of a student's life. Prayer
gives students the opportunity to

Prayer In Schools Paper
This case may seem like many other dozens of cases in the past about prayer in schools, although
I believe it is different. The only problem with this survey is that the source article is not nearly as
specific as I would like it to be so it is harder than it should be to judge exactly what's going on in
this situation. I will, however, do my best to parse through what's going on and see how it relates
to the Bill of Rights. I will also not be taking into account the many prior court cases about prayer
in schools as this would triple the amount of research needed for this paper. The first thing I will
go over is the article to try to see what's happening in this situation. On a Monday (not specified)
this year there was a prayer led by Lorna Gotchall Tovrea for a group (not specified) at Okaloosa
County School before the school board members entered the room. According to the article the
prayer was received warmly, at least by the school board members present. The problem came when
the Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a two–and–a–half page letter...show more content...
The article does say that the prayer was led before the board members entered and if this was the
case I believe that this would be protected under the first amendment. "Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging
the freedom of speech,..." The first amendment protects the establishment and exercise of religion
and freedom of speech. Under this the school board members should be able to decide if they
want to pray or not before meetings. To be fair this means they would be able to pray to whatever
they wanted but this would be protected under free speech and freedom of religion. This would
especially be the case if the prayer was before the meeting officially started and therefore not under
the meetings official

Prayer in Public Schools Essay
The United States has continued to be a country where religion plays a major role in the lives of
American citizens. Depending on the type of school students attend, organized prayer is
mandatory, allowed, or banned. In the United States, organized prayer in public schools is
prohibited because it goes against the Constitution's separation of church and state (Jinkins 123).
The United States promises religious freedom, but is yet to define the degree and limitation of that
liberty. However, American citizens have been debating for many years, whether organized prayer
should be an option or obligation in public schools. Some people believe that organized prayer or
religious classes would be a benefit to young people and should be allowed...show more content...
Therefore, supporters of organized prayer believe religion strongly influences their children's
education. Still, critics believe that public schools are for education and not for religious
observances. "If God himself gave human beings free will– the choice to love him or not, to obey
him or not–then no believer should try to force another to confess a faith" (Meacham 101). Those
who practice religion know that God has given everyone free will, and with free will, one has the
choice to practice religion in school. Some individuals are raised with religious beliefs and others
are not. Religion should not be forced upon those who do not wish to practice their faith publicly.
As researcher Christopher Ruddy said, "The best place for faith to be taught to kids is in the home,
church, and private schools" (qtd. in Jinkins 126). When students attend school, they are there to
further their education, instead of being forced to organized prayer. Having organized pray would
not be fair to the other students who do not practice religion. It is obvious that there are other
opportunities to practice faith other than mandating students to participate in organized prayer in
public schools. Proponents also feel that taxpayers should have the right to let their children take
religious classes. Parents of children who cannot afford to send their children to a private school feel
that their children should have the same opportunity to attend

Prayer In School Essay

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