Prayer in School: Good or Bad?

Prayer in School: Good or Bad?

COMM 215

Essentials of College Writing

Steven Labry

April 16, 2007

Lorretta Zachery

Prayer in School: Good or Bad?

Perhaps no aspect of the church-state controversy arouses more emotion and discussion than the subject of prayer in the public schools. After all, public schools are supported with taxpayer money. What believer would want his taxes to support an institution that prohibits his children from praying? What nonbeliever would want her taxes to support an institution that requires her children to participate in prayer?

Fortunately, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects both believers and nonbelievers from such a situation by mandating government neutrality between belief and unbelief. The government--through its proxy, the educators and administrators who facilitate our schools--cannot lead children in prayer or force them to pray a certain way. However, all children have the right to pray voluntarily before, during, or after school, and nonreligious children do not have to pray at all.

Some unbelievers think that they know better than the Founding Fathers and want to tamper with the Bill of Rights. They want to amend the U.S. Constitution, and have begun a campaign so that the Government would legally refuse to sponsor or support prayer during any public school activity. Students should always have the right to pray and read the Bible in public schools; no one should suggest that that right be taken from them.

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 school kid is the one that gets caught in the middle. Prayer has been taken out of the schools, which in turn has made way for the drugs, sex, , knives and guns, disrespect for authorities, etc.

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. No one wants to take a stand these days.

In the beginning, the argument was whether or not the school day should be started with a prayer over the PA system of school. This didn't last long, as anyone can see that there is so much diversity between the religious beliefs of high school kids today. The argument then moved on to replace "prayer" with moment of silence."

Those in favor of prayer in school pose several arguments. They say it will increase tolerance in schools, as children learn of different religions and how they practice. Many feel it will bring 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 became increasingly secular and less tolerant of moral standards and values. Since America became to proud to pray to the God of Heaven who created us, we have been reaping the rewards. Crime is way up. The family has broken up. The test scores of students have taken a submarine dive. Its time for a change!" 1995

On the other hand, Secular Humanists, have several arguments focusing on why prayer in schools is a bad idea. They state that public schools exist to educate, not to proselytize. Children in public schools are a captive audience. Making prayer an official part of the school day is coercive and