Essay on Prayer Should Not be Allowed in Public Schools

Prayer Should Not be Allowed in Public Schools 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†¦show more content†¦The schools are supported by all taxpayers, and therefore should be free of religious observances and coercion† (1995, p. 1). The issue has been brought up that moral decline can be traced to the prayer decision, but this is not true. Many â€Å"generations have grown up to be law-abiding citizens†¦Ã¢â‚¬  never saying â€Å"†¦a prayer in school† (Gaylor, 1995, p. 4). Students already have the ability to pray in school because they are given a moment of silence, where the student can do what he or she wants as long as the entire class is not involved. Students have a voluntary right to pray, but people want to make it so that it would be okay for a group to pray. It is said in the Bible that Jesus did not approve of outward prayer, â€Å"Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men†¦But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret†-Matt. 6:5-6 (Gaylor, 1995, p. 7). If the Son of H eavenly Father says to pray in secret than prayer should not be instituted in the public schools. Instituting prayer in the public school system becomes a violation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Prayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools1727 Words   |  7 PagesPrayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. The issue of school prayer is about whether the public school systems should let the students pray, at the start of the school day, as a class. The issue of school prayer began in the late sixteenth century when people in England did not approve of the way one religion was forced upon them, so the Puritans, known as the Pilgrims decided to come to the colonies. Even in the colonies theRead MoreThe Constitutionality of Prayer in Public Schools Essay698 Words   |  3 PagesMany people agree against prayer in public schools, while others think that people should be able to express their religion in their own ways. In public schools, they are not allowed to hold prayers at all during the school day due to the mixed religion students that are attending the school. Over the past few years, this has become an extremely controversial issue in our nation. Many people find it proper to pray in school but many people also agree that it is extremely wrong and that if thereRead MoreShould Prayer Be Allowed? School?1623 Words   |  7 Pagesthat prayer should be allowed in school. On the flip side to that those that feel the government does not have enough power and tend to disagree with pear being allowed in school. 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Prayer in school in my case produced and environment of discipline and respect for the teachers. The involvement of my parents and the faculty in the use of prayer was in full agreement. However, my view was not even considered important. My rights had been violated. The FirstRead MoreThe Prayer On Public Schools1240 Words   |  5 PagesFor much of the 20th Century and into the 21st, school prayer has been the focal point of an ongoing debate about the position of religion in American civilization. The question of the legality of prayer in public schools brings together a number of important notions in American government and legal philosophy. Opponents and proponents of school prayer set forth their arguments in such major constitutional issues as the separation of church and state, the right to free exercise of religion, and theRead MoreShould Public Schools Begin The Day With A Silent Prayer Time?870 Words   |  4 Pages Should Public Schools Begin the Day with a Silent Prayer Time? 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