Prayer in school

[dcoles11]

Next year i'll will start teaching and living in the south this debate comes up alot. I'm not a very religious person myself, I believe in god, but I don't blame or praise him/her/it (just trying not to offend anyone) for everything that happens in my life. Normally when I screw up its from my own doing and normally when something works out for me its cause I put the work needed into it. I do not look down on people that are religious either. Religion gives alot of people peace who have lost a loved one, and religion is the cause of many great acts of kindness, also the cause of alot of death though. When it comes to prayer in school, I really just don't see the use or point. Your only in school from 8-2:30 roughly, can't it wait? Nobody says you can't bow your head and have some silent thoughs either. We all remember what it was like to be in the 6th grade when if you did anything at all that wasn't with the crowd you caught hell for weeks, are children really mature enough to handle religious differences that may come up if we started having structured prayer in school? Do your praying when you wake up in the morning before you head to school, close your eyes and pray at lunch if you like, pray with your parents when you get home from school, and go to Sunday School if you like. Until someone can give me an actual concrete positive to having prayer in school i'm against it. Your thoughts??

[andyfox]

Here is a song we sang in assembly every Tuesday (and I played the piano for it) in public school (P.S. 174) in Forest Hills, New York in the early 1960s:

Bless this house, O Lord we pray,
Make it safe by night and day . . .

Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out . . .

Bless the roof and chimneys tall,
Let thy peace lie overall . . .

Bless this door that it may prove,
Ever open,
To joy and love . . .

Bless these windows shining bright,
Letting in God's Heavenly light,
Bless the hearth, the painting there,
With smoke ascending like a prayer!

Bless the folk who dwell within,
Keep them pure and free from sin . . .

Bless us all that we may be,
Fit O Lord to dwell with thee . . .

Bless us all that one day we may dwell,
O Lord! With Thee!

[EarlCat]

"Prayer in school" can take on several definitions. Lining up your students to recite a prayer by rote in a public school is absolutely wrong. On the other hand, prohibiting students from praying of their own free will in a public school is also absolutely wrong.

As for children being able to "handle" religious differences, for God's sake what is school supposed to be preparing them for if not handling things they're going to face in the real world? If little Johnny is upset that little Suzie worships a different diety, TOUGH.

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, prohibiting students from praying of their own free will in a public school is also absolutely wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree that this is wrong, but one one supports this prohibition. No one who is against "prayer in school" says that children should not be allowed to pray in school at all. People are against organized prayer in school where the teacher leads the students in prayer or sets aside separate time specifically designated for prayer.

[Dan Mezick]

To be consistent you have to throw out Halloween from public schools. This is a religious holiday for some people.

The Easter bunny is also suspect.

[dcoles11]

So whats the point? Is that your reason for why we should have prayer in school?

[dcoles11]

there is no ban that says a kid can't pray on his own free will. as far as what you said about preparing kids for the real world, what if instead or organized prayer we had organized religious discussion in like the early grades to get kids started off on the right foot of religious tolerance. don't favor any one religion over another of cource, just emphasise the idea of tolerance of other people's beliefs. i know im dreaming here, though.

[John Cole]

Gee, I went to Catholic school, and we didn't have it that bad. However, first two years of high school we were required to waer a jacket and tie--public high school, '67-'69.

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
Here is a song we sang in assembly every Tuesday...

[/ QUOTE ]


And yet you still turned out to be a civil human being, with some atheism on the side. What that all means I leave to the gods, it is simply beyond human comprehension.

In the first and second grade (1959 – 1960) we were required to pray before lunch. This Prayer was lead by the teacher. It was a short prayer that I don't really remember anymore - something like: Lord we ask that you bless this food we are about to eat, Amen. We also said the pledge of allegiance every morning first thing (I posted about that adventure long ago).

Now, look how I turned out - A complete religious and patriotic failure, at least as measured against the norm of what the school authorities wished to indoctrinate into my young fulsome brain tissue.

I support prayer in school, and in fact teacher, student, principal, janitor or any other school official or functionary lead prayer. Just as long as they use the follow prayer first thing in the morning:

Dear Father Satan,
Please bless this school day
Bless all of us as we pray
Bless the little and the big
Bless even the ugly capitalist pig
Bless the liberal yahoo
Bless the conservative ballyhoo
Satan is the Greatest Lord
And worthy of worship by every Sword

In Beelzebub’s name we pray
Please bless one and all this school day
Amen.

-Lord of The Flies

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here is a song we sang in assembly every Tuesday (and I played the piano for it) in public school (P.S. 174) in Forest Hills, New York in the early 1960s:

Bless this house, O Lord we pray,
Make it safe by night and day . . .



[/ QUOTE ]So whats the point? Is that your reason for why we should have prayer in school?

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo.

I know Andy (well, better than you do, anyway) and that is undoubtedly his point.