The Controversy Over Prayer In Public Schools

“… And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” School prayer is a major controversy of this society. Public schools are supported with taxpayer money and you have a lot of believers who want his or her taxes to support an institution that bans children from praying in school, but at the same time you have a lot of believers that do not want to support an institution that bans their children from praying in school. The question over prayer being aloud in public schools has led to many court cases. Even though prayer is seen as something that is to be done in private and school is a public setting, prayer should be allowed in public schools because of the First Amendment, the

They should have an option to pray over a test before it is taken. An option to pray over the game before and after it is played. An option to pray over the intercom before the announcements. “...asking them to vote whether to pray or setting aside time to pray, it is endorsing and promoting that prayer. It is coercive for schools to schedule worship as an official part of the school day, school sports or activities, or to use prayer to formalize graduation ceremonies.” (“Prayer in Public School”). A student should not have to be enlisted into a private school to have the right to pray when they want to over a group of people or over the class. “While students may speak about religious topics with their peers, school officials should intercede” ("Religion in the Public Schools”). It is not as though the student is trying to pressure another student to convert their religion. Prayer being allowed in Public Schools is a huge deal in moderate society and communities and by it being outlawed imposes on individual moral stances and their way of

Only because the action of prayer is seen as voluntary yet a teacher needs to step in if it is taken too far. “Nothing restricts prayers to "nondenominational" or "nonsectarian" (not that such a restriction would make it acceptable). Nothing would prevent a school from selecting the Lord's Prayer or other prayers to Jesus, and blasting it over the intercom.” ("Prayer in Public School”). If there is the freedom to do this in school why are there so many issues? The act of prayer is voluntary. If the child decides to expand its practices beyond itself they should be able to invite friends. “...others contend that prayer is counterproductive to personal responsibility. Such a diversity of views is constitutionally protected; our secular government simply is not permitted to pick a side in religious debates.” ("Prayer in Public School”). In this cases they should support those students that feel more comfortable doing something they were raised on in a different environment, rather than take that right away all in one chance. Parents and the student alone should not have to feel as though they cannot express