Prayer in the Public School System Essay - 4041 Words

Prayer in the Public School System Over the past thirty years or so the issue of prayer or â€Å"religious expression† in the public school system has brought on heated controversy, but the question is still open for debate---Should students be allowed to have prayer or to express their religious ideals openly in the public schools across America? Many people have attempted to come up with an answer to that question, but, so far no compromise has been agreed upon. This is due to the fact that many people hold strong opinions when it comes to religion and education. As with any argument or debate there are basically two sides, but this conflict has three sides: those people who think that are â€Å"pro-prayer† and believe that there†¦show more content†¦The applicable part of that amendment (freedom of religion) has been broken down into two major clauses which are the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The Establishment Clause has been translated as to say the Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (Concerned Women for America 1). The second clause deals with exactly what the title implies---the free exercise of religion. It basically states that Congress can make no law prohibiting anyone’s right to freely exercise their religious beliefs (CWA 1). Therefore, students have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer and religious discussion during the school day as they do to engage in other comparable activities (U.S. Dept. Of Education 1). Individual students are free to pray, express, religious viewpoints, read the Bible, and carry on any other form of religious expression as long as they are not being disruptive or disrespectful to the rights of other students. Students are also allowed to participate in religious clubs or groups at school. According the Equal Access Act, if a secondary school permits other extracurricular activities time to meet during non-instructional periods, then religiously affiliated groups must be given equal treatment (American Bar Association 1). Suc h meetings are protected by the Equal Access Act and may include a prayer service, Bible reading, or other worship exercises (U.S. Dept. ofShow MoreRelatedPrayer On Public Schools : The Public School System1032 Words   |  5 PagesAllow Prayer in Public Schools The public school system should allow students, all across the United States of America, to express themselves freely whenever they would like. Most Americans support the idea of allowing students to pray during school. In the year 2001, 66% of Americans voted that they favor the idea of prayer during school; however, 34% opposed the idea of praying during school. In the year 2014, 61% of Americans voted that they support the idea of praying during school; howeverRead MoreEssay 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. 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As time passed they realized that having this kind of freedomRead MoreDownfall of Education System was No School Prayer649 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Since prayer was removed from public school classrooms in 1962, we have had a 6-fold increase in violent crime, our divorce rate has tripled,births to single mothers have increased 5-fold, the teenage suicide rate has tripled, and SAT scores have dropped 10%.(Creation Today). Reasons that represent why prayer and moments of silence should be allowed in the public school system will be expressed. This essay will represent the affirmative stance when regarding this topic of school wide prayer and momentsRead MorePublic Schools Should Not Be The Place For Religious Practices1601 Words   |  7 Pagesto religious freedom. Almost immediately conflicts arose between religions, and their belief systems. No problems seem to arise with teaching religion to children in school until the 1900 s. 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