Prayer In School, are you against or for prayer in school Options

[chelle]

ok. so i'm doing an english project for school on the oh so controversial topic of prayer in school. and since we LOVE to debate ( ) i was wondering what everyone's stand in this is.

Pro School Prayer Positions:
1)Our Government is based on Religious Principles
2)The Free Exercise Clause Protects School Prayer
3)Banning School Prayer Leads to Moral Decline
4)Majority Should Rule

Anti School Prayer Positions:
1)State-Sponsored School Prayer is Unconstitutional
2)Prayer in School is Already Legal
3)State-Sponsored Prayer Will Lead to Religious Intolerance
4)Moral Decline and School Prayer are Unrelated
TO SEE THESE ARGUMENTS IN DEPTH GO HERE


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i am against school prayer. big surprise. lol. 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 invasive. what 5, 8, or 10-year-old could view prayers recited as part of class routine as "voluntary"? religion is private, and schools are public, so it is appropriate that the two should not mix. our schools are for all children, whether catholic, baptist, quaker, atheist, buddhist, wiccan, jewish, agnostic. the schools are supported by all taxpayers, and therefore should be free of religious observances and coercion. when religion has invaded our public school system, it has singled out the lone jewish student, the children in the minority. families who protest state/church violations in our public schools invariably experience persecution. it was common prior to the court decision against school prayer to put non-religious or nonorthodox children in places of detention during bible-reading or prayer recitation. the children of supreme court plaintiffs against religion in schools were beaten up on the way to and from school, their families subjected to community harassment and death threats for speaking out in defense of a constitutional right. we know from history how harmful and destructive religion is in our public schools. individual, silent, personal prayer never has and never could be outlawed in public schools. it is coercive for schools to schedule worship as an official part of the schoo day, school sports or activities, or to use prayer to formalize graduation ceremonies. such prayers are more "mandatory" than "voluntary." the radical school prayer amendment would negate the first amendment's guarantee against government establishment of religion. most distressing, it would be at the expense of the civil rights of children, america's most vulnerable class. it would attack the heart of the bill of rights, which safeguards the rights of the individual from the tyranny of the majority. those in the minority would be compelled to conform to a religion or ritual n which they disbelieve, to suffer the humiliation and imposition of submitting to a daily religious exercise against their will, or be singled out by orthodox classmates and teachers as "heretics" or "sinners" for not participating. should the government become "prayer police"? the school prayer debate seems calculated to deflect attention away from the more pressing economic questions facing our nation. some politicians like to blame everything bad in america upon the absence of school prayer. it is a quick fix. it is irrational to charge that the complicated sociological problems facing our everchanging population stem from lack of prayer in schools. our political system is a democratic republic in which we use majority vote to elect certain officials or pass laws. but, we do not use majority vote to decide what religion, if any, our neighbors must follow. imposing prayer-by-majority-vote is flagrant and insensitive abuse of school authority. such schools should be teaching students about the purpose of the bill of rights, instead of teaching them to be religious bullies.

[Co.Oky me]

I was reading most of the posts..and some of ‘em I wanted to show my views or what I thought was right...i can be wrong..so >.<

Um... that would imply God is vengeful. And from what I've learned from Christians, God doesn't kill you, but he will judge you at the day of judgment. Cuz, what happens if I lie and cheat but then repent for my sins through Jesus? If God struck me down before I had the opportunity to repent then that doesn't seem very fair. And as far as I know God is just.

God is the only being who has the RIGHT to be whatever he wants to be. God is just. God is also jealous (stated in Bible) because he has the RIGHT to be. We can’t set rules for Him on what he can or can’t do...or what he will or will not do. I’m not saying that God had to do with any of this striking-down-vengeances, but whatever the reason they dropped dead...we have to leave the options open..and not cross off any possibilities just cause it doesn’t make sense to US.

The God that struck down a man and woman (husband and wife) dead for lying and cheating were in the old testament days. Don't know the chapter. And see aren't you glad that He gave Jesus to die for us so you have the opportunity to do just that?

Old Testament is different. In the old testament it states “An eye for an eye” or something like that..but Jesus came and said exactly the opposite..telling us to “turn the other cheek” So..perhaps Jesus dying wasn’t for us to take the opportunity to be dishonest, but it doesn’t mean Jesus’ death didn’t have any effect on how we are now judged.

here are faith groups that oppose government-sponsored prayer in public schools:
national council of churches; american baptist churches, usa; christian church (disciples of christ); the episcopal church; evangelical luteran church in america; friends committee on national legislation; mennonite central committee usa; presbyterian church (usa); general conference of seventh day adventists; united church of christ; united methodist church; unitarian universalist association; american jewish congress; anti-defamation league; central conference of american rabbis; national council of jewish women; north american council of muslim women; soka gakkai international--usa.

certain christian leaders of those specified Christian faith groups may have opposed prayer in public schools..but how do you know that even the GENERAL people of those groups opposed prayer in school? The big Christian leaders of our time have loud voices..and often drown many others’.

So people that have not heard about jesus and couldn't repent are going to hell? And to what degree of predestination is there? If God knows every minute movement we are doing now and in the future , then he already knows whether we will be saved or not. That would mean he puts people onto this earth knowing full well they will be damned to hell.

like Dr3aMeR said..it’s a REALLY hard concept to grasp..if you want to understand it fully ask a really wise Christian leader...i’m not sure if there are people in this forum that would be able to explain it to you..especially through internet.

And something else I’ve been noticing. It seems as if people are picking out the faults and acts of hypocrisy of those who want prayer in public schools are around that area...welps..BIG NEWS we’re not perfect..you’re not either...

Now..myyy views. ^^ At first I thought this topic was asking if prayer should be allowed AT ALL during school...and of course I voted yes without reading the first post...so sorry for my ignorance. Well, now I think that there shouldn’t be specific prayer-time for the whole school to participate in because a certain prayer-time may remind some to pray but it means nothing when it isn’t being used properly..which is often the case. So, if you choose to pray..goshers..PLEASE PRAY and I think that in putting aside your own social/study/etc. time during school would be a lot more meaningful to you and those who are constantly observing you and your actions. Prayer is a step from religion to relationship. It can’t be forced..and I really don’t see the BIG idea as to why it’s ubberly important in having a separate time for it during school..perhaps it's just me..but i tend to pray a lot better alone....o.O