Religions in Schools

There are very few topics that have caused more debates and hurt more feelings than the “Religion in Schools Debate”. This is a tough topic for many people since so many of us feel so strongly about religion. This nation was founded on freedoms and students should feel free to pray if they want. One of the key points of the debate is about schools having a designated time to pray. When we take away an opportunity to pray we are sending a message that prayer within these walls is incorrect. Thus, students feel they no longer have the freedom to express themselves through prayer. As sighted in A Parent’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools, “All parties should treat one another with civility and respect and should strive to be accurate and fair.” (First Amendment Center) We must strive to make sure that our policies are fair to both Non-Christians and Christians.

The school is a place of education and everything that we do, as educators, should be based on such. I realize that prayer is not an education practice but a religious one. I also realize that having a designated time for prayer only sets the school up for lawsuits from parents who disapprove. Over time we have seen how taking a strict stand for religion has resulted in severe consequences that were negative for both the children and the school. As Norman Baurer stated, “Many Americans gradually came to realize that interfaith harmony and community goodwill could best be realized by keeping public schools neutral on religious questions.” However, having a time for prayer isn’t mandating that prayer must occur. We have to be careful not to take away the Christian’s rights as well. The opinion listed in the article said it perfectly “it is a student's personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children.” (Calefati, 2009) A Simple moment of silence is just that, a quiet moment. Nothing religious must occur, but it is an opportunity to allow students to pray if they so choose.

Personally, I am a Christian, so keeping God out of the school system is a completely foreign concept to me. I believe that God should be an integral part of every part of our lives, and seeing that children spend nearly 40 hours of week in the school building, I believe God should be incorporated there. I understand that we must be sensitive to other religions, however, and to that end I think that the least that we should do is allow a moment of prayer for children who do believe and have a relationship with God. We are not forcing prayer and we are not preventing prayer that way.

In closing, initially I understand the debate and see both sides of the argument. Reflectively, I realize the consequences of forcing the issue for both religious and non-religious families and children. Personally, I don’t want the government interfering with my ways of religion, so likewise I realize I cannot force my ways of religion on the government. Providing a moment of silence is a good compromise for all parties involved.

Reference:

First Amendment Center (1999). A parent’s guide to religion in public Schools. Retrieved on 9-29-11. Retrieved from: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED440021.pdf

Bauer N. (1995). Likely implications of the thought of Dewey and James regarding a school prayer amendment. Retrieved on: 9-29-11. Retrieved from: http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED401177.pdf

Calefati, J. (2009). Religions in schools debate heats up. Retrieved on: 9-29-11. Retrieved from: https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133302