Prayer in public schools is a subject dwelling in the minds of educators throughout the United States due to varying religious beliefs and differing definitions of prayer.
The Constitution, a document most Americans feel is the foundation of the United States, states within the Establishment Clause that there should be a separation of church and state. Additionally, the First Amendment of the Constitution states that all American citizens should be granted the freedom of religion among other things.
“The argument I have heard against prayer in public schools is people should be allowed to select what faith, if any, they practice, and they should not be forced to comply with the beliefs of others,” said James Condon, the principal of northern Indiana’s Plymouth High School.
Condon, who has spent 15 years within the public school system, says he has also heard convincing arguments for the implementation of prayer within public schools.
Condon said, “The arguments in favor of allowing prayer in public schools are based upon the need to model Christian beliefs for youth coupled with concerns that young people today are not making decisions upon good moral values in comparison with students from previous years.” Tiberiu Popa, a philosophy professor, says he has also heard his share of arguments defending prayer in public schools during his five years at Butler University. “I have heard people say that religion is a moral guide, and so it should be a part of education,” Popa said. “There should not be a divorce between religion and education but rather exposure to religious education.” Exposure to religion may be one thing some may argue, but requiring prayer of all students is something entirely different. Shirley Henderson, a math professor at Butler University, taught for 33 years within the public school system before becoming a college professor. Due to her first-hand experience, she says she feels that prayer in public schools will never be a reality. “You cannot force everyone to pray,” Henderson said. “To me prayer in school is not a prayer group held after school but rather walking into the classroom, saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and then saying a prayer. “If I force you, that to me is what goes against your rights.“No one should be judged based on his or her religion. Religion is private.” Prayer in public schools takes on many forms and has different meanings for different people. Father Jeff Godecker, the chaplain at Butler University, says he feels some forms of prayer in public schools are acceptable, and some are not. “I agree religion should not be imposed in a public school, but I think we’ve taken the separation too far,” Godecker said. “A moment of silence is offensive to no one. “If there’s a group of kids that want to get together before or after school to pray I think they should be able to do that.” Condon, who says he supports prayer in public schools, differs on his interpretation of what constitutes prayer. He said, “I see a definite need to teach and model strong moral values for students today. The structure of the American household continues to crumble, and I am really worried about what young people are exposed to at such early ages.” Katie Brimmer, a secondary education major at Butler University, was a part of the public school system for 12 years and has the intent of becoming a teacher at a public school upon graduation. Brimmer says she supports prayer within public schools but also has a different interpretation as to exactly what that means. “I think prayer should be allowed in schools because I’m a believer, and it’s great that in the United States we can pray in a public place,” Brimmer said. “The government is a part of schools, and I know church and state are supposed to be separated according to the Constitution, but a moment of silence gives you the option to participate as you choose.”Interpretations of what constitutes prayer range from a mandatory class prayer to prayer groups after school to a moral guideline to a moment of silence. Some people even feel that the Pledge of Allegiance is considered to be prayer.“In a very general sense I think the Pledge of Allegiance constitutes prayer insofar as the founding fathers had some general religious ideals,” Popa said. “They were not necessarily religious in the sense of specific religions, but God is mentioned many times in documents and is on money. However, that does not constitute any specific religion.”Godecker, on the other hand, differed and said, “I don’t think the Pledge of Allegiance constitutes prayer because it’s not addressed to God; it’s addressed to the United States.”Prayer in public schools is contested because the topic is personal for people on both sides, and there is not one agreed upon definition of prayer within the public school system.Freedom, unity, and justice are ideals prioritized for almost every American according to Americans for Religious Liberty. However, religion has quickly been decreasing in popularity within recent years, and the Christian Coalition of America feels as though the ranking of religion within a family setting is partially responsible for Americans wanting to take God out of everything, including the public school system.“As a Christian it bothers me that people want to take God out of everything,” Condon said. “People need something they can fall back on when things get tough.”Henderson, however, says she does not see anything wrong with taking God out of everything, and she says she thinks it shows that people are more open-minded. People will always search for exactly what prayer is, have different religious beliefs, and live according to varying moral standards. However, Godecker, a lifetime proponent for freedom, including that of religion, says he also feels that understanding is an essential component in solving the issue. “I think the subject of prayer in schools is part of the culture wars, the cultural divide between conservative and liberal America,” Godecker said. “The two sides need to learn to talk to one another with respect again. We have to talk to one another; it may not solve the problem, but what we’re doing now won’t either.”| Comments |
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