# American-raised Dopers: were you ever forced to pray (or prevented from praying) in public school? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882 "2011-12-02T21:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/61 "2011-12-04T16:49:05Z")
Good lord no. My years in public school were in Manhattan. 'Nuff said. I vaguely remember a moment of silence or two when national tragedies struck (MLK, for example), but no actual prayer. My daughters are in public school now and the most religious thing they are asked to do is say the Pledge. They leave out the “under God” part of their own accord. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/62 "2011-12-05T17:06:36Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > Texas in the 80’s. One idiot minister’s wife who thought she was a competent social studies teacher wanted everyone to either talk about what their favorite bible story meant to them or their relationship with Jesus. I told about how a Roma stole the 4th nail that going to be used in crucifying Jesus of Nazareth and how because of it Jesus dying on the cross said that Roma could steal forever and it wouldn’t be a sin. She was not amused. Attempts were made to punish me for being a smartass. My dad in a rare moment of competence (actually he was probably smelling dollars in a lawsuit settlement) siced lawyers on the school. Soon thereafter the school got very strict about keeping religious propaganda out of the classroom. I love the Roma-stealing-the-nail story, and I want to thank someone else for telling it for once. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/63 "2011-12-05T17:31:11Z")
Yup. Oklahoma, kindergarten through 4th grade from 1975-1980. [ul] [li]They said the Lord’s Prayer over the intercom every morning and we all had to recite along with it. [/li][li]We had to memorize a bible verse every week and recite it on Friday (luckily the school picked which one because we didn’t have a bible at home I could select from).[/li][li]In the cafeteria you weren’t allowed to begin eating until the monitor came to your table to say grace.[/li][/ul] ETA - this was public school, btw ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/64 "2011-12-05T17:52:47Z")
Before the SC decision, my public school started every day with the Pledge, some student reading 5 verses out of the Old Testament and the Lord’s Prayer. The Catholic kids left out the final phrase. When that decision came down, I really liked the response our Presbyterian minister had: “Good! We won’t teach algebra and the public schools shouldn’t teach religion.” If (as he hoped) religion is important, the family should take the time to pray together at home. This is a whole lot more meaningful than being required to recite something aloud in what should be a secular setting. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/65 "2011-12-05T19:16:24Z")
They said the lord’s prayer over the loudspeaker in my public school, back in the early 60’s. Then they moved to a “moment of silence” where we had to stand up and bow our heads. Then we had to say the Plead of Allegiance, although they didn’t do a very good job a making sure everyone said all the words. By high school (early 70’s) they had dropped most of this stuff. Really, it was painfully obvious that someone in authority wanted to force us to do something, anything, with the word “God” in it but they were losing the battle. Thank God that’s over… for now. In all those years there were numerous prayer groups that got together in the school. In the cafeteria, the library at lunch time and, of course, after school. A group of guys on my track team got together before meets to pray in the gym. Nobody bothered them. I am pretty sure anyone who says that prayer isn’t allowed in school has never actually been inside one. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/66 "2011-12-05T19:29:46Z")
Another Okie checking in. Had Lord’s Prayer in Kindergarten in mid-70s. We would circle up, hold hands, pray (look to see who is looking - snitch - then everyone says that you can only see who is looking by looking yourself and you get busted too). Don’t remember it after that much. In high school, the football team had breakfast at a local church every Friday there was a home game (maybe more - don’t quite recall). You got free eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, pancakes etc. as a team before school. You then got a quick sermon and a prayer. I don’t know if it was required, but nobody who was a starter EVER missed (plus we liked the food). ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/67 "2011-12-05T23:32:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I love the Roma-stealing-the-nail story, and I want to thank someone else for telling it for once. I was just being a good little kid. She wanted a story of what Jesus meant to me. I gave her that in all sincerity. It just wasn’t the kind of Jesus story she wanted to hear. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/68 "2011-12-06T04:35:43Z")
I clearly remember watching this movie–this is just an excerpt but you may be startled by the content–in public elementary school during rainy days in the auditorium: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V_IrdS-zu48/hqdefault.jpg "Johnny Appleseed Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_IrdS-zu48) Can you believe it? I swear I am not dreaming this. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/69 "2011-12-06T05:01:46Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I clearly remember watching this movie–this is just an excerpt but you may be startled by the content–in public elementary school during rainy days in the auditorium: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V\_IrdS-zu48](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_IrdS-zu48) > > Can you believe it? I swear I am not dreaming this. I remember that song – we sang it in Girl Scouts. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/70 "2011-12-06T14:46:59Z")
I was never forced to pray by anyone in school. I do remember one time in Algebra II, when the teacher handed out 3 by 5" notecards and told us we could write whatever we wanted on it to use during the final. He told us that unfortunately, he didn’t think anything would help some of the students pass. I asked, “What about the Prayer to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes?” He agreed with me. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/71 "2011-12-06T18:04:47Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > We were led in the Lord’s Prayer each morning—until the 1963 Supreme Court decision. I was in first grade, so I don’t know if this was a choice made by the teacher or the East Texas school. Same thing for me. Pennsylvania, 1963, first grade. We said the Lord’s Prayer before class every morning until the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/72 "2011-12-06T19:01:03Z")
California 1960-1973 Never in school or at a school-related function. Not even close. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/73 "2011-12-06T19:24:36Z")
No forced prayer, Massachussetts, 1970-83. I am not really spiritual, either, so I never considered trying to lead any public prayers. I think the schools I went to allowed the students to form their own bible-study-after-school clubs, on school property. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/74 "2011-12-06T19:28:10Z")
Not that I remember. Rural Minnesota. Graduated high school in 2002. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/75 "2011-12-06T20:38:42Z")
Southern California, 1967-1980. Can recall an invocation at graduation but that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Deegeea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Deegeea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deegeea)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/76 "2011-12-06T20:39:27Z")
I don’t recall being forced to pray in school, or being stopped from praying in school. I do remember being grumpy about having to sing Christmas Carols in late elementary (4th through 6th grades, public school in Louisville, KY in the late 1970s). I enjoyed the “Jesus class” and asked my parents not to opt me out (they had offered the choice) in the small town Indiana public elementary in 3rd grade. That was a forum for me to be a showoff and smart alek mostly which was why I liked it… the teacher knew I wasn’t Christian and was astonishingly tolerant of all the stuff I came up with. I guess she thought it was cute =D ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882/77 "2011-12-06T21:05:54Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > No. > > No poll? > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > My screen name is not _Skald the Poller._ To be fair, the OP didn’t rhyme, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-raised-dopers-were-you-ever-forced-to-pray-or-prevented-from-praying-in-public-school/604882.md?page=3)