# Is school prayer forbidden by the Bible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 5, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837 "2003-09-05T23:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837/21 "2003-09-06T20:46:10Z")
Of course the only slightly referenced matter of “school prayer” involves a great deal more than simply praying in public. What we are really talking about it the desire (unique to white American Protestants) to have their children’s spiritual educated guided by government operated public school systems. Most other sects are quite strongly dedicated to educating their children in this sacred matter themselves, with the guidance of their own church, and clergy. How can anyone trust children’s very souls to the same system that substantially fails to teach those same children to read, write, and do arithmetic? The level of hypocrisy here would shock even the Pharisees. (Did the Pharisees send their children to learn to pray at Roman schools?) How can anyone face the Lord in prayer, alone at home, after suggesting that this is an acceptable substitute for teaching our children of God ourselves? But then, perhaps politics matters more to some people than either their children, or their God. Tris ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837/22 "2003-09-07T16:58:08Z")
I’m going to slightly hi-jack this, as I wanted to address **RoundGuy** and his assertion that, “When I see people praying in restaurants, I cringe…” Essentially, when people pray at a meal, they are following a commandment from Christ. We indeed peform the sacrament of Communion; however, Christ was making the point that _every time we sit down at a meal_ we are to remember Him. In this way we are constantly reminded of His teachings and sacrifice. For this reason, I don’t really see praying over a meal as a “show,” particularly since in my observation it’s usually done very quietly and quickly, so as to cause as little disturbance to other diners as possible. I now return you to your regularly scheduled thread… ---
**Author:** ![badchad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@badchad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badchad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837/23 "2003-09-10T02:31:55Z")
Monstre: Sorry, I thought I had responded to this already but I see the hamsters got that post. > [@](#): > > Well, as long as we’re lifting individual verses, neglecting the overall context, and treating them as laws handed down by Jesus, Too bad I didn’t lift individual verses and neglect the overall context, however in your example you did. > [@](#): > > here’s one from the same chapter: > > Matthew 6:28 > “And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves.” > > Jesus is obviously forbidding us from wearing clothes, right? Better take those pants off, or you’re going to hell. No, unlike prayer where Jesus said to do it alone, he did not say to dress naked. If you follow your citation down to verse 33 it is made fairly clear that he says not to worry about your clothes and that god would provide it for you if you had faith. While in reality that probably isn’t true, it’s still his message as opposed to going naked. > [@](#): > > Must agree with Polycarp, here. Sure, you are probably a Christian who has disobeyed Jesus by praying in public. > [@](#): > > Read the entire chapter in context, and you’ll see the overriding theme again and again – do these things (prayer, fasting, helping the needy, worship) in a sincere way, not so that you can impress people with how righteous you are (or think you are). And the other overriding theme which you mentioned below: > [@](#): > > And before anybody jumps up to accuse me of taking out of context, I’m not – I’m fully aware that after each one of these, Jesus goes on to say “do it in private instead” – help the needy “in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it”, or “wash your face and comb your hair, so that others cannot know about your fasting”, and so on. That part of the overriding theme is important too, don’t you think? > [@](#): > > Following the advice of doing these things in private is the best way that a person can insure that he/she is doing these things for the right reasons, and not for self-glorification. It looks to me like Jesus is instructing people on a sure-fire way to accomplish this, not handing down rules and regulations. Above is where you start making it up on your own. > [@](#): > > And, as this passage is part of the larger portion known as the “Sermon on the Mount”, it should be noted that this whole section is Jesus teaching (not Jesus making up laws). Lots of rules/regulations/laws in the Sermon on the Mount read it again and you’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837/24 "2003-09-10T03:51:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by badchad \* > \*\*No help for you there either. Jesus makes the rules, he doesn’t have to follow them. \*\* Not according to Christ’s own example. If he didn’t have to follow these rules, then he wouldn’t have to pray either — and yet he did. He wouldn’t have to observe the Sabbath – and yet he did. ---
**Author:** ![badchad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b77776/32.png) [@badchad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badchad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837/25 "2003-09-10T04:00:02Z")
JThunder: > [@](#): > > Not according to Christ’s own example. If he didn’t have to follow these rules, then he wouldn’t have to pray either — and yet he did. He wouldn’t have to observe the Sabbath – and yet he did. So do you maintain that Jesus sinned when he called them folks fools as I cited above? Maybe he wants to set a good example only some of the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-school-prayer-forbidden-by-the-bible/199837.md?page=1)