After reading the thread on school prayer I realized:
Why the hell do kids need a moment of silence set aside in order to pray? Why can’t they pray during lunch, or during study hall? For that matter, why can’t they pray before or after school? Why must they pray during the time that they are in school?
You know, I can’t imagine anyone at school objecting to some student who decides to be silent for a moment. I remember teachers trying to get everyone to be silent a lot, in fact. Prayer is certainly not likely to be a problem, either, if it is a matter shared between the student, and God.
What people are objecting to is public school authorities requiring students to practice a religious ceremony. That surrenders the right of religious freedom to the authority of the state. It violates the Constitution, and the duties of any person who feels that the State is not an authority on matters of faith. I happen to be one of those people.
<p align=“center”>Tris</p>
I’ve wondered that myself, Robo. Kids in school have LOTS of free time that they could use to pray if they want. Why do we need time set aside for it?
Usually, when students are asked to take a “moment of silence” during school, it’s to pray for a specific someone or something. I know a lot of people who believe in strength in numbers when it comes to prayer. According to this philosophy, the prayer is most effective when many people participate. Of course, no student should be REQUIRED to take part in the prayer–that’s a violation of his rights.
I don’t see why public schools should provide time for INDIVIDUAL prayer, though. Students can pray on their own time for their own reasons. But what about the Pledge of Allegiance? Isn’t that essentially the same thing? Can’t people pledge allegiance to their country on their own time? Just as not everyone believes in prayer, not everyone feels that he owes fidelity to his nation “under God.”
Jessica
Dude - My theory is that it’s the religious right’s way of claiming and marking territory.
By instituting school prayer here, demanding the teaching of creationism there, and posting the Ten Commandments hither and yon, they are saying, “This is a Christian country, not a pluralistic one; this country belongs to our kind of people, not to gays, secular humanists, and whatnot.”
At least, that’s how I see it.
“From some other planet, I get this funky high on yellow sun” – Matchbox 20