Prayer In School Essay, Research Paper
Prayer in school
Prayer in school is a controversial issue these days, and it is held dearly in the hearts of many people in America. Prayer has been in public schools from the colonial times until 1962.
Supporters, of prayer in school, view that starting the day off with a prayer will not harm society. Some people see it as a “way of allowing the students to clear their minds.” (Mireless 28) It gives students a peaceful way to start the day, instead of a teacher to quiet an obnoxious group of students. They also think, “prayer is a healthy way to start off the day.” (Mireless 50) It clears the minds of the students and makes them start to think deeply. This also starts the day off with a purposeful mood.
People supporting prayer view that not only does it help make the transition into learning smooth, but it also helps the students to resolve personal issues. Prayer gives students a time every morning where they think about values and faith to help them through life. “Many students have problems and prayer gives them time to think about their issues.” (Mireless 30) Supporters also say that our youth has lost the respect that students had for their country, their peers, and their lives.
Many consider the uprising of crime and the lowering of values in society a result of taking prayer out of school. Since the expulsion of prayer in public school in 1962, studies show that teenage pregnancy went up two hundred percent, teen suicide increased three hundred percent, abortion increased one thousand percent and violent crime went up five hundred percent. These people say that prayer inflict faith and values to those that would have otherwise contributed to the worsening of society. They also say that if prayer flows into their souls it may cause them to become better human beings, better members of society, and better parents for our young.
Supporters state that even early congressional action encouraged and approved in religion in public schools. The Northwest Treaty (1787 and 1789) declared: “Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary for good government and happiness of mankind, school and the means of learning shall forever be encouraged.” Religion, which includes prayer, was deemed to be necessary.
From colonial times until 1962 prayer was practiced in public schools. Then, in the case of Engle vs. Vitale the Supreme Court ruled that state-mandated prayers were unconstitutional. People state that the fact that school prayer was practiced for over two hundred years establishes it as a valid and beneficial practice in our schools. These people also state that the first amendment does not separate god and government; it actually encourages religion. The first clause merely declares that federal government cannot establish one religion for all people. No where does it convey anything about the separation between church and state. The second clause insists that the government should do nothing to discourage religion.
The people opposing public prayer feel that organized prayer will lead to many problems. They declare that school prayer is unconstitutional because of the first amendment in our constitution which states, “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of.” They say that this clearly states a division between church and state.
People state that since education is mandatory, public schools should not impose prayer on students who do not desire it. These people believe that students might be lead by their teacher or classmates in any prayer that the teacher sees fit. Since this country is mostly Christian, the prayers may reflect Christian values. Students of other religions may get left out, or may feel uncomfortable praying with students of different beliefs. Some say, “prayer would be divisive,” louisville.edu/ tnpete01/church/pray4.htm resulting in religious minorities feeling uncomfortable. They may feel forced to recite a prayer that they do not support. “The only way to make people of differing religions feel comfortable would be to make the prayers cross-cultural. However, any watered down prayer would result in the deeply religious persons finding it meaningless, and it would be an infringement on students who follow no religion.” daa/prayer.html
Some Christians even oppose the amendment saying that the bible warns against school prayer. It says, “and when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret.” (Matthew 6: 5-6) Some people believe that this shows that it is evident that praying in school is in direct contradiction to the bible.
The compromise to this solution is to have a moment of silence at the beginning of school. Students would now have the right to pray, meditate, contemplate or study. This kind of “prayer” helps students focus, alleviates stress, attunes them to their own creativity and empowers them. A book on natural prayer states “We have forgotten that we are all in this together, and we keep separating ourselves, by color, by football teams, by age, and so on and on. We need something to pull us all together. Natural prayer could be that miracle. It includes everyone, even non-believers.” (Cornish 55)
328
Другие работы по теме:
Traditions In American Culture Essay Research Paper
Many traditions had developed within American culture that breached this wall of separation. For example, our coins have “In God We Trust” printed into them, The Pledge of Allegiance still contains the phrase “under God,” and many of our governmental ceremonies have prayer as their opening activity. For years, many public school districts mandated that the school day begin with some sort of prayer.
School Prayer Should Be Allowed Essay Research
Paper School Prayer Should Be Allowed I attended twelve years of Catholic School. My parents consented to the decision of my enrollment and they knew what was involved. They knew that the
Zeus And Hera Essay Research Paper Many
Zeus And Hera Essay, Research Paper Many traditions had developed within American culture that breached this wall of separation. For example, our coins have "In God We Trust" printed into
Charismatic Prayer Essay Research Paper Charismatic PrayerBy
Charismatic Prayer Essay, Research Paper Charismatic Prayer By Neil Clemens When I pray, I usually stop and contemplate what I need to pray about or think about what I need to pray for. After lots of research on charismatic prayer, I found out that it is a various genre of prayers. The prayer that stuck out most to me is the one where you say simple holy words in a loving manner, such as “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, save souls”.
Engel Vs Vitale Essay Research Paper In
Engel Vs. Vitale Essay, Research Paper In 1962 the case of Engel vs. Vitale came about. At first the government stated that a non-God believing person or a person of a different culture could be except from saying the prayer. The morning prayer was done after the pledging of the flag. The prayer was such; ” Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependency upon thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, nd our country”.
The Incident Essay Research Paper Sachi HerreraEnglish
The Incident Essay, Research Paper Sachi Herrera English 1311-10 Dr. Quazi October 16, 2000 The Incident Wow! I have had one of those incredibly weird days. I was coming back from my Prayer and Spirituality class and feeling mediocre as I usually do. I wasn?t expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen to me but something did.
Engel V Vitale Essay Research Paper Engel
Engel V. Vitale Essay, Research Paper Engel v Vitale The Supreme Court case, Engel v. Vitale, was an extremely controversial case that directly dealt with the First Amendment. This Supreme Court case established a separation of church and state. Engel v. Vitale was such an extremely controversial case that it has opened the doorway for other cases dealing with church and state.
Editha Essay Research Paper DO YOU HAVE
Editha Essay, Research Paper DO YOU HAVE TIME? I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work For bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
Religion Where Do We Draw The Line
? Essay, Research Paper …Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men….But thou, when thou prayest, enter into the closet, and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret…
Why We Should Participate In The Liturgy
Essay, Research Paper Why We Should Participate in Liturgy Liturgy come from the Greek word meaning, “A public duty or work.” Liturgy is defined as the form of prayer, acts and ceremonies used in the public and offical worship of the Church, principally in the offering of the Eucharist, the singing and receiving of the Sacraments.
An Analysis Essay Research Paper An analysis
An Analysis Essay, Research Paper An analysis of the quotation ?The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small.? The quotation ?The mills of the gods grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small,? could be compared to someone asking for something through prayer. This comparison is based on three beliefs.
My Pol Philso Essay Research Paper I
My Pol. Philso. Essay, Research Paper I have found using the four square technique of helping aide the decision of ones own personal political philosophy my political philosophy being one of a libertarian with a tendency to lean towards conservative. I used four economic issues and three different personal issues.
Should A Moment Of Silence Be Legal
In Public Schools Essay, Research Paper In 1962 the Supreme Court decided that public schools did not have the power to authorize school prayer. This decision made public school in the U.S. more atheistic than many European nations. For example, crosses still hang on the classroom walls in Poland, and the Ten Commandments are displayed in Hungary.
School Prayer Essay Research Paper The United
School Prayer Essay, Research Paper The United States Supreme court will once again address the issues of prayer in public schools. In the constitution, it guarantees freedom of religion, and separation between church and state. Should the government be allowed to base an opinion on social values versus social values? Just like any other controversy, there are two opposing sides.
The Illiad Essay Research Paper The IliadThe
The Illiad Essay, Research Paper The Iliad The way Homer wrote this text is similar to warfare today, especially the feelings. There are some differences though. At the end of the passage, Homer wrote War is men s business; and this war is the business of everyone in Ilium, myself above all. That is stating that only men fight in wars.
Commercials Essay Research Paper In every young
Commercials Essay, Research Paper In every young person life there are certain critical decisions that must be made. One of the more important of the many is the choice to resume education after high school. After that decision is made the choice of which college to go to comes into play. In making this decision you must first do research on schools that interest you, you must visit these campuses, and last you must apply to the schools of your choice.
The US Constitution Regarding Prayer In School
Essay, Research Paper America. One nation under God. The United states has a history of supporting freedom ofreligion. Does this also mean freedom from religion? Does prayer in public schoolsviolate the US Constitution? And is the constitution right or wrong on this conflictingtopic. Furthermore, can it even address such a topic? Church and State, the relationshipbetween the organized church and the government.
Prayer In Schools Essay Research Paper We
Prayer In Schools Essay, Research Paper We are guaranteed by the first amendment the right for freedom of religion. By this right, we as American citizens should be allowed to have prayer in the public schools and teachers should be allowed to teach religion courses trough the high school years. We should also be able to talk about religion in and out of our classes.
Prayer In John Irving
’s A Prayer For Owen Meany Essay, Research Paper Prayer As A Symbol in Irving s A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY In John Irving s A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY there are many prominent symbols. Those of arm-less figures, water, and angels are a few of the more prominent ones but, there are also many symbols that are much more subtle than those few.
Motifs In A Prayer For Owen Meany
Essay, Research Paper Owen Meany Motif A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving has many different motifs. One dominant motif is armlessness. Armlessness was a reoccurring motif throughout the story and came up in many occasions. It seems to symbolize helplessness or being under your own control. There are a variety of things throughout the novel that gives off that feeling.
School Prayer Essay Research Paper School Prayerby
School Prayer Essay, Research Paper School Prayer by Chris Nicholson Two of America?s most valued freedoms are the freedoms of speech and of religion. Because they are such fundamental freedoms in this country,
Prayer In School Essay Research Paper For
Prayer In School Essay, Research Paper For centuries, the debate has existed whether or not to allow prayer in public schools. Many Americans feel it is not the right of the school to teach religion, but the parent. With all the diversity associated with the United States, public schools cannot select one standard religion to practice, due to the cultural and religious differences in this country.
School Prayer Essay Research Paper School Prayer
School Prayer Essay, Research Paper School Prayer By Danielle Clark Block 1 Speech 105 I. Intro- Contrary to the claims, students have the Constitutional right to pray in school, either individually or in informal groups so long as the prayer is not organized by the school. But if the students only knew what they were really doing by praying in school.
Public Schools And Religion Essay Research Paper
To pray or not to pray?that is one of the questions. This question arose in communities all over the United States when there was a disagreement concerning the separation of church and state. The new question is whether or not this problem has a solution. Many problems throughout the world have no solutions.
Legalize Moral Values Essay Research Paper Many
Legalize Moral Values Essay, Research Paper Many children in today’s society grow up with little or no more values at all, these children are the sons and daughters of the so called, “Generation X.” This maybe the root of America’s problems with our youth. In the mid sixties religion was taken out of our school systems, and in 1962, the Supreme Court decided that public schools did not have the power to authorize school prayer (Marks 26).
Constitution Essay Research Paper Brandi Petelle33970266592199Our constitutional
Constitution Essay, Research Paper Brandi Petelle 339-70-2665 9/21/99 Our constitutional rights and civil liberties come into conflict with each other periodically because of certain disagreements and new issues that arise. This week a new conflict has come into play between the U.S. Constitution and ?voluntary school prayer.?
Prayer In School Essay Research Paper The
Prayer In School Essay, Research Paper The writers of the constitution saw how the kings and queens of many European countries used religion to mold the general population s ideas. For this reason, they decided not to make a government based religion. Also, there are private schools that children may go to if they need to pray in school.
Prayer In Schools Essay Research Paper Prayer
Prayer In Schools Essay, Research Paper Prayer in Schools I feel prayer should be re-established in America’s schools. There is a strong belief in God by the government, so our schools should also support that idea. Many use prayer as a guidance tool. It gives a lot of students something to believe in and a sense of hope.
School Essay Research Paper School Where
School Essay, Research Paper School! Where did they come up with that name? I guess because it rhymes with lame Now this rhyme you read will be quite corny Please don’t get upset, mad, or horny
Religion In School Essay Research Paper Religion
Religion In School Essay, Research Paper Religion in School No aspect of the church-state controversy arouses more emotion and discussion than the subject of prayer in the public schools. After all, public schools are supported with taxpayer money. What believer would want their taxes to support an institution that prohibits his children from praying? What nonbeliever would want their taxes to support an institution that requires her children to participate in prayer? Yet some believers think they know better than the Founding Fathers and want to tamper with the Bill of Rights.
Suspending Christ From The School System Essay
, Research Paper Suspending Christ from the School System I believe there is a connection between no prayer in our school system and its inevitable fall from grace. Ever since the 1962 judgement Engel v Vitale our school system has deteriorated. The judgment was between a group of parents who sued a New York public school district for requiring students to begin each school day by reciting a nondenominational prayer.
Islamic Rugs Essay Research Paper Wendy JenkinsAR
Islamic Rugs Essay, Research Paper Wendy JenkinsAR 103 AQuiz #1February 25, 1999Islamic Prayer Rugs Once inside the Mulvane Art Museum, my eyes became fixed upon beautiful rugs that lined the wall. As our tour guide, Frankie Parmen, explained these rugs are used in everyday life of Muslims. They are called Prayer Rugs.
Religion In Schools Essay Research Paper Religion
Religion In Schools Essay, Research Paper Religion In Public Schools In the past Religion was confined to the state now with religious freedom everything has changed or at least started to change. In order for
Principles In Prayer Essay Research Paper Principles
Principles In Prayer Essay, Research Paper Principles in Prayer There is a growing trend in America today that something drastically needs to be changed about our school system. The public is scared to send their children to a place where they could potentially be shot, stabbed, beaten, or be subjected to drugs on any given day.