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.
II. First of all they are going against the Bible. As to quote, Matthew 6:5-6:
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and on the street corners. But when you pray, go into your room,
close the door and pray… So as you can see those who pray in places such as the
cafeteria, middle of the hall or things of that nature is actually going against
the bible. Now I am not saying that a person should not pray in schools, but they
should do it just as the Bible says in a personal place. If a student can’t find a
personal place, and have an undesirable need to pray, they need to not make a big deal
out of it. Praying as put in the Bible is a personal experience between that person and
God. Not an event to be proclaimed up and down the hallway.
III. Another problem there is with praying in schools is the fact that there are some
students who don’t believe in God. The purpose of a democracy is to have the majority
decide but yet always respect the rights of the minority. Some administrators, teachers,
parents, and most importantly, kids, just feel uncomfortable when it comes to religion.
Several factors could be attributed to this problem, from too many religions and religious
theories to religious pressure to lack thereof. But whatever the reason some people feel
offended by seeing these students pray. They think that their rights are being infringed
upon. Well in example, if a shirt some student is wearing offends a person they tell someone
about being offended. Someone else is also offended and so they tell someone. These 2 people
influenced by what they have heard tell more people. This chain reaction continues until that
kind of shirt is not allowed in schools, in example Marilynn Manson shirts. The minority
there is the students wanting to wear the shirts; the majority is the people offended by it.
The majority spoke and the minority is told to fallow. But now it is the minority being
offended no one cares to do anything about it.
IV. The last problem I have are the advocates of school prayer say that without it there is
moral decline, blaming the absence of school prayer for everything from low SAT scores to
teenage pregnancy. But it just won’t work. In fact, legislated school prayer would make things
worse. For a school to require students to recite, for example, a Christian prayer would give
Christianity a special status, implying that other religions are somehow inferior. One religion
would be pitted against another, conflicts would arise, and intolerance would grow.
The only palatable compromise in a directed public school prayer would be a watered-down
prayer that would be meaningless to the deeply religious and an infringement on those who
follow no religion. Some of our senators are trying to pass an amendment in have school
prayer required. But the First Amendment begins Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof… If we were to have
this school wide required prayer we would be in essance establishing a religion. And even
though what they are trying to pass is a constitutional amendment it goes against on of
the main things our forefathers came here for. The First Amendment is one of the finest laws
man has ever written. For over two hundred years, it continues to mean exactly what it was
originally intended to mean: Religion and other fundamental rights should remain beyond
the reach of majorities and governments, and certainly not subjected to the
political whims of Congress.
Bibliography
Biblyography
FAQ. Prayer in Schools. http://www.atheists.org/schoolhouse/faqs.prayer.html.
Downloaded December 16, 1999
Maryland teen walks out of Graduation over Prayer. Prayer in schools.
http://www.freedomforum.org/religion/1999/5/28mdgradprayer.asp Downloaded December 16,
1999
Smudge Report. Bible verse. http://www.smudgereport.com/longstories/prayer.html
Downloaded December 16, 1999
Bible Belivers should oppose school prayer. School Prayer.
http://users.cnmnetwork.com/lotl2k/prayer.html Downloaded December 16, 1999
The Bible and Public Prayer. Public Prayer. http://www.religioustolerance.org/prayer.htm.
Downloaded December 16, 1999
