With the state that the nation is currently in, prayer in today’s schools has once again become a controversial topic. Many believe that schools exist to educate. While children in public schools remain a captive audience, some perceive prayer to be coercive and invasive. While religion is considered private and schools public some argue that it is not appropriate that the two should mix. Some would also argue that prayer and religion are a necessary part of human life, which often helps fulfill the “total” human experience. Is it detrimental to strip these parts of life from the schools?
I pose the question, “How can prayer be harmful?” I agree that mandating a special time for prayer may offend some. Does it have to be designated as prayer time? Does prayer have to be specific to any one religion? Or would it just be better if schools adopted a “quiet time” at the beginning of each day? Each student could decide if they choose to use that time for prayer. This was a suggestion made by Secretary of State Colin Powell. His opinion is that a moment of silence would allow students with different religious beliefs to participate. Some would pray, while others would reflect on the
To conclude, I personally feel that the suggestion made by Colin Powell to offer a moment of silence would be a win-win situation for parties on both sides of the argument. It would certainly allow those students who have strong religious beliefs a moment to pray with their God. For those who have little or no religious beliefs this moment of silence could be for self-reflection, daydreaming, or whatever else they have on their mind. This way schools would not be forcing students to participate in any specific religious practices, which they may find offensive. The Pledge of Allegiance should not be altered in any way. It has been around for over one hundred years. I don’t believe that one individual complaint should justify the revision of the Pledge of Allegiance. I believe that it is up to the children in school to recite the pledge. If they don’t feel comfortable with saying it, then they can sit down or step away from the classroom. I feel many have the same opinion when it comes to praying in schools and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I think it should be a way of life for the children to do this morning ritual because it not only reminds us about our “creator”, it also helps us kn
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