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Prayer In Public Schools

            
             For over the past thirty years there has been a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding the issue of prayer in public school systems. The controversy lays not so much around students praying individually but whether or not school officials should be allowed to lead prayer. Prayer and religion can have a great impact on students but at the same time interfere with an individual's First Amendment rights. Many politicians and groups from President Clinton to American Civil liberties Union have expressed their opinions surrounding this issue. Lawmakers have gone to great lengths to inform school systems of the laws surrounding school prayer in order to avoid any more conflict that may occur as a result of difference in opinion. .
             This controversy began back in 1962 after the Engel v. Vitale case, that state sponsored school prayer would be banned in public school systems. (ACLU: Constitutional Amendment.par. 19) Since this ruling, the rules regarding school prayer have been clarified. The First Amendment allows students to freely express themselves religiously but also separates it from government-sponsored religion. (Riley, par. 5) Students have the right to pray while not involved in a school-related activity. They also have the right to pray, converse, and even persuade other students regarding religion. (Riley: Religious Expression par 2) School officials have been instructed to in no way promote or hinder student prayer or religious gatherings on school property. (Riley: Religious Expression par 3).
             Another case that contributed to removing mandatory prayer in the classroom was the 1963 Murray v. Curtlett Supreme Court Decision. (American Atheists par 1) It also declared mandatory prayer unconstitutional and not only recognized the religious rights of Christians but also the beliefs of Atheists. (Amer. Ath. Par 7) The question arose of whether non-believers should be forced to take part n mandatory prayer since it would be against their beliefs.


Essays Related to Prayer In Public Schools

1. Outline On Prayer And Public School - Pros/cons

'Prayer in Public Schools' - outline - Introduction Sentence: Until around 1962, prayer was allowed to be practiced in schools across the nation. I - Society had no problem with school prayer before then. ... (37 states permitted prayer and 13 required Bible reading) 2 - 1963 - Germanton, Pennsylvania 3 - The state mandated that 10 Bible verses and the Lord's prayer be read each morning in public schools over the loud speaker. 4 - Edward Schempp (father) was a Unitarian and felt the prayer violated his children's religious freedom. ... b - S...

  • Word Count: 607
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Prayer In Public Schools

Prayer in Public Schools In today's world, the public school system has an enormous influence on a child's perception of what is wrong and what is right. ... Some say that for a country based to such an extent on religion, prayer rightly has a place in our public school systems. ... (Newsweek 1-2) Since the prohibition of organized prayer in public schools, the nation has been in fixed moral decline. ... (White 2) Many school prayer supporters believe there is a direct correlation between the exclusion of prayer from public schools and the decline of morality. ... (Ell...

  • Word Count: 1650
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography

3. Prayer in School

People were either for or against prayer in school. ... Some argue that allowing God back into public schools would allow children to have this hope. ... They ask, if school prayer were legal, exactly what type prayer it would be. ... James: A Student's Right of Prayer in Public Schools." ... "School Prayer." ...

  • Word Count: 1647
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Prayer In Public Schools

Voluntary prayer should be institutionalized as a daily part of life in public schools. Many people believe that prayer is not allowed in the public schools. ... Prayer is in fact allowed in the public school system - in school busses, at the flagpole, in student religious clubs, in the hallways, cafeteria, etc. ... Another case of public prayer at a public school was on April 6,1990 a group of teenagers in Burleston, TX assembled for a discipleship retreat. ... About seventy five percent of the public schools had a prayer service. ...

  • Word Count: 904
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Prayer In Public School

Prayer in Public Schools? ... While children in public schools remain a captive audience, some perceive prayer to be coercive and invasive. ... It goes without saying that public schools are responsible for the academic education of its students. ... Contrary to the belief of what many would like to think, prayer is widely practiced in many U.S. public schools. ... In 1962, The United States Supreme Court ruled that prayer should not normally be permitted or practiced on public school grounds. ...

  • Word Count: 819
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Prayer In Public Schools: Should it be constitutional

Prayer in Public Schools: Should It Be Constitutional The courts have ruled against prayer in school. ... Many people believe that prayer is not allowed in the public schools. ... Prayer enhances the learning environment at public schools. ... Religion is private and schools are public. ... The law prohibits public schools from...

  • Word Count: 2087
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

7. School Prayer

Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? ... Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. ... The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. ... Newt Gingrich's belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. ... Public schools are supported by taxpayers" money. ...

  • Word Count: 1821
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Prayer In Schools

Prayer in Public Schools Every form of religion attempts to communicate with their higher power in some way. ... A wide variety of religions are present in the public school system. ... Throughout American history, prayer has occurred in public schools both inside and outside of the classroom. ... The Director of Public Affairs in Washington, Terry Eastland states, "Neither the United States nor any state shall compose the words of any prayer to be said in public schools" (Eastland). ... In public school systems, prayer has taken place inside and outside the classroom. ...

  • Word Count: 1204
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Prayer In School

Prayer in public schools has become a hot subject of debate for those arguing over the separation of church and state. ... Everyone is guaranteed the right to pray voluntarily, but a public school cannot require someone to say a prayer. ... Prayer in school is doing some justice to those who feel "legendary" and are proud to pray in public. ... Prayer in public schools has become a hot subject of debate for those arguing over the separation of church and state. ... Everyone is guaranteed the right to pray voluntarily, but a public school cannot require someone to say a prayer. ...

  • Word Count: 2962
  • Approx Pages: 12
  • Grade Level: High School

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