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

religion to be in a private school now it is again trying to be in Public

schools. People ask "why can't freedom to acknowledge god be enjoyed again

by children in every schoolroom across this land?" In the past, a

long time ago children always prayed before class started and before lunch.

But things h ave changed, "in 1791 the separation of church and

state" started. Although it was made clear about the separation of

the two "as late as 1951 some twenty states permitted schools to begin the

day by reading aloud a passage of the bible." Bu t that had to stop.

People didn't have the same beliefs when it comes to religion, if a family

absent even believe in god why should their child be forced to pray? On

many different occasions questions similar to this one were brought up and

complained about. That is what started it all real big.

When complaining, arguing and fighting all started over the silent

moment. In 1978 a few lawyers got together and considered a constitutional

law. The original law said that public school teachers in gr ades 1-6

"shall announce that a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, shall

be observed for meditation." This law did not work for long, because it

still allowed oral prayer in public high schools. Later in 1981, the

Alabama State Senator D onald G. Holmes successfully passed a bill that

included all grades calling it "the moment of silence" this law said that

"the teacher (was) to announce that the silent moment may be used for

voluntary prayer." Although it would have to be si lent prayer. Even after

this new law started the lawyers that were opposed to this were trying to

say that students "do not have a right to pray in school" silently or

otherwise because of growing impressions that affect their life. The

silent mom ent supposedly "(forced) religion on children." I don't agree

with that at all, if there has to be a moment of silence then any child can

use that moment however he or she wants, it does not necessarily have to be

used fro prayer. Usually "the chi ldren who have been brought up with

prayer or some type of religion are usually proven to be better" kids. I

have friends who go to private schools where praying in class out loud is

perfectly O.K. and normal. This praying in the classroom usually would

have a pretty good size affect on the rest of a person's life. Although

when praying aloud it could force one type of religion on a student rather

than having them have more of a choice of what type of religion they want

or if they even want to ha ve a religion. When there would be the religion

in the classrooms. "School children not participating in the prayers or

the bible readings (would be) asked or required to leave the room."0 This

has been another big dispute because the bill of rig hts states that there

shall be "freedom of religion"1 therefore this means that if a person does

not believe in god or what ever the instance might be then they don't have

to. This means if you want to have any type of religion you may. The

childr en who are forced to leave the classroom to stand in the hall are

forced to make a statement that says "we do not believe in te god of te

state (or) we do not believe that prayer should be publicly displayed in a

public schoolhouse."This was all thought to be by mainly every one all

wrong, therefore if a child wished not to participate in the pledge o

allegiance or what ever it might be they did not have to leave the

classroom, stand silently in the halls, or write a statement in stead they

were allowed to just sit quietly in their seats.

Religion in public schools would be good for certain students but the

silent moment is good enough for now. Since religion has been tried in

public schools and hasn't exactly worked, the groups of children who wish

to have prayer meetings with other school members are allowed to have

meetings, groups, clubs, ect. before, at lunch or after school.

"Religion (in the public schools) can change a persons life"3 if a

parent wants their child to have religion they can send their child to a

private school and if a parent does not want their child to pressured in to

having a religion they should be able to send their child to a public

school and if he or she wishes to atend meetings then they can do so on

their own.

Religion can change a person life sometimes for the better, but then

again sometimes for the worse, although the silent moment cannot affect

anything "freedom to acknowledge god in every school room across this

land,"4 wouldn't al ways be a bad idea.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"School Board Bans Open Forums to Prohibit a Student Group Prayer."\Christ

Today\(February 1, 1985) 48-49.

Bosmajian, Haig. "To Pray or Not to Pray"\The Humanist

Magazine,\(January/February, 198 5) 13-17.

Gest, Ted. "What High Court Heard About School Prayer."\U.S.

News,\(December 17, 1984) 71.

Lewis, C. Anne. "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education Policy."\PHI

Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984) 163-164.

Roberts, Fransis. "The Uproar Over Sch ool Prayer."\Parents,\(January

18,1985) 55-57.

FOOTNOTES

Fransis Roberts, "The Uproar Over School Prayer,"\Parents,\(November,

1984), p.38.

Roberts, p.39.

Roberts, p.38

Beth Spring, "Can St ates Allow Prayer in Public Schools?"\News

World,\(January 18, 1985), p.56.

Spring, p.57

Roberts, p.38

Spring, p.57

Ted Gest, "What High Court Heard About School Prayer,"\U.S.

News,\(December 17, 1984), p.71 .

Haig Bosmajian, "To Pray or Not To Pray,"\The

Humanist\(January/February, 1985), p.14.

0Bosmajian, p.15.

1Gest, p.71.

2Bosmajian, p.15.

3Anne Lewis, "Creeping Religiosity and Federal Education

Policy,"\PHI Delta Kappan,\(November, 1984), p.163.

4Roberts, p.38

THESIS

Freedom to acknowledge God by children in every school room across this

land can sometimes but not always be acknowledged.