What are your thoughts on public prayer in schools?

[Shortie]

I always remember when I used to go to school and it was specifically primary and junior school so from around year 1 up until year 6 as we call it here in the UK, we would always have prayer at the end of assembly. This is still something I believe some schools do still but it is not as common as it used to be.

What are your thoughts on public prayer in schools? Do you agree with it?

 

[Nycguy76]

I feel it's fair but I also think it's ok if children don't want to participate either.

 

[Shortie]

I feel it's fair but I also think it's ok if children don't want to participate either.

I can agree. I feel that having something like prayer in school should be allowed but students should be allowed to sit out and not pray if they do not wish to. Some children are more than likely going to want to pray if it's something they have been brought up with and it's something that they do.

When I was in school it was never a choice, everyone had to pray, the only time anyone could sit out is if they were a Jehovah's Witness and their parents asked if they could leave before prayer.

 

[Jason]

Some think it changes morality, but I'm skeptical and I think it's the parent's job to raise the child, though I understand many have bad or no parents. Well, how do you all solve this dilemma?

 

[CuriousFiend]

I feel it's fair but I also think it's ok if children don't want to participate either.

This is a position I find reasonable and therefore agree.

 

[CuriousFiend]

Some think it changes morality, but I'm skeptical and I think it's the parent's job to raise the child, though I understand many have bad or no parents. Well, how do you all solve this dilemma?

Excellent points.

Now regarding morality, I would suggest that ensuring healthy standards of morality—whether or not premised upon religious doctrines—is a shared responsibility of parents/guardians/caregivers & certainly also the education departments too—furthermore by extension these shared responsibilities are that of those politicking bureaucrats behind the respective education systems policies.

Thus it would be false to blame all responsibility solely on the parents/guardians/caregivers.

Obviously as education departments & policy makers are inescapably directly & indirectly involved—& to a significant degree—with influencing the development of school children.

Lastly, regarding the question: "Well, how do you all solve this dilemma?"...

...I would suggest we focus less on the resulting manifestation of negative *effects and instead we set about reorienting our attention towards correctly identifying & properly resolving the primary underlying causes of resulting effects thereof. I'll add, it may be wise to consider that sh_t tends to roll downhill...by which I mean an allusion to the fact that parents/guardians/caregivers & education department employees aren't the ones who are in primary positions of social nor policy making control....

 

[saoussen5765]

Prayer means being someone near to God. This means also he helps you with various facts about your life. Prevent people from going to prayer by saying that school or work is more important than the relationship with God is not something fair but this is my point of view only.

 

[King Belieal]

I live in a very religious country and schools still pray at the beginning and end of the school day depending on the religion of the owner or the dominant religion in that location.

I think praying in school is an unnecessary distraction and it tends to make the students to religious conscious which I feel isn't really good for the development of a child.

 

[CuriousFiend]

Prayer means being someone near to God. This means also he helps you with various facts about your life. Prevent people from going to prayer by saying that school or work is more important than the relationship with God is not something fair but this is my point of view only.

Yeah nah that is a fair point I reckon.

 

[arunima]

Prayers are a means to connect ourselves to supreme power and need not be seen through a religious angle all the time. Prayers are a part of assembly for modt schools in India. They make it sound secular in most schools as India is a land of multiple faiths staying together in harmony.But those run by Missionaries or are affiliated to any religious trust, follow the prayer of their faith.
I don't find anything wrong with it. It should not be imposed on anyone though. Students should have the choice to participate or not.

 

[Kross]

When it comes to religion, I always believe that whatever works for a particular person should be pursued. There is nothing wrong for a school whose founders are from a particular religion to publicly pray in their religious manner. If it doesn't sit down well with anyone, there are lots of choices for schools. The person can leave to another school.

 

[itsmejob]

Prayers are being done in a Catholic school or even in other public school. I remember the time before we start the class in grade school, the teacher will lead the prayer. And even in one of my minor subjects in college, my professor does the praying. But the students from other beliefs respected that - because we all respect each others beliefs.

 

[Henrywrites]

I always remember when I used to go to school and it was specifically primary and junior school so from around year 1 up until year 6 as we call it here in the UK, we would always have prayer at the end of assembly. This is still something I believe some schools do still but it is not as common as it used to be.

What are your thoughts on public prayer in schools? Do you agree with it?

I do not support it at all. I don't understand the reason any school proprietor should be favoring a particular religion in a school where people from different religions attend. It is wrong and should be stooped.

 

[Jason]

Excellent points.

Now regarding morality, I would suggest that ensuring healthy standards of morality—whether or not premised upon religious doctrines—is a shared responsibility of parents/guardians/caregivers & certainly also the education departments too—furthermore by extension these shared responsibilities are that of those politicking bureaucrats behind the respective education systems policies.

Thus it would be false to blame all responsibility solely on the parents/guardians/caregivers.

Obviously as education departments & policy makers are inescapably directly & indirectly involved—& to a significant degree—with influencing the development of school children.

Lastly, regarding the question: "Well, how do you all solve this dilemma?"...

...I would suggest we focus less on the resulting manifestation of negative *effects and instead we set about reorienting our attention towards correctly identifying & properly resolving the primary underlying causes of resulting effects thereof. I'll add, it may be wise to consider that sh_t tends to roll downhill...by which I mean an allusion to the fact that parents/guardians/caregivers & education department employees aren't the ones who are in primary positions of social nor policy making control....

In the US, a lot people want a return to Andy Griffith days and think school prayer is the key. They claim when God was taken out of school, all went downhill. However, you cant simplify moral decay to that degree, though.