The Monday Muse: School Prayer
Justin Taylor has posted a section from Os Guiness’s new book, The Case for Civility: And Why Our Future Depends on It, that discusses the issue of prayer in public schools. So our question for the week:
Should prayer be allowed in public schools? If so, on what grounds or conditions?
One Comment
burnshead
I agree quite completely with Os Guiness on this one, and I’ve found that my feelings on this subject have remained virtually the same since when I was in public high-school myself. Instituting teacher mandated / led prayer would be an absolute disaster and, as they say, is quite the sloppery slipe.
Constitutionally, students, as much as any other person enjoy the freedom of religion in the United States – to worship as they see fit, to believe as they see fit. This freedom is infringed upon when school staff begins to influence, lead, persuade, and preach from the lectern.
I personally am amazed that so many Christians support the concept of “school prayer” – it’s a dangerous thing, and considering the number of non-Christian teacher that taught at my high-school, teacher led prayer would undoubtedly lead to teacher led Muslim prayers, Mormon prayers, Scientologist prayers, etc.
This is not the result Christians are looking for when they petition for school prayer in public schools.