I recently heard someone say that now our children are not even allowed to pray privately in our public schools, or that steps are being taken to prohibit them from doing so.    This is an issue I have come head to head with many times.  I believe in prayer.  I want my children and grandchildren to pray.  I wish I prayed more than I do.  But why all the fuss about praying in school? 

When I was a kid (not all that long ago even if I am a grandma), we never had a teacher lead us in prayer.  I don't know if it was "illegal" then or not.  I just know we didn't do it as a class.  But I remember very clearly sitting in my classes or study hall  praying many times .  I remember walking to school praying.  I remember all through the day, there would be prayers for other kids, myself, my situations, etc.  But probably no one knew I was praying.  Sometimes, I'd have tears streaming down my face because I would feel the presence of God so strongly sitting right there in my study hall class.  And I treasured those times.  I needed those times desperately to get me through the tough times.  There is no way a teacher, a principal, or a judge for that matter,  could have taken that away from me.  Not even Madelon Murray O'hara, or whatever her name was,  herself could have stopped me. 

Why do people think our prayers have to be public, out loud, or led by someone else? 

First of all, why should a teacher who doesn't even believe in God, or in my God and Jesus, be expected to lead our children in prayer.  And I for sure don't want anyone leading my children or grandchildren in a prayer to any other god.  We have to face the fact that there are many religions in America and we don't all believe in the same god, let alone the same doctrine.

But what is really the heart of the matter?  Is it prayer in the school?  I don't think so.  Perhaps taking prayer out of school was just  a symptom of a deeper problem.  I believe the real issue is a "heart" issue.  The real issue is a "kingdom" issue.  God no longer fits in our society.  We are a nation that has chosen to run their lives and this country on their own.  And look at the mess we are in.  There are far more important things for our teachers to be concerned with now.  They don't have to fear a child will pray in school, or perhaps band with some other kids for corporate prayer.  No!  They have to worry about what else the kids are up to.  Who today may be hiding a gun in their locker or coat--or a knife?  Who will be injured today?  Will the teacher be the next victim?  Can she/he stop a crime from happening right there on the school premises? 

What about the drugs--forget the cigarettes?  Who today is going to begin their journey into hell on earth by taking their first joint, or their first pill, or their first snort, or their first shot of heroin or cocaine?  Do you hear what I'm saying?  We have far more important things to concern ourselves with than whether or not our children can pray publicly in school.  We have to be concerned about their very lives.  It wasn't like this when I was in school. 

It concerns me when I hear that a youth pastor can't get into the school to minister to hurting children, because he's a Christian.  It concerns me when people cry out for more condoms, more "DARE TO SAY NO", more sex education (the politically correct way), but none consider that these children are lost.  They have no purpose.  They have no hope.  They have no one to look up to and to guide them.  'They have been programed to not believe the very thing (the very one) that can help them--God.  It's okay to play Dungeons and Dragons, it's okay to watch violence on TV, or play video games that seem to promote beating, raping, and killing.  It's okay to get on the internet even in our schools and libraries and look at adult porno because it's free speech.  But it's not okay to talk about, or pray to God in those same schools?  Now you tell me, what is wrong with this picture? 

This whole matter doesn't make sense to me.  I hate things that don't make sense.  It drives me up the wall.  To me it feels like a losing battle. 

My remedy:  Our world won't change unless there is a heart change.  There won't be a heart change until people realize they are in trouble and need someone bigger than they are to help them.  All I can do is pray, and live my life in a way that will present the message of Christ and his kingdom to my friends, loved ones, neighbors, and co-workers.  I can show love and compassion.  I can be there to help in their time of need.  I hope I can be "God with skin on" in the lives of those around me.   I hope my life can show some child, some adult, that there is something to this "God" thing. 

The courts ruling that our kids can pray in school again isn't going to change things that much, unless the change comes about because people are realizing what they have lost and what our society has lost.  Let's quit bickering over these kinds of things and begin taking steps to make changes one person at a time- one child at a time.  What child or adult do you have contact with?  Who in your community could use some love and care?  'Who can you be "God with skin on" to? 
 
 

I do want to clarify that I don't agree nor do I like for others to try and take the rights of our children to pray wherever, and whenever they want (assuming it is not during class time or other inappropriate times for a prayer gathering).  Just as our children have a right to take a stand for any other belief they may have, and speak openly about it, they have the right to pray and to even share their beliefs with their friends.  (Isn't this better than sharing their drugs with each other?)  If they have the right to hold other non-school activities at the school, then there has to be the freedom to also have their prayer gatherings  or Bible studies.  This is not what I am getting at all. 

My son informed me that at his high school, this issue was presented to the principal and he agreed they had the right to hold their meetings, however, when the time came, he put up roadblocks to keep them from letting other kids know, tried to prevent the meetings, etc.  I know there is a fear that some poor child will be influenced by Christianity, and somehow the message seems to be coming that our kids can't handle having a choice of what to believe about God and the Bible.  Yet, they can make choices about having sex, what kind of sex to have, birth control, abortions etc., without even letting parents know, and the school system helps them keep the parents in the dark.  Does this make sense?  I give our kids more credit than that.  They can hear all about Jesus, Buddha, Hinduism, etc., and decide for themselves what is truth.  But all this is another subject that I'm sure I will deal with later.

Response from: Lynn Smith

While I agree with most of what you have said on this subject, I will make a few points and try to keep it short. I believe that there are no grounds, legal or otherwise, to allow schools, courts, or government in any form or fashion to prevent school lead prayer or individual prayer. I did grow up in a school system that had a morning prayer at the beginning of each day over a speaker system. I don't support forced prayer in schools for any reason. Voluntary prayer is a different matter. You must approach many of these issues, where intermingling occurs with a secular world, with secular logic for anyone to consider your point of view. Outside of the spiritual context, there is the constitutional context. How can these institutional entities block or prohibit something that is completely constitutional. If we have "Freedom of Religion" and "Freedom of Speech" as subscribed in our constitution, then how can prayer be legally prevented? It can't! It can be prevented, but not legally. It can only be prevented through the modern day courts so as to appear to be legal. They themselves are in violation of our constitution in rendering judgments that are counter to these fundamental, constitutional rights. That's just my opinion.

This response and the website was difficut for me to read and put in here.  I want to say to Bill and his son that I'm sorry that people did this to him in the name of Christianity.  I hope those that read his response and visit his site will be ashamed at the way they were treated for trying to enforce their rights as a US citizen.  Regardless of their beliefs or anyone else's, we never have a right to treat someone this way, especially those of us who believe in Christ and want to follow in his footsteps, and I certainly don't want to hear that anyone who contacts him as a result of this article placed here treated him with anything but love and respect. 

Response:

I see that you made some clarifications at the end of your "Prayer in School" opinion and that is good.Public School prayer causes violence.

You stated in your opening on this page, "There are issues that always bother me, and I have strong opinions about them." I too have issues that bother me and like you I have strong opinions about them also. One of the issues that bother me is public school prayer, or any public prayer that is sponsored by the government. I haven't always had strong opinions about school or public prayer. It was only after I had a personal experience with the violence associated with public prayer that I came to realize the necessity maintaining a separation between the Church and the State.

In taking a closer look at your statement: I know there is a fear that some poor child will be influenced by Christianity, and somehow the message seems to be coming that our kids can't handle having a choice of what to believe about God and the Bible. I see, not that some poor child will be influenced by Christianity, but the interference of in someone else's raising of their children as they see fit. Would you like the government telling you what religion your child should be practicing in public schools?

Many Christians believe that the United States is a Christian Nation and use their belief to try to pass laws, which favor their ideas. Religious based laws that would subject all the citizens of the United States to follow one religion, one God, one type of prayer -- Christian religion and Christian prayers. The United States of America is too diverse culturally for one religion to dominate in government. When one religion dominates a government, the freedoms of all the other religions are lost and become second class-- that is the end of --Freedom of Religion.

Many Christians also believe that United States has been on a downward spiral ever since God, the Bible and prayer was taken out of public schools, that is a lie. No law in the United States was ever written that banned a student from praying in school. It can also be said that since mid 1950's that the United States has been on a downward spiral ever since God was inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance and into the US currency. When the veterans of WWII and Korean Conflict recited the "Pledge of Allegiance" it was a godless pledge. The original Pledge of Allegiance written by Francis Bellamy in August 1892 did not mention God. The original pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In June 14, 1954 God was inserted into "Pledge of Allegiance." Religious fear and intimidation during the McCarthy era, created the change in the "Pledge of Allegiance" and currency motto.

Our Founding Fathers were educated men and knew about the domination of religion in government and the conflict that it creates.  The 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights was written in such a way to separate the Church and Government to prevent the religious conflict that religion causes. I think that conservative Christians do more harms to the Christian persuasion than they realize. Politicians, who cater to those Christians that call for prayer in school, or public prayer, are destroying the very basic principals in Freedom of Religion. You may not know of the terrorist tactics that were aimed at my family by Christians. You can learn more about the terror directed at me and my family at: http://www.mindspring.com/~wjager/christian-intolerance.html  . Don't make the mistake and tell me that these Christians who terrorized my family were not Christians; my answer to that would simply be, "Excuse me, can I help you please, I am sorry."

Thank you for the opportunity to vent my strong opinions on this subject.  Bill Jager

For this reason, I shall, "Render unto Cesar that which is Caesar's,"  and refrain from praying at this time.  However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God, and askHim in the name of Jesus to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet.