Religion should be allowed in schools
By Jennifer Amichia
"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."
What’s missing here? Look closely. “One nation... indivisible�. Before 1955, this was how the pledge was recited. “Under God� was not a part of the pledge.
Some people believe that religion should be kept private in the public school system while others believe that religion is a foundation for many people in the school system. As adolescents, we are extremely impressionable and our need for security is great. They find it in drugs, at home, with friends, or at church.
Many people have some form of religion whereas some people, known as Atheist, who don’t believe in Heaven, hell, or any type of spirituality. Atheists believe that you live and then you die; plain and simple, which must be a really unhopeful lifestyle. Some Atheist believe that people believe in Heaven simply because they want to think they will see loved ones again. There are numerous sites where Atheists oppose any type of religion in school.
“School prayer is obviously a form of religious indoctrination; it teaches children that there are invisible, supernatural entities which can be implored and appeased through mumbling prayers or reading from holy books.� www.atheists.org
Prayer was once very acceptable. Saying grace in unity was nothing out of the ordinary, it was part of everyday life. However in 1963, the case of Murray vs. Curlett caused the U.S. Supreme Court to ban structured prayer in public schools. Supposedly, public schools were forcing children to pray against their will. Prayer has been the answer and refuge for many people. Now we have a “moment of silence�. Silence? For some it is simply a morning custom. Yet for others it is a time to dig within themselves and thank/ask God for anything.
My pastor once described prayer in this sense; when you take a fish out of water, regardless of the size, it begins to die because you have cut off its source, the same is for people of prayer, when we stop praying and leave God’s presence, we begin to die spiritually. Many great things have emerged in the Christian society due to prayer. How could something so great be ridiculed?
It’s funny how twisted our society has become. We cannot pray because of religion, but it is okay for condoms to be handed out. What message do you think this sends to us as students? GO HAVE SEX? It seems unusual for teenagers to not be having sex, yet, a majority of the time; this decision is made due to a personal or religious value. Nevertheless, it is a decision as life is all about decisions. What you decide to do in life is your decision.
Religion should not be hidden in the back of our closets. If you do believe in God, you should never be ashamed. Times are troubling. 2005 held some tragic events, yet all of these things were prophesized in the Bible.
Faith is defined as being sure of what we hope for, it is being certain of what we do not see. If the school system is so against religion in school, then why does the money we use in school STILL say “In God We Trust�?
You seem to believe that you are not allowed to pray in school. This is another sign of the dishonesty that is an inevitable consequence of the politicization of religion by the "religious right." But is there any law anywhere that prevents you from praying? If there was such a law, it would surely be a terrible thing indeed. In fact there is no such law nor can they be; your right to pray is protected by the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. So why is it that you and so many other politically religious people are so convinced that you cannot pray? The answer is that it's what they want you to think. The religious right has never abandoned their demands for what they call "prayer in schools" since the landmark Supreme Court case to which you referred. But they're not interested in prayer in schools for people like you, because you already have it. They want prayer in schools for the people that aren't praying, don't want to pray, prefer to pray on their own personal terms, or have religious beliefs that are incompatible with Christian prayer.
Intellectual honesty forces us to admit that historically Christianity has repeatedly used methods that were unethical, and at times even evil to spread itself. Examples abound: the Crusades, the Inquisition, the genocide of Native Americans, the Salem Witch Trials. Why should it now be given access to the mechanisms of the state in a country that prides itself on religious freedom?
-Michael Gaare
Pebblebrook 2000
I teach at Thomas Downey High School in Modesto, CA, and part of our mandatory curriculum includes a component on world religions. It has been patterned after in other parts of the country because other districts realize it is a good idea. Our country has so many different faiths, gods and beliefs, that it(hopefully) creates more understanding and harmony to educate ourselves about the major world religions.