The Removal of Prayer from Public Schools Essay - 4217 Words

The removal of prayer from public schools is a very controversial and misunderstood debate. This paper will address the history of the debate, common myths and misunderstandings, and the current trends. History of the Debate: Public schools originated in 1647 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and soon spread across New England. They began with an elementary school for every fifty families and a Latin school for every one hundred families. Their mission was to â€Å"ensure that Puritan children learn to read the Bible and receive basic information about their Calvinist religion.†1 By 1840, conflict was at a climax in New York City. The public schools had taken on a â€Å"common school† education that included a†¦show more content†¦New York City adopted a 22-word Regent’s Prayer as part of their Statement on Moral and Spiritual Training in the Schools. In 1962, the United States Supreme Court was called upon to interpret the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution citing the Regent’s Prayer in violation (Engel v. Vitale). In a 6 to 1 decision (with 2 remaining neutral) the Supreme Court decided that the Regent’s Prayer, which was to be said aloud by each student in the presence of a teacher at the beginning of each school day, was unconstitutional: â€Å"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.† Mr. Justice Black delivered the opinion of the court: The State’s use of the Regents’ prayer in its public school system breaches the constitutional wall of separation between Church and State†¦The Establishment Clause does not depend upon any showing of direct governmental compulsion and is violated by the enactment of laws which establish an official religion whether those laws operate directly to coerce non-observing individuals or not†¦When the power, prestige and financial support of government is placed behind a particularShow MoreRelatedHistory Of The Preval Of Prayer In Public Education1538 Words   |  7 Pagesthe removal of prayer and the effect it has caused in our public schools. It is essential to understand that reinstating prayer back in public education can begin with understanding how to appropriately add balance. Within history, religions have been alternated by the removal of prayer and biblical reading without warning in 1963 for students to understand, without proper education and not offeri ng facilitator to teach students about religion. Students need to be exposed to literature from the divinityRead MoreDownfall of Education System was No School Prayer649 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Since prayer was removed from public school classrooms in 1962, we have had a 6-fold increase in violent crime, our divorce rate has tripled,births to single mothers have increased 5-fold, the teenage suicide rate has tripled, and SAT scores have dropped 10%.(Creation Today). Reasons that represent why prayer and moments of silence should be allowed in the public school system will be expressed. This essay will represent the affirmative stance when regarding this topic of school wide prayer and momentsRead MoreAgainst the Prohibition of Posting the Ten Commandments in Public Schools992 Words   |  4 Pagesposting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. To me, eliminating a simple posting relating to religion is the attempt to eliminate all forms of religion being in schools. I believe a very serious downward slide in behavior among students is caused by the removal of religion and eliminating the fear of God. With religion being in school, students were held to Higher Authority, thus students having a balance of moral conduct. If religion would have remained in schools, this current generationRead MoreShould Public Schools Begin The Day With A Silent Prayer Time?870 Words   |  4 Pages Should Public Schools Begin the Day with a Silent Prayer Time? Beginning the day with a silent prayer time in public schools is a very controversial topic. Some people say that prayer should not be allowed in public schools because public schools are funded by the tax payers, who are not all religious. Others say that prayer should be allowed in public schools because it would acknowledge the religious and spiritual heritage of America, and that it would improve the school environment and societyRead More Supporting Prayer in Public Schools Essay1078 Words   |  5 Pagesnot to allow prayer in public schools. Many Americans feel it is not right of the schools to teach religion. With all the diversity associated with the United States, public schools cannot select one standard religion to practice, due to the cultural and religious differences in the country. Not only are schools the storm center of controversy involving religious differences, they are the principal institution charged with transmitting the identity and mission of the United Sta tes from one generationRead MorePrayer In Schools Has Been A Much Talked About Debate In1434 Words   |  6 Pages Prayer in schools has been a much talked about debate in America over the past half-century. Conservatives, trying to regulate the religious freedoms of Americans , have tried numerous times to pass amendments that allow private student-led prayer in the classrooms(Baik, 243). Liberals, realizing that private prayer is and has always been legal, try to keep the balance between church-state separation as it is. This has kept the political issue of religion at a boil and confused many people on theRead MoreEssay on Prayer in School1341 Words   |  6 PagesOver the years, there has been a very controversial debate on whether there should be prayer incorporated within the public schools; half the population votes no on the topic. Many individuals feel that allowing prayer services within the schools will be offensive and time consuming. A common fear among the people is that there would not be an equal way to recognize everyone’s religion. There would be even more controversy as to which religions should be taught, in what manner, and it’s a veryRead MoreThe Issue of School Prayer1009 Words   |  4 PagesThe issue of school prayer has been a thorny one in the United States for many years now. In the beginning of the nineteenth century readings of the Bible and prayer were common practices in public schools. However prayer was banned in 1962 due to claims that it was violating the First Amendment right that the government was not allowed to support religion, and from then on the Supreme Court has ruled against any and all forms of prayer in schools. Schools cannot however ban students from praying inRead MoreAn Awareness Of A False Consciousness977 Words   |  4 Pagesmillennial generation, which is different from prior ones who were predominantly Christian. What is it that the millennials can be aware of or, influenced on, that causes this non-conformity towards religion? There has been a decline in Christianity and a rise in non-religious, this can be due to the awareness of abuse in Christianity, the removal of Christianity from public schools, and a new generation of its own community. There has been an awareness of the abuse from the Christian religion. There isRead MoreReligious Prayer Within Public Schools1431 Words   |  6 Pages Religious prayer within public schools has been a heated debate for many years and ultimately has caught national attention. Overtime many court cases have challenge this issue. The Constitution itself is on the fence of religious prayer because of the First Amendment’s freedom of speech clause which prohibits the government’s involvement with the freedom of exercise of religion. The policy of religious prayer within Mississippi public schools is a state policy level. In the year of 2013, Governor