1 Prayer in Schools Taylor Daves College of Education, Grand Canyon University EDU-330: Social Justice for Educators Professor Susan Thompson December 9, 2021 2 The cultural identifier that I will be discussing is the question of whether or not religious acts should be tolerated in public education. Religion is among the most contentious disputes in the America Today. Christians exercise their religion partly through prayer. School prayer is defined as state-sanctioned or required prayer by pupils in public schools. Prayer in school adds an element of growth to the student’s development and will lead to a higher display of integrity in the students and administration. Part of the act of prayer is showing reverence, which is highly lacking in the school system this day in age. America is known as a melting pot due to its rich combination of peoples from all walks of life, cultures, and religions. One of the reasons America has failed to allow religious acts to be practiced in schools is because of forced assimilation. An example of social justice in allowing prayer in school would be to allow all cultures and religions to pray to their own god(s). This also helps us be able to learn to better prepare a path for other religions to be open and accepted. Prayer in schools would allow students to learn about its historic events, be more aware of school policies, be open to other’s current opinions, and improve the classroom environment by encouraging an open-mindset, respect, and improve the student’s morale. Historic Events For more than 50 years since its inception, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that all religious and verbal prayers in the schoolroom or at education events are in violation of the Constitution, urging states and school boards to examine whether or not religion should be permitted in public education (Lee, 2021). The Supreme Court ruled against prayer in school because it violated the First Amendment which prohibits the establishment of a religion and exercise of said religion. This rule was to encourage freedom, diversity, and unity. However, there was an immediate and widely disseminated public outcry. For many Americans it seemed 3 that the Supreme Court had taken God out of the school system. Even though this seems to be the common thought, the Supreme Court never eliminated prayer completely out of the school system, just official and school sponsored. Amendment I of The U.S. Bill of Rights states, “Congress Shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” -(U.S. Const. amend. I) The First Amendment and many of our founding Fathers are all quoted that they do not support the required practice of any faith. They also state that each person should be allowed to practice their faith in any manner they want and should not encounter any adverse consequences because of it. Current Opinions One current opinion against prayer in schools is by Neal McClusky, who believes that regaining public school-sponsored prayer should not be the focus of Americans. Instead, Americans and the government should switch their focus to school of choice. School of choice would allow Americans to attend a school that would align with their own religious beliefs and views. It is believed that this would allow a free neutral society. One current opinion that supports prayer in schools is by Steven D Smith, who believes that prayer in schools is part of the American Identity. Public schools developed to fulfil the job that had previously been occupied by an established church: they help to shape and communicate fundamental public values (Smith, S., 2020). Along with these opinions are many other opinions and myths concerning prayer in school. According to the article, “Prayer in Public Schools: It's Time To Set The Record Straight Church & State”, there are a few myths about how the public school can “handle” prayer in the public school. One myth is that students who might not wish to take partake in prayer might keep quiet or stand up and excuse themselves from the classroom (2020). This so called 4 “resolution” would not work because it biased. Singling a student out can cause mental harm and may potentially cause bullying from others. This would be showing favoritism to the majority which does not represent a culturally competent school. Another myth is that we can discover a prayer for school systems that is appropriate for everyone who attends and is not restricted to one particular religious group (2020). This “settlement” would not work for the fact that there is no “one-size-fits-all”. This act would be considered offensive any religion. Policies and Methods Prayer Spaces in schools have become a method of implementing a personal space in the classroom or even outside the school itself which allows students to have their own private space to think, read, or even pray quietly. This method allows individualism, mental health, and also gives students their own choice. Prayer spaces are not formal with multitudes of people; prayer spaces are for students to independently think and be creative along with having freedom in engagement. They also encourage personal development. Another method that has been implemented in the public education system is called ‘See You at the Pole’, which allows Christian students to gather outside the school building and around the flagpole for prayer before class begins. This encourages unity for Christians; however, it excludes other religions. Future Classroom Including prayer of all religions in schools may help to improve the morale of students in the classroom and allows them to understand how to manage conflict. Praying in school would not only help increase personal development; it can also increase exposure to other cultures and religions. The United States welcomes all religions, so prayer in school could include more than just prayer in the Christian faith. To quote Caroline Roberts (2020), “[Schools] are supposed to 5 be places that foster diversity of thought and teach students how to think critically by tackling different ideas”. In the event that prayer in schools were to be permitted, everyone would have the freedom to practice their faith in the manner that best meets the requirements of their faith. Students nowadays would benefit from this since it would allow them to become more aware of diverse cultures on a personal level that they otherwise may not encounter in society. As for teaching strategies, allowing prayer in school would help a future educator expose their students to other beliefs and cultures. It would help the educator be able to create diversity in the classroom as well as help the students learn identity. Educators would be able to exhibit the actions that just because someone doesn’t believe the same thing as they do doesn’t mean they’re any less. Culture today too often teaches us to hate others that are different than us. Allowing school prayer of all religions would encourage the opposite and even create a stronger bond between students and peers and students and educators all while becoming comfortable with their own individual identity through exposure. 6 References Lee, E. (2021). School Board Prayer: Reconciling the Legislative Prayer Exception and School Prayer Jurisprudence. Akron Law Review, 54(1), 75. https://search-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglt&AN=edsgcl.667744476&site =eds-live&scope=site. Prayer in Public Schools: It’s Time To Set The Record Straight. (2020). Church & State, 73(3). https://search-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLAiACO200430001052 &site=eds-live&scope=site. Roberts, C. (2020). How One Student Was Punished for Sharing His Religious Beliefs in a Private Chat. Alliance Defending Freedom. https://adflegal.org/blog/how-one-studentwas-punished-sharing-his-religious-beliefs-private-chat Smith, S. D. (2020). WHY SCHOOL PRAYER MATTERS: Steven D. Smith analyzes landmark Supreme Court cases. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, 303, 43. https://search-ebscohostcom.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.622556457&sit e=eds-live&scope=site.
