Prayer In Public Schools Essay

The pros and cons of prayer in public schools have been debated for over forty years. The foundation of the United States is based on religious tolerance. The pilgrims came to this country because they were not free to worship and serve God leading to the guarantee of religious freedom in the Constitution. In years past, it was not acceptable in this country to proclaim disbelief in God.   Prayer in schools was an integral part of religious life. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, conservatives and liberals believed religion focusing on a personal relationship with Christ should be taught in schools (Zimmerman, pg. 1). It was not until the 1960’s that individuals began to have issues with this status quote. With more and more citizens coming forward to fight for their individual religious rights, it was decided by the Supreme Court that since everyone does not believe in God (or does not believe in the same God) open prayer should be removed from public schools. This does not mean that all prayer was removed from public schools. The 1962 ruling of the Supreme Court found organized school prayer unconstitutional (Manegold, pg. 1), which means that students can still pray privately. Yet, some people still found this unacceptable. No matter what side of the issue someone sits on, the fight surrounding prayer in public schools is deep and long-running. â€Å"Separation of church and state is a fundamental premise of our Constitution and our country,† (pbs.org, pg. 1). Prayer represents church and the Supreme Court and public schools represent state. The Constitution infers that the two should never meet. Those who oppose prayer in schools, first argue that prayer in public schools bring church and state together. The 1962 decision brought a surprising number of religious supporters. Martin Luther King Jr. was one such supporter. â€Å"It’s prayer decision was sound and good,† King declared, â€Å"reaffirming something that is basic in our Constitution, namely separation of church and state† (Zimmerman, pg. 1). Pastors and proclaimed Christians supported the Supreme Court because they did not want the state or government mixing in church affairs. Another argument focuses on personal rights guaranteed by the Constitution. As citizens of the United States, every person is guaranteed certain rights and public prayer impinges on those rights. Personal religious beliefs should not be forced onto someone else. Everyone has a right to pray and believe in what they want, whenever they want. The 1st â€Å"amendment sets out the principles regarding religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.   Basically, it protects our rights to worship as we want, say what we want, publish what we want, gather in groups, and make our concerns known to the government.   It also prohibits the government from identifying with a particular religion; effectively separating church and state† (pbs.org, pg. 1). When students are allowed to prayer publicly, the issue of others imposing their personal beliefs on others will occur. Prayer in school inhibits personal and guaranteed rights.   Supporters of prayer in public schools believe the Supreme Court has overstepped its authority. â€Å"The supreme Court†¦serves to clarify, refine and test the ideals written into the Constitution (pbs.org, pg. 1). It is their job to interpret the Constitution when lawsuits are filed concerning Constitutional laws. As a result of restricted prayer in public school, supporters of prayer continue to flood Congress with proposals to â€Å"keep the issue alive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Zimmerman, pg. 1), fighting to bring organized prayer back into public schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supporters argue that the amount of violence in today’s schools is directly linked to the ban of prayer in schools. It is not just a matter of students fist fighting but violence often involve knifes and guns, resulting in deaths. â€Å"Juvenile delinquency is on the rise. America is in an advanced state of moral decline,† (Zimmerman, pg. 2). Those in favor of prayer in schools are convinced that if God is brought back into the classroom, the violence will stop. The Bible teaches against violence and teaches love and tolerance. Collective and organized prayer will bring students together and stop violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States is a diverse country with millions of people who believe in different religions and serve different Gods (or the same God called by different names). Students have a right to go to school and not be made to feel uncomfortable because of public prayer. The problem with supporters of prayer in public schools is that they do not understand the Supreme Court’s 1962 ruling. The Supreme Court’s ruled organized prayer is unconstitutional. Students can still pray privately. There is no reason to have public prayer unless the goal is to sway individuals to a particular way of thinking. Twenty-two years before the 1962 ruling, in 1940, the Supreme Court ruled â€Å"that a public school may require students to salute the flag and pledge allegiance even if it violates their religious scruples† (pbs.org, pg. 2).   Although this ruling was overturned three years later, it shows how the subject of school and religion has always been a murky area. The issue of prayer in school remains â€Å"unsettled† from the Supreme Court to local governments to school officials (Manegold, pg. 1). The first amendment has guaranteed everyone the right to free speech, therefore, citizens of the United States will continue to fight for rights they believe have been infringed in any way. The debate over prayer in school has not ended and is not likely to end in the near future. Works Cited    Manegold, Catherine S. February 5, 1994. Senators Take a Cautious Stand on School Prayer. New York Times. Retrieved from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html. PBS. April 5, 2001. â€Å"School and Religion.† Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/school_prayer.htm. Zimmerman, Jonathan. January 25, 2001. â€Å"The Other Massive Resistance: School Prayer and the Conservative Revolution, 1962-1984†. New York University. Retrieved from http://www.virginia.edu/uvanewsmakers/newsmakers/zimmerman.html.