A very controversial widespread issue today is the right to have prayer
in public schools. The proposed amendment reads:
"To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates
of conscience. The people's rights to pray and to recognize their belief,
heritage or traditions on public property, shall not be infringed. The
government shall not require any person to join in the prayer or religious
activity, initiate or designate school prayers, discriminate against any
religion, or deny equal access to benefit on account of religion. (AVSP)"
This would permit but not mandate school prayer. I think that the
government should be focused on the school's academics, not what religion
they are to study. The proposed amendments would cause nothing but
trouble considering that there would be many arguments on what beliefs
should be taught. Religion is private and schools are public.
Having any prayer in school goes against the basis in which our
country was formed upon. America came into being because colonists
wanted religious freedom. Our founding fathers carefully wrote the
constitution to grant the freedom of separation of church and state. A
prayer created and supported by a government violate the very essence of
the spirit in which the US was formed. (Haas35)
Therefore, having a prayer in school would be unconstitutional. "A
radical school prayer amendment would attack the heart and soul of the bill
of rights which safeguards the rights of the individual from tyranny of the
individual." (Jasper96) Teachers are public employees, paid by the
taxpayers. The time it takes to recite a prayer is an expenditure of tax
dollars. (Haas36 ) This is a violation of the separation of church and state.
This whole issue is a big waste of time because students do have the
right to pray at school. No one can stop them from praying individually,
silently, or personally. this right has never, and could never be outlawed.... [continues]
in public schools. The proposed amendment reads:
"To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates
of conscience. The people's rights to pray and to recognize their belief,
heritage or traditions on public property, shall not be infringed. The
government shall not require any person to join in the prayer or religious
activity, initiate or designate school prayers, discriminate against any
religion, or deny equal access to benefit on account of religion. (AVSP)"
This would permit but not mandate school prayer. I think that the
government should be focused on the school's academics, not what religion
they are to study. The proposed amendments would cause nothing but
trouble considering that there would be many arguments on what beliefs
should be taught. Religion is private and schools are public.
Having any prayer in school goes against the basis in which our
country was formed upon. America came into being because colonists
wanted religious freedom. Our founding fathers carefully wrote the
constitution to grant the freedom of separation of church and state. A
prayer created and supported by a government violate the very essence of
the spirit in which the US was formed. (Haas35)
Therefore, having a prayer in school would be unconstitutional. "A
radical school prayer amendment would attack the heart and soul of the bill
of rights which safeguards the rights of the individual from tyranny of the
individual." (Jasper96) Teachers are public employees, paid by the
taxpayers. The time it takes to recite a prayer is an expenditure of tax
dollars. (Haas36 ) This is a violation of the separation of church and state.
This whole issue is a big waste of time because students do have the
right to pray at school. No one can stop them from praying individually,
silently, or personally. this right has never, and could never be outlawed.... [continues]
Cite This Essay
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(1999, 10). Prayer in School. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 10, 1999, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Prayer-School-19119.html
- MLA
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"Prayer in School" StudyMode.com. 10 1999. 10 1999 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Prayer-School-19119.html>.
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"Prayer in School." StudyMode.com. 10, 1999. Accessed 10, 1999. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Prayer-School-19119.html.
