We Need More Prayer In Public Schools: Article Analysis

The “Establishment Clause” is a limitation within the United States Constitution preventing the Government from passing legislation respecting, promoting, or otherwise supporting an establishment of religion. The clause has been at the heart of many court cases that have gone through the United States Judiciary. From the first case of Bradfield v. Roberts in 1899 to the most recent case of Santa Fe Independent School Dist. v. Doe in 2000. Although some cases dealt with appropriations, many cases brought before the courts dealt with the introduction of religion and religious activities within government institutions, especially in public schools. Should local, state, or the federal government support, establish, participate in, or otherwise
However, society stills considers this a contentious debate that shows this is still a sensitive topic among religious and non-religious Americans. Armstrong Williams writes in his article “We Need More Prayer”, “A few moments of prayer in schools seems a small thing - harmless enough, almost to the point of insignificance. Yet it has provoked an impassioned firestorm of debate about the dangers of imposing viewpoints…” Prayers is school may be innocent enough but it can and does marginal religious minorities. These debates being had throughout the country on the topic of religious prayers in public schools is an issue that almost certain will end in a stalemate. There are far too many voices that are being heard regarding this issue and none seems to be willing to compromise. But this is a good thing. People can agree to disagree and this is good for the country. Expression and speech are two great rights we have as US citizens and we have the right even compelled to use said rights. However the Government is not made up of one individual who has one voice and speaks for all. It is made up of many people with many voices that speak for everyone. Religious prayer simply cannot exist in schools because there are too many religions. It has too many voices of faith and faiths which hosts many different deities. Government and areas of public learning should just
Justice Hugo Black, the Justice which authored the court’s opinion in Engel v. Vitale stated in the decision, stated “The prayer of each man from his soul must be his and his alone. That is the genius of the First Amendment”(qtd in Lewis). Prayer and religion needs to be between him or herself and the God in which they believe in. The government has no authority to allow these activities to exist in public education. It would not only cause schools to alienate some of the student body who happen to be in the religious minority but it is possible that it would cause great emotional stress. If religious prayer is so important to a student then I would argue for the parents to move that student to a religious based school. It would be that easy. And what of the many faiths? It would almost be impossible to allow religion in public schools because of the many faiths there are. Which religion should the prayer come from? Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Pagan, Rastafarian, Taoism? The logistics of such a conquest would be an enormous and painstakingly time consuming. It would remove important time from learning. Public schools should just remain what they are, “public’. It is where the vast majority of students in a given city, of all faiths and walks of life, come to