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Prayer in the Public Schools

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Prayer in the Public Schools
Prayer in the Public Schools
Diana Brown
Everest Online
Composition 1-226

ABSTRACT
This essay is composed of facts supporting that prayer in Public Schools would be beneficial for the children and the United States of America. Prayer is an address to God or a god in word or thoughts. The Anti- Defamation League states that, “A moment of silence will inevitably be unconstitutional or the purpose and effect of such moments of silence are invariably to advance religion. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down requiring a moment of silence which students could use for silent prayer or meditation because it was enacted for the purpose of advancing religion. The Supreme Court has not determined if a moment of silence can ever be constitutional.”
The General rule – organized prayer in the public schools setting, whether in the classroom or at a school- sponsored event, is unconstitutional. The only type of prayer that is constitutionally permissible is private, voluntary student prayer that does not interfere with the school’s educational mission.
The Establishment Clause – forbids state-sponsored prayers in public schools settings, no matter how nondenominational the prayers maybe (Lee v Weisman, 505 U.S. 577(1962). “In our young nation, the Bible was used as a text book for the purpose of teaching children moral principles to live by. As time went on, the Bible was gradually replaced by other text books such as Noah Webter’s Primer. This is the exact opposite of the school curriculum today. The courts in this country have revised the First Amendment, thus erecting a wall of atheism around every public school in America, where in God is not allowed to mention.” This is not the same wall that Thomas Jefferson envisioned(David Bartons, 2009)”

Prayer in the Public Schools Prayer in the Public Schools would be beneficial for the children and the United States of America. Prayer is not a strange word in these United States. What happened to the way we


References: 1) www.adl.orgreligion_ps_2004?prayer.asp 2) www.allaboutpopularissues.org/prayer-in- -school 3) www.infidels.org/library/moderm/church-stateprayer.html 4) www.religioustolerance.org/nat_motto.htm public
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