posted November 26, 2003 07:43 PM              

My oh so curious mind is at work again. Does anybody have any thoughts about this question?

In the US, there has been a ban placed in public schools against organized prayer.

I think that I am in favor of this, because some children, albeit the minority amount of them, but still a very important portion of them to address, would feel left out if they happened to be being raised by an atheist family.

Also, there could be some divisions drawn between the different children if the prayers included in the activity were only Christian worshipping for the most part, ( the most popular spiritual path followed in the US )...

while other religions and paths outside of Christianity were not advocated in an equal manner as well, leading to those children not being raised in a Christian faith not being fairly represented by the practice of the prayer sessions too.

I don't know how I feel about adults in these same situations, like in an office or something like that, but I am pretty definite that I feel that children shouldn't be made to feel excluded by a group activity like this one if they don't wish to participate in it due to their lack of belief in a God in general, or due to their lack of connection with the Christian faith if that faith happens to be the only one being represented in the prayers for the most part.

I just know how children can be to other children who are "different" in some way, and I do think that for the most part something like this should not be a part of the daily routine in schools.

These practices could segregate the "believers" from the "non-believers," whether the difference between all of them is made by their contrasting beliefs in God as an all around concept, or by one group believing that Jesus is the Savior, etc... while one group on the other hand doesn't believe that Jesus is the Savior, etc...

Any agreement or disagreement about all of this?

Thanks so much for any replies!

posted November 26, 2003 09:25 PM            

I think you pretty much answered your own query. There's really no way to implement prayer into the public school system in a fair and balanced manner that respects all faiths, or lack thereof. Probably the most that could be done is to allow students a moment of silence for their own contemplation, to use as they will.

I don't see any place for mandatory prayer in an office, either.

posted November 26, 2003 09:41 PM              

I don't believe anyone (at least in my area) stills employs the practice but when I was in school we had a "moment of silence." A minute or two of quiet children before class started. Imagine! If we wanted to pray we could pray - to whichever God or Godddess we preferred, if we wanted to meditate we could meditate, or use the time to gather our thoughts and prepare for the day. Or maybe just stare out the window and enjoy a peaceful moment! Can't remember if it was before or after the Pledge of Allegiance. In retrospect I really think this is the most democratic of alternatives. It acknowledges something spiritual without specifying. It allows the individual to choose and keeps that choice private. How American is that.

posted November 27, 2003 09:25 AM              

We had religion class once a week, which included also learning about other religions, what and why they believe what they do. I don't think that hurts anyone. Aside from that there were the compulsory religious ceremonies, first confession, first communion, confirmation, (not necessarily in that order! )

Yes, the seperate school board is also funded by the government: the public and seperate boards get even amounts of money, however tax payers pay a higher tax if their kids go to catholic school. The nice thing about the cath. schools are that the classes are generally small. My grade school classes were about 24 kids, and the public system kids had classes about 30-32 kids/classs.

Also, all the french and bilingual schools are catholic schools. That Canada has two school boards has a very long history. When the British won the war against the French in 17xx (?), they gave the French (Quebecois) certain rights, i.e. the right to practice their religion (catholisism as opposed to anglicans/protestants), the right to their own schools in their own language, among other things. This is also the basis of the french/anglo Canadian question.

So, after all this lol...my belief is that everyone should have the right to pray to whom they like, but religion should be taught in every school (not necessarily "how to be a good catholic 101", but an overview of all world religions). I think the world would definitely be an easier place to live if people understood where each other are coming from.

posted November 27, 2003 10:38 AM            

Prayer is the foundation of life, whoever one prays to, and that time should be given to every person who desires it.

juniperb

posted November 27, 2003 11:29 AM              

Although they may indeed receive public funding from the govt., it is already well known that the pupils there will be educated in religion and the like as part of the general curriculum.

I am confused about religion's role in a public school though. I definitely do like the idea of classes that focus and center on ALL the religions/spiritual paths of the world, including the discussion of why some students/families are even atheist in belief, because I also do believe that that kind of discussion would work to foster much understanding between people.

A class like that one could obviously be thought of and approached as a social science class in that regard, and certainly not thought of as anything that is meant to convert or influence the students there.

It could be thought of as being akin to the geography classes that are already used as part of the curriculum in schools.

Menaing how students are taught about all of the different countries of the world in geography class, but at the same time that all of that education about different cultures is happening for them, that doesn't mean that anyone is trying to tell any of them to go live in any of those places and/or take up any of the customs of those other cultures just because they are being educated about all of them in their school.

By the same token, it would be understood that merely because they were being instructed about all of the different spiritual/religious possibilities of the world, including atheism as a belief as well, in these new classes, it does not mean that anyone is trying to tell them to take up and support any single belief spoken about there, so much as it is just all being taught to them for the purposes of their general education regarding all of the world beyond them.

But, as for the prayer to start the day routine, I just can't really get behind something like that though however.

It kind of takes on a whole different tone to me when religion/spirituality is being approached that way as opposed to the way it's approached during a required sociology course.

It just seems to me like the purposes are entirely different in the two instances.

No one has to actually be asked to take part in any prayers during the classroom instruction, nor do they have to actually supposedly believe in any purposes of prayer during the class either, whereas in a daily prayer routine, it is sort of being impressed upon you in it that you should believe that prayer has this value, and you should do it right here and right now, and...etc.

But however, the idea of a mere moment of silence to begin the day is totally ok by me, without the obvious reference to God or the like being mentioned in it though.

I think that would help everyone get their concentration ready to begin tackling their studies for the day if that was instituted instead, without having any other specific implications be involved in it.

All right, I'll toss all this other stuff out to anyone who wants to respond to any of it now, lol.

In the US, I am curious to know where anyone stands on The Pledge Of Allegiance's reference to God, or about having Godly references on dollar bills, and monuments with the Ten Commandments found in court buildings, etc...?

I generally believe in the separation of church and state as a practice, so I am basically in favor of these references being removed.

However, I have no problem with tv shows having multiple references to God in them, like "Touched By An Angel" or "Joan Of Arcadia" do right now, nor do I have any real problem with radio and tv broadcasts that feature the worship of God, since if anyone doesn't wish to watch/listen to these different programs, I'm sure that they know how to change the channel or station to a different one if they don't really like what they are seeing or hearing on the first dial etc...

I also have absolutely no problem with outdoor public worship services in honor of anyone's religion, since I can just keep on walking by when I see them and I don't wish to join in, and so long as no one is soliciting me to come and join up with the service at all.

And I obviously have no problem with anyone wearing their own cross, or pentacle, or whatever religious symbol they want to wear around their neck etc... so long as they don't also try to solicit me into their faith at the same time that they make their own expression by wearing it.

However, I definitely do have a problem when certain religious practioners take it upon themselves to come to my home and try to educate me about THEIR OWN religion without ever being asked by me to do so, and I am also not very keen at all on going bike riding and seeing flyers that promote THEIR religion stuck to telephone polls, nor am I that happy when someone tries to get my attention and speak to me about THEIR religion when I am only trying to walk into a mall merely to buy some scotch tape sometimes either, lol.

I'm just bringing all of this up because all of this is a very hot debate in America right now, and I am just curious to get as much input as I can out of curiosity about it all.

I think that I already have my own mind made up right about now anyway, but I'm always curious to know about other opinions just in case I am missing something that someone else has to say about it.

But, of course, if the subject is just too controversial, and it will just be too upsetting to everybody, then we can just all end the topic as it stands right now though, I'll understand, lol.

posted April 26, 2021 10:52 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by TINK:
Gosh this can be an awfully touchy subject so before thing get ugly...

I don't believe anyone (at least in my area) stills employs the practice but when I was in school we had a "moment of silence." A minute or two of quiet children before class started. Imagine! If we wanted to pray we could pray - to whichever God or Godddess we preferred, if we wanted to meditate we could meditate, or use the time to gather our thoughts and prepare for the day. Or maybe just stare out the window and enjoy a peaceful moment! Can't remember if it was before or after the Pledge of Allegiance. In retrospect I really think this is the most democratic of alternatives. It acknowledges something spiritual without specifying. It allows the individual to choose and keeps that choice private. How American is that.

---