School Prayer Essay

331 Words2 Pages
John wants prayer in school, and Mary does not. Describe a compromise position you think John and Mary might agree on, and identify any problems that position might encounter. Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. John and Mary are having an impasse with prayer in schools. The First Amendment protects both the believers and non-believers by being neutral about belief. Children and adolescences have the right to choose to pray voluntarily. “The Supreme Court has ruled that students are allowed to organize, voluntarily, religious clubs -- which can include prayer and Bible study—at public schools, just as they might any other kind of club (Mosser, 2010, pa. 2.3)” Yes, we should keep religion and school separate, but the children has the choosing to do it voluntary. Staff and faculty members cannot be involved, or they will be considered interfering with the child’s rights. Since the children come from different religions, or atheists, prayer in only one religion is not a compromise. A solution could be something simple or complicated. One suggestion is for the students themselves to have a prayer and Bible study group, probably at a mealtime or extracellular activity time (where they hold time for clubs). The believers also could have a moment of silence for their prayer time. The other non-believers do not have to join them. As long as the adults are not involved, it should be not a problem. Another option is for John and Mary to hold an assembly for the students to decide for themselves. It could bring up agreements, objections, or feelings hurt. The key is accountability. Treat others like you want them to treat you. Show some respect for each
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