Controversy : Anti School Prayer Position

Anti School Prayer Position

Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Net

Last Updated : July 23, 2006

Taken from : http://www.schoolprayer.com

Over fifty years of Supreme Court jurisprudence has
maintained a "wall of separation between Church and State"
based on the principles that public schools may not take
sides in matters of religion and may not endorse a
particular religious perspective or any religion at all.
Opponents of a school prayer amendment believe its passage
would breach the Church-State wall and diminish religious
liberty in this country. Below are some of the most
frequently heard arguments against state-sponsored prayer
and responses to arguments by school prayer proponents.

(1) State-Sponsored School Prayer is Unconstitutional

Opponents of a school prayer amendment contend that
officially sponsored prayer in public schools undermines the
religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment. According
to their interpretation, the Establishment Clause proscribes
the establishment of religion in generalÑincluding religious
practices. Since prayer is a religious exercise,
state-supported prayer amounts to the establishment of a
religious practice and is therefore unconstitutional.
Additionally, they believe state-sponsored prayer violates
the Free Exercise Clause by exposing students to prayer
against their will or forcing them to absent themselves to
avoid hearing prayers.

(2) Prayer in School is Already Legal

Contrary to the assertions of school prayer advocates, those
opposed to organized school prayer maintain that public
schools are not hostile to students' religious expression.
The First Amendment guarantees every child the right to pray
in school on a voluntary basis. Most religious activity is
permitted in public schools, as long as the state plays no
role in organizing it, and it does not disrupt the
educational mission of the school.

(3) State-Sponsored Prayer Will Lead to Religious
Intolerance

Many opponents to a school prayer amendment believe that
promoting organized school prayer will endanger religious
diversity and breed intolerance. Students of minority
religions may feel left out or uncomfortable praying with
students of different beliefs. Others may feel pressure to
participate or face the disdain of the teachers and peers.
Although some school prayer lobbyists have proposed
non-denominational prayers, opponents believe it is
impossible to compose a prayer that will reflect the
religious beliefs of all students. Even non-sectarian prayer
infringes upon students who follow no religion.

(4) Moral Decline and School Prayer are Unrelated

Contrary to the assumptions of school prayer supporters,
opponents of organized school prayer find no evidence that
prayer will improve morality or challenge students to lead
ethical lives. Separationists generally attribute the
country's social problems to poverty, inequality, and lack
of opportunityÑissues which they believe should be addressed
by serious analysis and sufficient resources, not by
classroom prayers. In response to the presumption that the
removal of organized prayers from public schools in the
1960s spurred the country's moral decline, opponents are
quick to point out that school prayer coexisted with the Jim
Crow laws of the South, the official discrimination against
women in education and employment, and the discrimination
against minorities in political, cultural, and social
institutions.