For many people, the fact that prayer is no longer allowed in public school is a travesty. After all, our country was founded on Christian values – so why shouldn’t we continue that? Why shouldn’t we start the day with a prayer or a Bible reading in our public schools?
As I consider homeschooling, this thought crosses my mind often. Raised in a conservative church and a Christian home, it was often brought up around me (although my parents didn’t discuss it that I can remember) in the Christian schools I attended, and the camps I went to. People felt their rights had been taken away, or that they were being discriminated against. It wasn’t fair that we were no longer allowed to pray during school hours, that the day didn’t start with a mandatory prayer time.
Here’s my two cents:
Prayer?
Has no place in a public school setting.
::gasp::
I know, right? Raise your hand if you expected that one.
I firmly believe that religion in general (except for historical facts and data) has absolutely no business in our school system. Why? Because not everyone believes the same thing as me, you, or the person next door. It’s not right, fair, or constitutional to impose ANY kind of religion on children in a public setting with their parents not there to ask questions to or discuss with. I believe this to be true about any religion or belief type system.
“But this is America!” you might argue. “Founded on Christianity! My child has a right to pray!”
I’m not arguing that. If your child wants to say a prayer in their desk before school or lunch, they should be able to do so. But for a teacher to do it? For it to be over an intercom? No. No, no, no. I have never understood this line of thinking.
Public school should be a place that welcomes and includes all children, regardless of religion. Making a child feel awkward because they have to either not bow their head in what might be seen as defiance, or bowing their head to a religion they know nothing about, is not right. That is not what America is about, America was founded so people could have freedom of religion.
I want my child to understand God and science go together for our family beliefs. To be able to ask me how things were made and receive a Biblical answer. I would never expect to put her in a school that is public and have those questions answered that way. I would never vote or pressure my school systems to allow or encourage teachers to do that. Their job is to educate my child. My job is to chose what works best for us, keeping that in mind. I respect the fact that there is a separation, and in our time as a family I teach and instill the values we hold dear. Because I do want her learning to include our faith, I consider homeschooling or placing her in a Christian school.
That is my job. If I want that education, I have to decide how to make it work for me. Not wonder why schools aren’t intervening on my behalf.
Public schools are designed to educate our children. Not for a religious experience.
I agree 100%. Let’s say they did have public prayers over the laud speaker- how would people feel if one day they decided to whip out the Quran and do a reading from that instead of the bible? My guess is lots of parents would not be happy. It’s way too easy to get stuck in the mindset that Christianity is the be all and end all, for EVERYONE. No one is taking away your right to pray, just giving a level playing field by not forcing one belief system on everyone.
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Twitter: add_vodka
says:
Religion is certainly a sticky and controversial subject. I frequently think about how I’m going to broach the topic with my future children. How will you do it?
When I was a child, my mom didn’t force beliefs on me. She encouraged me to think for myself, and believe what I wanted to believe. We did go to church, though my mother never forced us to go (except on Christmas eve). She left it open. If we were curious and had questions, she would refer me to my grandparents, who are very, very religious and loved to answer our questions.
My mom was Christian back then and is not anymore. Something along the way made her doubt and then not believe in God. I still do. I don’t think my brother knows one way or the other. But I enjoyed the freedom to believe what I wanted, (which isn’t an option when schools force feed you religion)and feel like her trust in my own decisions and going with my gut made me a forward thinking self responsible individual. But it’s different for everyone.
So, this is a long winded way of asking – when you say your “family beliefs”, is that something you’ll expect Bella to also believe in, or will it be more open, or how will you be dealing with Bella and religion?
Twitter: lifeasaSAHM
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It’s something she’ll be raised with. Whether or not she wants to believe it is up to her. It’s my job to present her with what we believe and live it in our home. Family beliefs means that my husband and I believe it, and choose to practice it in all aspects of our life. We hope she’ll do the same, but obviously no one is forcing her.
Twitter: SortaCrunchy
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I SO agree with you here, Diana. (Probably NOT a surprise, right?)
Except I don’t think our nation was founded on Christianity. That makes me heretic in my part of the country, but Greg Boyd’s Myth of a Christian Nation really shaped my view on the topic. It’s a great read if you have time someday.
I concur wholeheartedly that home and life outside of public schools are the place for spiritual formation – not the classroom!
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Twitter: MrsMidatlantic
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Agreed. I want my daughter to understand and respect religion for what it is – a personal expression of faith. I want her to know to stand up for her beliefs, but also to respect those of others. I want her to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and know that the words she is speaking respresents her FREEDOM to believe.
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Twitter: TeresaThinks
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Well said. I agree that “morning prayer” is beautiful in Christian school, but in public school, it should not be forced. I only hope that children will be allowed to bow their heads quietly at lunchtime if they want, without getting in trouble, just as muslims are allowed to kneel east or whatever. I don’t like the removing of “Under God” from the pledge of allegiance though.
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Twitter: DanaSearsFam
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I agree 100%. I have chose to send my children to Christian School, so that they do pray as a group before school, lunch and at the end of the day. I am really glad that this is an option. I think religion in public schools is a HUGE deal, as is letting grade one students about different lifestyles. I live in Surrey, BC. we are a city full of every different ethnic background. What bothers me is that in our Surrey Schools, they have “Hindu week” and “Korean Week” and these weeks all talk about religion. But heaven NO there is NO Christian week. That is not allowed.
I also don’t agree with educating grade one students about gay lifestyle or telling that its ok, also I believe that Sex Education in Grade one is not acceptable.
Before people jump down my neck for the Gay comment…
I believe that everyone has a right to live how they believe is right for their family. I will not judge you for living a different religion or lifestyle. It’s just my beliefs are different, and I am living for what I believe is right for my family. And I do not want my child to learn about such decisions at such a young age. Lets keep our children, children until they are no longer children. Then I am all game to sit down and talk about it all, openly and let my child know what our family believes and what others believe. Then they can make their decisions on how they feel. I hope that I can raise children who do not judge others as well. “Whats right for our family may not be what another family believes is right for their family”.
Heres what should be done:
1. There shouldn’t be teaching of Gay lifestyle at an age that children are unable to understand. The parents should be allowed to decide when that child is no longer a “child”, but a growing boy or girl who needs to understand.
2.There should be NO sex education in grade one. End of story. I don’t care if you talk to the parents and then let the children know about what appropriate touching is. Like no touching other children’s privates and such. Not why, not what it could do. End.
3. Teaching Religion of all kinds should stay out of the public school system. It’s not it’s place.
Just my two cents and I may have opened more than I should have. I just believe all these topics are on the same level, they are the families right to make. The families should be able to decide when, how and what.
Twitter: thelungos
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I just had a similar discussion with a co-worker yesterday. We were talking about how religion has NO ROLE in public policy and government – including schools. Because this is a country that welcomes, embraces and allows all types of religious freedoms, one dominant type of religion SHOULD NOT be able to dictate laws governing people of multiple (or no) religions.
I believe that government and public policy should be run based on the concepts that all people are human and equal and deserve to be treated as such – equal and fair. Without religious judgement or bias.
Thanks for writing this! Maybe this is what I needed to sit down and thoughtfully write out my opinion.
Well done.
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Twitter: NAMAmmaSTE
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I couldn’t agree with you more! People love to talk about this country being founded on Christian values. It was founded on principles used by the Christian church as far as government, but like you said, it was founded as a place for freedom of religion. People came here to be free of the religious persecution going on overseas. Great topic I hadn’t thought about in a while!
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Twitter: NAMAmmaSTE
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ps… I love what you said about it being the parents responsibility too. I feel like so many parents just expect schools to do all the teaching. I think parents are the primary educators in their children’s lives, weather homeschooled or not.
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I feel the same way about this subject as Dana@SearsFarm. Very well said Dana. I enjoyed hearing what the other ladies have said as well. I’m always interested in how the younger generation is thinking. The saying “seperation of church and state” originally meant that the Government could not pick a national religion. Today, it has been given a totally different meaning, which is that ones religion (belief system) can’t be injected into any aspect of life outside the home or church. However, our opinions as to who we are going to vote for, how we determine right from wrong, how to treat people, how to help people, etc. are all outgrowths of our faith (religion). They can’t be seperated out. So when someone says they think religion should stay out of politics, that is an impossibility. My opinion, of course. I love these blogs because everyone has a voice.
Twitter: skywaitress
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I totally agree with you and couldn’t have said it better myself.
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Twitter: bhthomps
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Diana, I just started reading your blog recently and LOVE it! This post is 100% spot-on. Prayer (by any religion) has no place in our public school system as a public activity. If Susie wants to pray to Jesus for her food or Johnny wants to bow to Allah for his, that’s great. But as a public institution the school system should not be “tolerating” any one religion to the exclusion of others. That’s not what America is all about and it’s not what we were founded upon. The only reason the first public schools had prayer and catechism was because most of the first Americans were of the Judeo-Christian faith. But our founding fathers were certainly not all Christians, nor did they ever claim to be. They are often seen through Jesus- colored glasses in order to fit someone’s agenda.
Having been raised in a conservative Christian environment, this is a refreshing and practical statement that many don’t wish to hear but alas, is accurate. If you want to pray at school, go to a Christian school or homeschool! =)
Twitter: wa_tracy
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As a teacher, and as someone who finds themselves as a minority living in a new place, I whole heartily agree with you. I’m Jewish…I don’t really practice it much anymore, but that’s how I grew up…with a Bat Mitzvah and all. But that was in S. Florida where there are many of the Jewish faith. But now, in the PNW, there are only small areas where people of the Jewish faith reside, and I find myself as a minority amongst many church goers. (I even had a student ask me this week if I was Christian and what church I went to. I declined to answer and didn’t even say anything about not being Christian.)
I still cringe when someone refers to “winter break” as “Christmas break.” And it’s a teacher I heard that from this past week. Do people forget that there are many of us out there who don’t practice the Christian faith? Don’t get me wrong, I so dig Christmas as I now celebrate with my husband and Abby…I enjoy making Christmas cookies and decorating a tree. And alongside this we like the candles on the menorah. Our break is multi-cultural if you will.
I want Abby to grow up being exposed to many beliefs and ideologies. I want her to believe what she wants to believe in and have faith in that, not someone shoving religion down her throat. School is for education…and of course when the novel Night or the Diary of Anne Frank are taught, religious aspects have a place in learning so students understand the circumstances behind the events. And if I decide to teach The Christmas Carol to my new 7th graders for the play unit because it’s in the text book, so be it. It’s part of literature. Religion is deeply routed in so many of the classics. There is a time and a place.
And this is a long rant
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