I didn't know that, Tiger. Even so, why should they miss them? I don't understand why they simply cannot step out of the classroom to a "prayer room" to do this. My old college had them.

I think prayer should be allowed school.

Actually OccuJive!, Muslims are allowed to make up prayers they missed during times they were unable to pray. I've studied Islam out of curiosity and to understand what I don't believe and I also lived in a Muslim country for 2 years.

That actually limits the practicing student's ability to pray, though, Thy. For example, devout Muslims have fairly vigorous requirements for what is and is not an acceptable time/place to pray. Should they not be allowed to practice, because it "causes a scene?"<br /> I think, realistically, prayer in schools is fine so long as it is an individual student's choice to participate...but if it is going to cause a distraction during class, leave the classroom to do it. That shouldn't be too hard to accommodate.

I am somewhat in-between on this matter. Should prayer be allowed in school? Provided the praying students don't make a scene or a big deal out of it, which would disrupt the learning enviroment, yes. But under no conditions should it be required, and special circumstances should not be provided for it. I don't know much about other religions, but when I went to church, it was liberally taught that a prayer could be a simple as a silent thaught within your own head. There are many instances in school where a kid who wishes to pray could think to themselves. They could do it in the middle of a test even.

I think people should be able to pray/support their beliefs in school, so long as they don't argue about them or push their beliefs on anyone else.

Rooster- <i><u>No.</i></u><br /> <br /> I could have clarified my post a bit better, but if it's any consolation, the beliefs and behavior of militant atheists are brainwashing crap, too, in my book. It wasn't a personal attack on Christianity as a whole. I'm a Pantheist who is tolerant enough to attend church at the request of family members I'm particularly fond of. I'll sing the hymns and bow my head at the cues. I went to some giant non-Denominational church a few years back at the behest of my mother-in-law. Simmer down, please.<br /> <br /> "Brainwashed by this crap" is a reference to the two times I was sent off to Southern Baptist church camp, I'm going to estimate my ages at eight and twelve. It was like a boot camp for children. We got up every day at five in the morning, took a communal shower, and were packed off to church where a man screamed at us that we would go to hell for a variety of natural human behaviors (see movie Jesus Camp). Breakfast, prayer. Go to our assigned Bible-related classes. Monitored rec time. Church. lunch, bible classes, rec time, church, dinner, bed. Every day, for a month. Our rooms were made of concrete with triple bare metal bunk beds and I got hypothermia at the end of my second 'visit', because I'm also hypoglycemic, and this weakened me and allowed bacterial pneumonia to take hold by the time I got home.<br /> <br /> I'm cool with most all Christians, but I think that experience ranks pretty high on the crappy scale.<br /> <br /> "I was constantly surrounded and brainwashed by this crap.<br /> Letting some Christian kid or whatever pray over his meal? Who is he hurting?<br /> I believe in freedom of religion. <br /> Do not force it on anyone, but do not prohibit believers from their rituals, such as prayer."<br /> <br /> With these sentences coming one right after the other, I think you were a bit quick to lunge down my throat and I <i>really</i> don't appreciate it. All you saw was a single sentence, took it entirely out of the context of my post, and got a wild hair about it.<br /> <br /> Don't.<br /> Do that.<br /> <br /> Now that I've clarified, sorry for that abrupt derailment.

Well, I don't think you can blame your former friends' intolerance on prayer in school. There are intolerant people of every religios and non-religious affiliation. <br /> <br /> I disagree with the voluntary/optional prayer for the reasons I already stated. Public schools are governmental institutions and every child's background should be considered. We're not saying you can't pray at home, at the grocery, at the ball game, at church, or even in school if you find a minute in which you wish to put your head down and do so. I'm saying the government shouldn't be in the business of allotting time for these behaviors because it is inherently exclusive. <br /> <br /> It's also worth arguing that (assuming an average American school day and school year) if a school is taking even just 5 minutes out of every day to pray they are removing from every school year around 3 days' worth of instruction. Considering how far behind the world our school system is already running, I'd rather my children spend that time going over their multiplication tables, because that's what school is for. They can learn about their faith, should they choose one, at home or at their place of worship, because that is what those places are for.

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But its still bull to allow prayer. Sitting out means crap. I've been in those situations. I don't pray and when I'm forced into an area where everyone else is praying, despite the religion, it makes my religion feel like it means less to people. And that freaking hurts. So no, it should not be allowed. End of story.<br /> <br /> And I've had enough bad experiences with Christians to completely agree with Geist about the brainwashing comment. Do you know how many friends I've lost because they were Christian and I wasn't? The moment they found that out, they looked down on me.

I'll be honest here - I only read to Geist's post and stopped. Why? Because I found it highly offensive. I understand you have your own beliefs, and that's great for you. But to refer to your temporary belief in another person's religion as "being brainwashed by this crap" is unbelievably insensitive. Would it be okay for me to refer to your atheism as "crap"? <b>Absolutely not,</b> and it's something I would <i>never</i> think to do. What you believe is your own business. What gives you the right to call my religion "crap"?<br /> <br /> As far as my stance on prayer in schools, I think it should absolutely be allowed. Any prayer, from any religion. For the non-religious, just sit quietly for a minute. Who is this hurting, if the prayers are said in one's own head? No one. No one knows who's praying to what God, so no one gets their feelings hurt.

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