My thoughts on allowing voluntary/optional prayer in public schools boils down, oddly enough, to a sentiment best expressed in a piece of dialogue in an episode of a TV show I saw like 10 years ago. It reads as follows;<br /> <br /> "...I'll tell you why [school prayer] should be front and center. It's not the First Amendment. It's not religious freedom. It's not Church and State. It's not abstract"<br /> <br /> "What is it?"<br /> <br /> "It's the fourth-grader who gets his [butt] kicked at recess because he sat out the voluntary prayer in homeroom. <br /> It's another way of making kids different from other kids...... And they're required by law to be there.<br /> That's why you want it front and center. The fourth-grader. That's the prize."

At my graduation party,we had a prayer service. I didn't bow my head,being a different religion. The preacher shot me a dirty look,then went on. I didn't like "pretending" so he could be happy,so I say,it shouldn't be allowed.

it should be allowed, but not required or enforced. that's just Asking for trouble.

O.o i thought this had been gone for a while... I guess it's just where i live then ^^''<br /> We just have a minute of silence everyday for anyone who wants to pray.

Forcing everyone in school to pray? God, no. No, this is a horrible idea. Cutting this off earlier would let kids more easily think for themselves and decide what they want, religion wise. Trust me on this. I didn't run screaming from religion ontil, uh.. 14sh? because I was constantly surrounded and brainwashed by this crap.<br /> <br /> Letting some Christian kid or whatever pray over his meal? Who is he hurting? Let him go ahead with it.<br /> <br /> I'm Pantheist (p. much atheist) and I had to fight for my own beliefs. I believe in freedom of religion. Do not force it on anyone, but do not prohibit believers from their rituals, such as prayer. To do so seems hypocritical, to me. <br /> <br /> And yeah, I've seem people vehemently against a single individual praying. Ugh.

I think moments of reflection/scilence should be allowed for individuals to say a prayer, think about whatever they want (kittens, school etc) as long as it's not disturbing to others. I don't think it should be a scantioned prayer unless everyone in the school say's its ok. My cousin's kids go to a public school in which each class is only about 10-20 kids (their oldest just graduated with 13 kid sin their class) and the schools has prayer, but its a small very christian community.

I remember having to do prayers in school, and in other things. I got in trouble frequently for not doing it. Even though I just stood or sat there without a sound.<br /> <br /> So it's a no here

No, it should not allowed. Even in some scools like mine, where the mascot is a religious character, there should be no reason why state and church should come together in a school. I recieved a letter in the mail the other that my school is going to hold a prayer service. <br /> <br /> Whut?<br /> <br /> Next thing you know, all the mascots will turn into some religious figure (we have the crusaders) and we'll all be getting letters to go to some prayer service. Note, I'm not affiliated with any religion and just the fact that my school won't remove their mascot when they were told to many years ago, ticks me off. Recieving the letter in the mail really bugged me. Schools are a place for EVERYONE and putting religion in it narrows down who is accepted.

Public prayer should absolutely not be allowed in school, unless of course they are willing to allow prayers from every religion without hesitation. Even then, no one should ever be forced to pray if they don't want too.<br /> <br /> <i>"Imagine if you weren't Christian and you were forced to pray to the Christian god in schools. It would basically be saying that Christianity is more important than whatever you believe."</i><br /> <br /> The public school I went too had a prayer service every single day. They told me if I didn't like it, I didn't have too attend. Yet I got suspended for having a pagan book and studying quietly by myself. Pfft.

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