Freedom Of Religion In Public Schools

The question of whether or not religion should be taught in public schools has been an ongoing debate among parents and teachers for decades. In the article “Religion and Education: The Pitfalls of Engaging a Complex Issue” Martin E. Marty and Jonathan Moore express their views on the matter. They express that religion in public schools could potentially bring conflict to families. They also support the other scenario that religion classes would inform students of the different beliefs of the people they will meet throughout their lives. Religion in the public school system is still an ongoing debate, one that needs to be resolved. The children that will be affected by the outcome of this debate are the future leaders of America, therefore, we should not take this decision lightly. Children everywhere and in all schools need to be taught about different religions so they can make a firm stand for what they believe in.

Since the founding of America, there has been concern with the church manipulating government. The separation of Church and State was to make sure the church did not become more powerful than government. In spite of wanting a separation of church and state, The United States of America became one nation under God. The earliest test of the separation of church and state with respect to education is McCollum versus Board of Education. This was a landmark case the United States Supreme Court in 1948 ended the power of a state to use its tax-supported public school system in aid of religious instruction. “The court case which prohibited the state from sponsoring specific prayers in public schools was Engel v. Vitale, decided in 1962 by an 8-1 vote.” (Cline p) It is unconstitutional to compose a school prayer and make students repeat it daily. Although these cases protect our religious freedoms, there is some fear that expelling God from public school has adverse effects. God can still be present; teachers can lead by example and teach behaviors and ethics that

Issues involving public schools and religion have been topics involving intense debate. It is difficult for the government to elucidate the appropriate boundaries of religion in the public schools. It is true that teaching about religion is permitted in the public education systems, but the real question is where the margin should be set between teaching religion and simply teaching about religion. It is almost impossible to teach about the history of the United States without teaching that religious beliefs associated with the history, artwork, and literature. More than the public is lead to believe, The Constitution permits religious activities in and around public school buildings. It is unfortunate that the

“Our government has been based on religious principles since the very beginning. The Declaration says,” We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by certain unalienable rights…”.” This shows that our constitution, made for independence, wants the American people to keep God with them in everything they do. Even George Washington declared that U.S. citizens need to obey God and his will. George Washington was the first president of the United States. If he wanted the people to listen to God and obey his will, why change that now? Religion in school is not harmful in anyway. People can get talked about and bullied for their religion they practice. That is life and no one should be judged because of their religion they practice or live with. This is a free country and religion in school would not only help the students and teachers, who do not know much about religion but help people to have a better understanding and respect for other people's culture. Maybe, some people prefer not to pray at school, which is not a problem. Prayer would not be mandatory. Everyone's prayers are different; students would not be forced to say their prayer. Only if they want to. “...the supreme court did not “remove prayer from public schools.” The court removed only government sponsored worship (“Ten Reasons”

Religion is private, and schools are public, so it is appropriate that the two should not mix. To introduce religion in our public schools builds walls between children who may not have been aware of religion differences before (Brochure produced by the Freedom From Religion Foundation).

I volunteered at Chiefland Elementary School, under Ms. Sidorenko’s supervision. After doing my twenty hours of volunteering at Chiefland Elementary School, I have gained new knowledge on how religion works in schools. If you grew up in a small town area like I did, you would know that religion around here is not a touchy subject with many people. Many faculty administrators who work in the school system happen to be Baptists or Christians. Therefore, people are able to throw in religious assessments here and there without getting into too much trouble. In this case, at this school, everyone goes to the same church or partners with each other’s churches. Before I go on, let me just say, even though I am a Christian, I think that religion shouldn’t be a topic talked during school hours. My reasoning for this is because children are there to get an education and to learn about the world around them. Teachers barely have enough time to teach the concepts that are mandatory, if we add religion it will just offend students and teachers won’t be able to get their job done. Now that society is changing and is starting to accept individuals more, I have noticed this school is having a hard time accepting that.

The language within the first amendment included the following “"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (LaMorte, 2002, p. 29). This specifically means that within the schools praying and reading the bible should be lowered. When schools have football games, graduations, and other extra curriculum activities are expected to decrease the use of prayer. Teachers are not allowed to teach religion or produce religious clubs during regular school hours. Overtime it has been argued the constitution has shown hostility towards religion or prayer. The separation of church and state does not have an effect on schools. This ideal is true because the United States has become very diverse. As children proceed through child development they encounter many experiences and aspects that impact their lives. Culture happens to be a major aspect that has an effect on children and families as they go through their lifespans. According to Erikson, development will continue through a life span and understanding the different crisis will prevent stages from being unsuccessful (Bredekamp, 2014,

In an article by the Anti-Defamation League, they say, “‘teaching religion’ amounts to religious indoctrination and practice and is clearly prohibited in public schools.” In some schools it is completely prohibited to teach anything about religion simply because it’s unfair to others. According------, it says “Teachers can teach about different religions, including their histories and their different theologies. But teachers cannot teach religion.” This implies that teaching religion is different from teaching about religion. Therefore, teachers are allowed to teach about religion, just not in favor of one more than another. If teachers were to talk about religion, the students who don’t follow any religion will start to question different things leading to arguments and off topic discussions. It can also lead the ones that believe in religion, to start questioning what they believe or what they have been believing. This can also lead to a big argument. In an article called “Why shouldn’t religion be taught in schools” by John Barron, it says “...does god exist? But why not? How one answers this question has a significant impact on how they interpret the world around them.” This proves that religious conversations spark up questions that can affect one’s view on the world. Whether it be good or

There has been much debate lately about freedom of religion in the United States. Numerous people tend to believe that it is their freedom to force their religious beliefs upon anyone and everyone. Now, do not get me wrong, I love religion and have studied most of this worlds religious beliefs. However, I do not believe that freedom of religion means what some are so prone to believe it means.

I am a Christian girl here to talk about my thoughts on religious beliefs in America. The right to have freedom of religion has been overloooked these past few years, epsepically now more than ever. Prayer has been revoked in schools and public places. The Bible has been prohibited in sertain places. Reigious based monuments have been removed from the public view. We have the freedom to believe, howevever it seems now you have to be quiet about it.

There are basic freedoms and liberties that every person deserves to have, such as freedom of religion. Usually when someone speaks of freedom they speak of the freedoms of life, of liberty, of happiness, and sometimes even the basic rights that were instituted in the American Constitution. Ordinarily, religious beliefs are often one of the most controversial topics across the globe and in some places it is even considered taboo to practice a certain religion. Consequently, in some areas, those who practice “taboo” religions are outcasted and some are event physically harmed for their beliefs. Still today, many people face persecution for practicing a religion that they believe in on a daily basis and that is outrageous. Every human being deserves the right to freely choose what they believe in without fearing repercussions from others or the government. Religious freedom is something that everyone deserves, no matter what religion they chose to practice.

Freedom is the power to live as one would choose. Contrary to what some people may assume, religious freedom is not simply the freedom to worship or to believe the way one chooses. Rather, religious freedom, also includes our, freedom of conscience to make and follow our own moral convictions. In America there are people from many different religious backgrounds. All of them are able to practice their own religion openly and without any fear and I am one of these people.

From the beginning the United States of America was formed, it has been founded and established by religious toleration and freedom. Without religious freedom, people are forced to comply with laws and policies that blatantly contradict their beliefs. This results in people living their lives in a struggle between their personal beliefs and obeying the laws that are placed before them. Obviously upholding personal convictions is very important, but people are forced to decide if it is personally worth the persecutions they may endure in result of it. Freedom of religion is considered to be a basic human right. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance” (Leiter, p. 6). However, there are many countries throughout the world that are actively engaging in religious persecution daily. Roger Trigg, author of Equality, Freedom, and Religion, states that “without the ability to decide, and live by, what we consider to be most important and valuable in life, we cannot be free” (Trigg, p. 153).

If schools are the place where children learn, grow, and develop into the people they will later become, why are we still fighting against one of the most effective values around? Prayer in schools. Prayer in schools became an issue in 1960: When Madalyn Murray O'Hair sued the Baltimore MD school system on behalf of her son William J Murray, who was being forced to pray in school. Ultimately, her actions along with the actions of the American Atheist Organization resulted in the Supreme Court ruling of 1962. (Tragically, she and her son disappeared in August of 1995. In January 2001, a full five and a half years after they were last seen, the bodies of the Murray-O’Hairs were finally found on a sprawling ranch near the little town of Camp Wood,

The subject of religion in public schools is one that has been debated vigorously and passionately. The warriors from the Right and Left fail to appreciate the facts because they are caught up in the rhetoric and have difficulty viewing this emotional topic dispassionately (Haynes, 2011). Both sides are right about one thing: this is an important subject.