Samantha Lira
Vickie Machen
English 1302.02
2 November 2015
Should Religion Be Allowed in School Americans have always had the discussion of whether or not religion belongs in schools. This argument has been going on for years. Both sides argue their points and discuss why they believe their point is right. The classroom becomes a ground for discussion between students and teachers to express their opinions but when religion isn’t allowed we lose the opportunity to discuss. In this paper, I will argue the point that religion belongs in school and in the classroom. I will argue points that show how it could be beneficial and how excluding religion from school could be infringing on our first Amendment. One of the many reasons why
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Teaching religion in schools would allow the students to learn about other religions and cultures around the world and not only know about the ones that they are born into. “ Teaching students about other religions can be considered indoctrination…” (Student View, Pros & Cons on Religion in Public Schools). I don’t believe it would make the students convert to another religion because it would be their own choice. There is a difference between teaching the students of other religions and telling them what to believe in (Caring Magazine, Should World Religion Be Taught In Schools?). Teaching the students about other cultures and religions can also open up their thoughts of what they think about other people. “The worlds greatest problems… result from people in the world… being unable to get along… to solve the world’s intractable problems” (Jackson, Four Reasons Why You Should Teach About Religion in School). Coming from a small school we didn’t really have much of a diverse culture within school but two students came one year from Kazakhstan and we learned so much from them. Some of us had never even heard of Kazakhstan. I feel if religion isn’t taught, there will soon be a bunch of students who don’t know anything outside of the United States. At least not little towns within the major countries we all know about. We all know that the United States is very …show more content…
As stated in ACLU Pros & Cons, removing prayer from school was a violation of the third amendment, which is ‘not to take the name of the Lord in vain’. “Banning religion from schools is unconstitutional to religious students who want to practice or worship during the school day” (Asia-Pacific Economic Blog, Religion in Schools Pros and Cons). People are always complaining about having freedom of speech, well it is the same thing as having the freedom of religion. Though the people who are against this think that it violates the First Amendment and separation of church and state. These people believe that if you allow religion in school then the United States has established a set religion for this country and after all this country does not have an established religion. But the government does allow the students to pray whenever they want as long as it doesn’t interfere with classroom time. The Free Exercise Clause protects prayer during school hours, being able to mention your religious beliefs in homework, etc. But the people against religion in school recognize that the Supreme Court’s decision about prayer in school does not prohibit the free exercise of religion (ACLU Pros & Cons). While, the Establishment Clause states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,…” (Jackson, Four Reasons Why You Should Teach About
Religion is one of the most controversial issues in society today. The concern of allowing prayer in schools is an on-going debate and has resulted in numerous lawsuits. Religious school clubs, after school activities, curriculums, and moments of silence during school are just a few of the court cases that judges have administered. People in favor of prayer in schools believe that their children can only learn certain values through religious practice. On the other hand, an individual against religious practice in schools views this issue as an infringement on his or her children’s rights as Americans.
important decision was the Engel v. Vitale case in 1962 which said that it was
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.
The First Amendment is designed to protect all citizens by giving them the right to express themselves in different ways. In doing so, we still have to be careful on how we do it. Students have the right to express themselves as long as it does not cause any disruption. In my school district, we abides by the First Amendment by not forbidding all mention of religion in the school system (Pamlico County Board of Education, 2015). The only part that is prohibited is the advancement or inhibition of religion (Pamlico County Board of Education, 2015). My school district feels that there’s nothing unconstitutional about using religious subjects or materials as long as it is in compliance to the neutrality of the education program (Pamlico County Board of Education, 2015).
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”
Whether or not to have prayer in schools have been discussed since the early twentieth Century. However, citing separation of church and state (which does not appear) in the First Amendment and applying to the state via the Fourteenth Amendment were successful in getting prayer banned from schools through the judicial system.
Prayer should be recited only in the privacy of one’s own head or home. To allow individual prayer at one’s own choice is legal. To mandate standard prayer is illegal. The good thing about this is one can choose to pray, or not, to whatever God they choose. Therefore someone praying to Allah, Buddha, or Satan cannot require a Christian or a Jew to participate. Atheists have the right to choose not to participate. A teacher or a government official cannot stop someone from praying silently. Public schools are for all children, regardless of their race, sex, or religion. Schools are supported by all taxpayers. The U.S. Supreme Court has replaced freedom of religion, guaranteed by the Constitution, for freedom from religion. To ban school prayer diminishes the religious freedom of students who would like to pray and forces them to act according to the dictates of a non-religious minority. School prayer would result in many societal benefits. The public school system is tragically disintegrating as evidenced by the rise in school shootings, increasing drug use, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, and HIV transmission. School prayer can help combat these issues, would instill a sense of morality and is desperately needed to protect our children.
I concur the first amendment protects students right to express themselves in various distinctive school environment such as during discussions, and interaction with their peers. Moreover, public schools cannot prevent student’s ability to pray and learned about diverse religion in the curriculum.
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.
All parties involved, regarding the argument on prayer in school, are very fervent about their stance. There have been a lot of legal challenges as to whether or not prayer should stay a part of the school system. Within the last 50 years, the understanding of the First Amendment has been twisted, which has helped build the case of those against it.
Prayer plays such a big role in many people’s lives. It happens each and every day and multiple times throughout the day. Even though it can play a huge role in someone’s life, it cannot be practiced in schools. Prayer in school has been a very controversial topic for many years. According to Steven K. Green, “On June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engel v. Vitale that a prayer approved by the New York Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment by constituting an establishment of religion (Green 1).” It has since then been taken out of school preventing teachers to preach or teach about religion.
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.
Religion in Schools has proven to be a very controversial matter as of lately. Even though teaching about religion is allowed in public schools, there are still many questions that are being asked in order to provide a basis of what is appropriate for school, and what is inappropriate. The first amendment to the United States Constitution says that 'congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof' which implies that you have the choice of exercising your own religion, no matter what it may be. However, this poses an interesting argument within the public schools of America because we have such a diverse population with
One of the avenues of influential learning is in school. The place where students spend half of their life. Going to school aids students in acquiring knowledge, establishing rapport and developing skills. When students attend school, they showcase not only their characters traits and attitudes, but they also carry with them their cultural differences and religious practices. (Green & Oldendorf, 2005). Looking at how diverse our society is, the question of teaching religions and their ideologies at a school-level rise. Whilst the state practices neutrality towards religion, there are still issues and challenges when it comes to accommodating religious diversity and its integration in the education system (Berger, 2013, p.104). Therefore, integrating religion in the education system can lead to