Prayer in public school

How many times have I heard this accusation when someone is trying to give reasons why, in their opinion, our schools are full of violence and our society seems to be moving away from traditional Judeo-Christian ethics rather than toward them?  It goes something like this:  “It all started going downhill when they took prayer out of school.”

Recently, I read of a 4^th grade student, who happens to be Roman Catholic, who was made by a teacher to wash the cross-shaped ash off his forehead. Obviously, it was Ash Wednesday.  The teacher overstepped her authority in doing so, which was addressed by school officials. She likely had no idea she was violating the very Constitutional right she thought she was upholding.  One responder put it this way:  “Irony is that by doing what she did, she violated the Constitution that she thought she was upholding. The STATE (which is the school in this case) cannot impose religious beliefs. They also cannot keep a child from expressing those beliefs. They cannot as teachers hold prayer sessions, cannot teach the Bible/Koran/Torah but the kids can do so on their own. Like freedom of speech, most people don't actually understand it.” (source unknown)

NO ONE HAS EVER TAKEN PRAYER OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL. Any school kid is free to pray on their own, anytime. They can even hold a prayer meeting, but they cannot impose it on anyone else. I personally have met with a group of high school students who invited me, on their own, to meet  with them in a public school classroom to talk about the Bible, and to pray with them. Totally legitimate, if they are doing it of their own volition. I, for one, am glad we have the Constitution applied and practiced in our public schools. I do not have to worry about a religion I have problems with trying to indoctrinate my kids or grandkids.  If I insist that there be a prayer time in the classroom each morning, then anyone has the right to say my kid has to sit and participate in (or be exposed to) ANY type of religious mantra…from Christian to atheist.  No one can keep any child from praying in school. If you want to be sure your child has teacher led prayer (that you approve of) in their school, then send them to the private school of your choice. Public schools are different…they are Constitutional in regards to the practice of mandatory prayer. Understand what you are saying…BEFORE you say it.