Prayer Back in Mississippi Schools

[Ariel]

http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/mississippi-returns-prayer-to-schools-for-students-with-a-disclaimer-to-protect-the-district-13075/

Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi signed the bill into law requiring…

“…public schools to develop policies that will allow students to pray over school intercoms, at assemblies and at sporting events. While not allowing school-sanctioned prayer, the law permits students to offer public prayers with a disclaimer by the school administration.â€

I wonder if non-school sanctioned prayer is allowed if you aren't Christian?

[ILoveJellybeans]

Maybe someone should test that out by saying they are a Satanist and wanting to use the intercom or something to do a prayer to Satan.

Somehow, I suspect it is just Christians though.

[GeoBQn]

There is no way that this will be found constitutional.

May students pray? Students have the right to engage in voluntary individual prayer that is not coercive and does not substantially disrupt the school's educational mission and activities. For example, all students have the right to say a blessing before eating a meal. However, school officials must not promote or encourage a student's personal prayer. Students may engage with other students in religious activity during non-curricular periods as long as the activity is not coercive or disruptive. In addition, while students may speak about religious topics with their peers, school officials should intercede if such discussions become religious harassment. It is essential that private religious activity not materially disrupt the school's educational mission and activities. Personal religious activity may not interfere with the rights or well-being of other students, and the threat of student harassment and pressure must be carefully monitored. It is also critical to ensure that the religious activity is actually student-initiated, and that no school employee supervises or participates in the activity. Any school promotion or endorsement of a student's private religious activity is unconstitutional.

Are vocal prayer and Bible reading in the classroom permitted? Vocal denominational or nondenominational prayer, and ceremonial reading from the Bible, are unconstitutional practices in the public school classroom. It is legally irrelevant if the prayer or Bible reading is voluntary, or if students may be excused from the activity or classroom during the prayer. Student volunteers may not offer prayers for recitation. Similarly, student volunteers are prohibited from broadcasting prayers over a school intercom system into the class-room.

Can there be prayer at school assemblies? School officials, employees or outsiders must not offer prayers at school assemblies. Even if attendance is voluntary, students may not deliver prayers at school assemblies either. Student-initiated prayer at school assemblies is unconstitutional even if the prayer is nonproselytizing and nonsectarian.

http://archive.adl.org/religion_ps_2004/prayer.asp

[Ariel]

I really hope it gets shot down.

As a non-religious person I always hated having to sit through prayer at school functions. Now, as a HS teacher I can't imagine having prayer in my classroom. Besides the fact that its exclusionary, where the hell do you find the time to fit in prayer when there's so much to be taught and so little time?

[bananacat]

I was actually fairly religious in high school. I was in a Christian club and we met on school property and we even prayed publicly in lobby areas before class. All of this is and was perfectly legal. What we never tried to do was force others to hear our prayers by doing them over the school intercom or trying to do it in front of an audience at sporting events or assemblies. If a bunch of 15 year-olds could figure out the difference between being allowed to pray and forcing others to hear your prayer, then why can't a bunch of adults figure this stuff out?

[canbritam]

I'd love to see a Hindu or Jewish or I'd really love to see a Muslim student go into the office and say they wanted to say their prayer over the intercom. I doubt administration would allow that to happen.

[treemom]

I am comfortable with it on a personal level, but believe it rarely works very well in practice because the people who do so are just the asshattish religious peeps.

[socalrules]

http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/mississippi-returns-prayer-to-schools-for-students-with-a-disclaimer-to-protect-the-district-13075/

I wonder if non-school sanctioned prayer is allowed if you aren't Christian?

Its Mississippi. Of course no one will be allowed to pray to Allah or any other non-Christian diety.

What's interesting to me is that no one ever points out to the nutjobs that you don't need the government to sanction praying in schools or anywhere else. No one can stop you from praying wherever you are. Just pray in silence. It's as though they think that unless others hear what a good little Christian they are then it doesn't count. It's funny because I went to Catholic school and no one ever said you have to pray in a huge group in order for God to hear us. If anything, there was a lot of silent prayer going on and everyone was fine with that. I pray silently all the time, and if anything, I would prefer others not know what its about.

[ADoyle90815]

I'd love to see a Hindu or Jewish or I'd really love to see a Muslim student go into the office and say they wanted to say their prayer over the intercom. I doubt administration would allow that to happen.

If a non-Christian student wanted to say their prayer over the intercom, they wouldn't be allowed to do so.

[mlady]

Praying over an intercom to a captive audience of kids. Oh my. This is where freedom FROM religion becomes an issue.

[Rachel333]

The coaches at my high school would pray with their teams before games. Other people thought I was crazy for finding this inappropriate. It was "such a good witness for the unsaved players on the team." Obviously I'm okay with people praying privately in school, and really that's a right that's never been under attack. I recall a Muslim girl at my high school who would sometimes use the library for her daily prayers, and I hope no one ever gave her any trouble over that. I don't think prayer at assemblies and over intercoms is a good idea, though. If it passes, I hope other religious groups use it as well. See how fast some of the Christians change their minds when their kids are listening to Muslim prayers in school.

[Emkay]

I guess they've forgotten Matthew 6:5-6:

"5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. "

I went to a Catholic high school- some teachers (including foreign languages) started class with a prayer or some inspirational quote, but more did not. As the teacher above said, there's too much to be learned and not enough time. As a sub, trying to quickly get through attendance each period so we could start the lesson took up enough time!

[Ariel]

I went to a Catholic high school- some teachers (including foreign languages) started class with a prayer or some inspirational quote, but more did not. As the teacher above said, there's too much to be learned and not enough time. As a sub, trying to quickly get through attendance each period so we could start the lesson took up enough time!

I usually start out class with a quick little 3-5 minute question that usually results in them writing a paragraph. I'd love to see the looks on their faces if I replaced that with prayer. Or made them write about Jesus :lol:

[Black Aliss]

Oh FSM, we ask that you touch us with your noodly appendage today as we labor over our studies. Ramen.

[Emkay]

I usually start out class with a quick little 3-5 minute question that usually results in them writing a paragraph. I'd love to see the looks on their faces if I replaced that with prayer. Or made them write about Jesus :lol:

That's about how my English teacher began class- a question or the inspirational quote mentioned above (ironically, I don't remember them ever really being religious). She was wonderful, and I learned quite a bit in her class- not just about the subject, but about life and myself, too. She resigned and moved about 4 years after I graduated to sell real estate, but last I heard she was back in the area and teaching again. We need more people like her in classrooms!

[Swamptribe]

I was actually fairly religious in high school. I was in a Christian club and we met on school property and we even prayed publicly in lobby areas before class. All of this is and was perfectly legal. What we never tried to do was force others to hear our prayers by doing them over the school intercom or trying to do it in front of an audience at sporting events or assemblies. If a bunch of 15 year-olds could figure out the difference between being allowed to pray and forcing others to hear your prayer, then why can't a bunch of adults figure this stuff out?

The problem is, they care more about their right to force others to listen to their prayers than they care about that persons right to no be forced to participate in somebody else s religion. THEY are RIGHTIOUS everyone else had better just listen up.

[lizziesmom]

I bet very few children of affluent Mississippians even go to public school. Just one more area of one group trying to enforce its views on another.

[2xx1xy1JD]

How about a really loud muezzin chant, 5 times per day, over the school intercom? Alternated with some Pagan and Satanist prayers? That should get the law rescinded in no time.

[micatite]

I'd love to hear that some kid who's as contrary as I am, did some reasearch and compiled a list of prayers from religions all over the globe to recite over that loudspeaker. One a day, both in their original languages and in translation so everyone can understand and be enlightened. In addition to Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic prayer, let there be prayers from Bahai, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism, Voodoo, Scientology, Raëlism, various facets of Wicca and neo-pagan faiths, Shinto blessings, etc. Could take a while to get through the list before we can get to Christianity.

Might have to actually hold a school assembly so they can properly do the Santeria prayer complete with the ritual animal sacrifice. Don't worry. It won't scar anyone...it's all for the glory of Gaaawd! :worship:

[CruitLvr]

I guess they've forgotten Matthew 6:5-6:

"5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. "

Every time I read about prayer in schools (or any public place), I always think of this verse. I don't want this thread to turn into a religious debate at all, but I think this is pretty spot on about prayer in schools. Sometimes I wonder if those advocating for public prayer have read much of the Bible.

[FaustianSlip]

Maybe the fine parents and lawmakers of the fine state of Mississippi should consider doing some praying of their own to ask God to help them have a marginally less-shitty public school system. If my state's schools were consistently coming in in the bottom three or four in nationwide rankings, I'm thinking my focus wouldn't be on making sure kids spend more of the school day praying and less time studying.

[PennySycamore]

Maybe the fine parents and lawmakers of the fine state of Mississippi should consider doing some praying of their own to ask God to help them have a marginally less-shitty public school system. If my state's schools were consistently coming in in the bottom three or four in nationwide rankings, I'm thinking my focus wouldn't be on making sure kids spend more of the school day praying and less time studying.

There's a reason why we in South Carolina have been so fond of saying "Thank god for Mississippi" for so long. They do tend to keep us from being dead last. SC is first in several categories, but none of them are good: women murdered by their husbands, women murdered during pregnancy, STD rates. We're high in infant and maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, and high school dropout rates.

[Rachel333]

There's a reason why we in South Carolina have been so fond of saying "Thank god for Mississippi" for so long. They do tend to keep us from being dead last. SC is first in several categories, but none of them are good: women murdered by their husbands, women murdered during pregnancy, STD rates. We're high in infant and maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, and high school dropout rates.

That's Arkansas's motto, too. Good to know they say that in other states as well. :lol:

[FaustianSlip]

That's kind of hilarious. Maine used to be near the top of almost all of those "Best place to raise kids," "Best place to raise a family" kind of lists, but our crazy, Tea Party governor has been doing a great job of running the state into the ground, and we've dropped to the middle. Thank God for Mississippi!

See, there you go- praising the Lord already. I guess their strategy really does work!