Should voluntary prayer be allowed in our school systems? This is one of many questions stirring up controversy in communities throughout the United States. I believe that although it is impossible and unnecessary to prohibit any individual from holding true to his or her beliefs, prayer should remain a private issue, not one that is expressed aloud. Surely those who are strictly religious will dismiss my opinions which oppose open prayer, but I will support my opinions with passages from the bible, a book which contains the very words from the man that many prayers are intended for.

As adults, have we forgotten what life was like as school children? We have all made the journey through childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, facing the many pressures that social surroundings bring. Our differences as individuals can sometimes cause great stress on our overall development and lead us astray from whom we wish to become. I for one feel that prayer is for those who have weak faith in themselves, those with little or unstable character. Since the beginning of time humanity has always felt the need to explain the origin and meaning of life. By creating God we have fulfilled that need and given ourselves the chance to externalize reasons for our actions whether they be considered good or bad. I do not believe that our children should be taught to recite prayers which are based in a religion that thrives on labeling every natural human instinct as sin, therefore making all of its followers feel eternally in debt to their all-mighty Lord. Our children will at times do wrong things which will have negative repercussions. They must learn how to be responsible for their actions and not be able to dismiss bad things as the work of Satan and good things as blessings of God. I do not know of any prayers which praise the human experience. In my opinion prayer is a derogatory act on ones own behalf which leaves no fulfillment for ones ego. This is not something I would want any child of mine to learn.

Another reason I do not support prayer in school is a legal reason. In the year 1790 the Establishment Clause became part of the constitution of the United States of America. This “Clause” states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This clause was meant to separate church and state. Therefore, if one wishes to pray on his or her own behalf, there are no legalities to interfere. But to establish any kind of religious act, such as prayer, in a free social environment, is unconstitutional.

Lastly, if my opinions are not strong enough to open the stubborn minds of the righteous, perhaps the words of Jesus Christ can support my views. In the Catholic bible Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. For example, in Matthew 6:6 Jesus says, "But when you pray, go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father secretly, and your Father, who knows your secrets, will reward you." This can be clearly understood that the very man whom many feel they need to pray to is telling each and every one of his followers that prayer is something private and should only be shared between him and the individual. Further examples can be found in the scriptures of Luke. Here we find numerous passages which clearly state how Jesus withdrew from those around him and went into the wilderness, or up to the mountaintop, not just to pray, but to pray "alone" in secrecy. Whether it be a far distance from others or in Luke 21: 41-43 where he moves just "a stone's throw away" to kneel down and pray to his father, asking for his will, his prayers are meant to be heard only by his father. I feel that modern society has become so highly involved with the lives of others that many have lost their own identity. If the people who's goal is to assign a prayer-time in school or any public place are truly religious, shouldn't they understand that prayer is something that is an individuals choice and can only occur at the times where that individual feels is appropriate to pray? Assigning a scheduled time or length of time for prayer will, without a doubt, strip a prayer of its mystical powers and make it nothing more than spoken words which every child feels they need to say.

Furthermore I would like to note that my opinions and the content from the bible I have shared with you were not meant to change your beliefs or attack you as an individual in any way. I am simply opposing any and all prayer from becoming organized in our public school system. If you are a parent who would like your children to experience prayer the way it was meant to be experienced, might I suggest that you learn the real meaning of your religion and share it with your children in the privacy of your own home. Do we really need to create more diversity in society by addressing something so senseless as who feels we should or should not pray for something that nobody has any real proof of?