[MoonlitWaves]

Savage,
It's elective. That's the beauty of it. The class would be about, like jillian said, the basics of religions. Because there are so many different religions it wouldn't leave time for the teacher to lean on their preferred religion. Which I know is not a guarantee, but I would think it could be done without prejudice or favoritism. But I don't think it will happen. Taking religion out period became ugly by both sides, it caused upheaval and now that it is over I don't think anyone (government officials) will be willing to go through it again just to put one controversial class back into all public schools.
Does anyone know if keeping a religion elective in schools was considered during this whole ordeal, or was it more of a "okay this is causing too much trouble and upheaval, let's just take religion out completely"?

[N0help4u]

Needkarma is right. Teachers and schools wrongfully suspend students for praying and wearing crosses and so forth. The ACLJ will fight for the students in court. They are allowed to have Christian social clubs BEFORE OR AFTER school N0T DURING school.

ACLJ • American Center for Law & Justice

[kellyH]

Yeah, I actually had a friend who was suspended for coming up to a girl and saying, "Jesus loves you."
Does a simple saying like this really make that big of a deal?

[NeedKarma]

Suspended for that is a bit much, unless there was a previous history. What possesses someone to blurt that out of the blue? I don't know of any other religion where one would go up to people and say "Mohmmed loves you" or "The Flying Spagetti Monster loves you." etc.

[Soldout]

Suspended for that is a bit much, unless there was a previous history. What possesses someone to blurt that out of the blue? I don't know of any other religion where one would go up to people and say "Mohmmed loves you" or "The Flying Spagetti Monster loves you." etc.

Who cares if what it is. Why can anyone make any statement they want. I guess this country has freedom of speech unless you are Christian. That doesn't surprise me, it is the spirit of the anti-christ in operation

[jillianleab]

N0help4u agrees: exactly! You can swear and talk vulgar that is acceptable Jesus love N0 Way! Insanity!

Actually swearing and using vulgar speech can and does get a student suspended - it just doesn't make the news. The student in question, however, should not have been suspended for simply saying such a thing, unless, as NK mentioned, there was a previous history of this student harassing the other student or something. In other words, if there was tension between the two students, and "Jesus loves you" was said as a method of provoking, harassing or picking on the student, suspension could be a reasonable punishment. Unless we see the news story, however, there's no way to say for sure.

EDIT: Sorry, I just realized this wasn't a news story, but a personal account. There's no way to know for sure unless we know both sides of the story.

[Synnen]

I think there's more to the story than someone saying "Jesus loves you"

Seriously... not being Christian, it's annoying that Christians constantly push their religious agenda everywhere, but someone saying just that one line would make me shake my head and walk away.

HOWEVER--if she had said it before and said it to me every day, after being asked to stop--that's harassment, and that's generally something that gets ONE warning before punishment is meted out.

[DaBaAd]

Hey Guys!
I was wondering about how yall thought about prayers in school. this topic is very important to me, and i would love some other's opinions on it! please, everyone, reply with your thoughts!
thanks so much!

From online dictionary - "5. prayers, a religious observance, either public or private, consisting wholly or mainly of prayer".

As such, a "religious observance" is not necessary for all to observe, but for the person praying this can be a "private" observance that will not broadcast any specific religious demonstrations.

No institution can deny this type of prayer.

[kellyH]

Mkay, so what happened with the whole "jesus loves you" thing that involved my friend, it went like this.
There was some girl that my friend passed every day in the hallway, and so they started talking a bit, you know, not like best friends or anything, just like aquaintences (sp?). And this girl always seemed sad and stuff, so one day, when this girl looked like she was almost in tears, my friend just said, "dont worry, jesus loves you." and yeah. I don't know if the girl was offended and told the principal, or another student over heard and they told or what, my friend was just called to the office and was suspended. And soooo... yeah.
That was basically the history behind it, and there was definitely no harassment involved.

[NeedKarma]

In my opinion that doesn't deserve a suspension.

[Synnen]

I don't think it deserves a suspension either--but neither do I believe that that 5 year old little boy should have gotten suspended for kissing a girl in the coat hall.

Some schools go overboard with enforcing things, others hardly enforce anything.

[Soldout]

The name Jesus will always be contreversial. It seems to make people mad or uncomfortable. People can say God, Buddha, muhamed, dhali Lama and no one cares. But the moment you Say the name of Jesus people take offense and attacks fly. This is because of the spirit of the anti christ that the Bible warns us about. Its is even more intense now, the devil is working over time now because his time is running out. Jesus was hated and his followers are too. We just have accept the price we pay for being followers of Christ.

[NeedKarma]

Sounds like a cult the way you describe it.

[NeedKarma]

Soldout,
I see you are new here, you may want to get familiar with the rules surrounding the commenting feature on this site:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/feedba...ure-24951.html

[jillianleab]

I don't think it deserves a suspension either--but neither do I believe that that 5 year old little boy should have gotten suspended for kissing a girl in the coat hall.

Some schools go overboard with enforcing things, others hardly enforce anything.

Don't forget the kid who was suspended for using a chicken finger as a "gun" during lunch.

Student suspended for chicken finger gun

But I agree, from the sounds of the story, the student should not have been suspended. It would be interesting to hear the principal explain him/her self.

[jadejarvis]

Hey Guys!
I was wondering about how yall thought about prayers in school. this topic is very important to me, and i would love some other's opinions on it! please, everyone, reply with your thoughts!
thanks so much!

Heyy
My opinion is that praying should be done in schools. However if there is a child of a different belief they shouldn't have to pray with the other children.

[De Maria]

Hey Guys!
I was wondering about how yall thought about prayers in school. this topic is very important to me, and i would love some other's opinions on it! please, everyone, reply with your thoughts!
thanks so much!

In order to answer the question adequately, we must consider that "prayers in school" have several manifestations:

In a Public School:

1. Should prayers in school be organized by officials of the school, such as the principal or the teachers?

Only if the composition of the students is considered first and it is permitted by the students' parents.

Why? Because Public School will have many religions represented by its students and some may be offended.

2. Should prayers in school by students, either organized or impromptu, be forbidden by the government, the school officials or the teachers?

a. No. This is a free country which recognizes the existence of God. In forbidding the establishment of a national religion, the Constitution did not declare that this was an atheist country. We can look at our coins which say, "In God We Trust" and at the Declaration of Independence, "endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights", and see that this Government is not atheist.

In addition, an atheistic belief system is as much forbidden by the separation of Church and State as any other religion.

b. Prayer should also not be forbidden because it is simply an expression of faith. It is also protected by freedom of speech.

3. Should prayer in School by officials such as principals and teachers be forbidden.

No. Our faith is an integral part of our being. If a person is not permitted to pray or to speak of God, this is a curtailment of our freedom of Speech which is guaranteed by the Constitution.

Private Schools are another matter:

It is a contract with a private person and one must observe the rules by which he agreed to abide.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[NeedKarma]

Sorry deMaria, you are wrong on many counts. Best to read this first:
School Prayer - The Issue
THE RULING

"The Bill of Rights was created to protect the minority from tyranny of the majority," said Judge Biggers, responding to the school's argument that the prayers should continue because a majority of students and parents are in favor of the practice. "To say that the majority should prevail simply because of its numbers is to forget the purpose of the Bill of Rights."

The plaintiff in the case, Lisa Herdahl, was insistent that: "Parents and kids should be able to decide for themselves if they want to go to Sunday school, or what church or synagogue they want to attend. They shouldn't have to battle that out in court." Herdahl brought suit in December 1994 after school officials at the North Pontotoc Attendance Center refused her request to discontinue the religious practices. When news of her request got out, she and her five school children, ages 5 to 15, were harassed and ostracized.

You can read more here too: Prayer In Public School (Precedents):

The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the First Amendment requires public school officials to be neutral in their treatment of religion, showing neither favoritism toward nor hostility against religious expression such as prayer.

[De Maria]

Wow! I diddn't know this was a debate forum, but that is wonderful!

Sorry deMaria, you are wrong on many counts.

Perhaps, but you didn't address any of them. Or if you addressed my first point, you confirmed it.

Best to read this first:

You might take your own advise and read my message again. Your reference is concerned with prayer organized by School officials and I said:

1. Should prayers in school be organized by officials of the school, such as the principal or the teachers?

Only if the composition of the students is considered first and it is permitted by the students' parents.

Why? Because Public School will have many religions represented by its students and some may be offended.

Therefore, my statement substantially agrees with your reference because if the parents of the students agreee with the program, there is no tyranny.

On the other hand, the tyranny of the minority needs to be addressed. Why must the majority be denied a God given right simply because a minority does not agree with it?

School Prayer - The Issue
[ You can read more here too: Prayer In Public School (Precedents):

I've read enough on the issue and my mind is made up. If you are trying to persuade me to your side of the argument, you'll have to provide your own arguments.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[Synnen]

Wait wait wait... "God given right"?

YOUR god has rights in His church.

MINE has rights in my Circle

NEITHER has rights in a public school.

If you want your kids to pray in school, send 'em to a private school. My tax dollars pay for education, not morality. Teach morals at home, please.