Freedom of religion

Essay by Anonymous UserCollege, UndergraduateA+, October 1996

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I attended twelve years of Catholic School. My parents consented to the decision of my enrollment and they knew what was involved. They knew that the study of God and prayer was mandatory. Prayer in school in my case produced and environment of discipline and respect for the teachers. The involvement of my parents and the faculty in the use of prayer was in full agreement. However, my view was not even considered important. My rights had been violated.

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives every individual the same rights. One right is the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. The second right is prohibition of the establishment of religion by the state. The founders of the constitution recognized the freedom of religion as an important factor in establishing a democracy. They also recognized a space of freedom between the government and the people, whereby the government could not force an individual or group to do something they did not want to do.

The government is not upholding their part of the constitution. They are trying to tell people that saying prayer in public school is unconstitutional.

In fact, prayer in public school is legal, so is prayer in church and prayer in stores etc... . The area which is not legal is when students or teachers pray when engaged in school activities or instruction. This means students or teachers may pray in an informal setting, such as cafeterias and hallways. They may talk about and discuss problems with religion and their beliefs at that time. A person may come to school early and sit quietly and pray. With the permission of the school a group of students could establish a prayer club. All these things are legal, but what the government...