Prayer in School

One of the biggest political disagreements affecting the United States is the separation of church and state. Political leaders incorporated the Establishment Clause into the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to avoid religious preference in our country. The First Amendment grants all people living in the United States the freedom to speak their minds and practice religion without interference or restriction from the government under the condition that they do so peacefully. However, not everyone is able to fully exercise the rights of free speech or religion. Controversy is silencing many of our youngest residents. The rights established by the First Amendment should apply equally to all students. Christians and other religious leaders alike claim that banning school prayer not only goes against the very amendment the court is trying to protect, but the action is also to blame for an increase in school violence and a decrease in spirituality and ethics.

U.S. Supreme Court building.

English: United States Supreme Court building in W...

United States Supreme Court building.

Non-Christians and self-proclaimed atheists claim that prayer in school goes against everything the forefathers of this great nation wanted.

The controversy stems from the interpretation of the First Amendment, which states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (Bowles, 1999). According to an article written by syndicated columnist Linda Bowles (1999), "school prayer was allowed in past generations at the beginning of each school day, and posed no threat to America's government." Bowles strongly believes "that children should still be able to acknowledge in school the same divine power that is mentioned in almost all of the state constitutions." She asserts that "denying students the opportunity to participate in nonsectarian, voluntary prayers at schools and school events stigmatizes religion" (Bowles, 1999). Non-Christians and self-proclaimed atheists claim that prayer in school goes against everything the forefathers of this great...