What people are saying:

• Facebook User: Religion should stay out of schools unless it’s a religious faith based school.
• Facebook User: As a very devout Christian I can say I completely agree with this post!
• Facebook User: Keeping religion out of public schools and other government institutions preserves the rights of all parents to direct the religious education of their own children.
• Facebook User: Public school is not and should not be a church for anyone. I remember having a “moment of silence” in school, which seemed to me like a time for gathering my thoughts and gearing up for the day. It did not seem religious to me (a non christian.) I did not bow my head or make prayer hands. NOW, as we see more and more religion being forced upon schools, I bristle. If you want religion in school, go to a religious school! Don’t force your beliefs upon others.
• Facebook User: I’m Christian but would never force my Christianity on anyone, so why is it ok for the schools to do it?
• Facebook User: It also happens at PTO meetings and various meetings of service organizations, especially in the South. They never understand that there are probably people in the group that have different belief systems.
• Facebook User: I had the same feeling when our public school system would require students involved with football games (players, cheerleaders, drill team, etc) to attend a special Catholic Church service on Saturday mornings before the game. I didn’t have a problem going to church (I’m Jewish) but only when it was my choice.
• Facebook User: We shouldn’t be praying in school. When I was a kid religion was taught at home
• Facebook User: People are always uncomfortable. If everyone there supports the school football team and wears the colors and has pep rallies but you actually support your old school team or think football is stupid, it’s not comfortable but it’s great practice for life.
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User That analogy doesn’t work. Pep rallies and school colors are school activities, not religious instruction.

    Religion is different because public schools are constitutionally required to remain neutral toward religion. When schools organize, promote, or facilitate religious activities during the school day, it’s not about “learning to be uncomfortable” — it’s about the government favoring one belief system over others.

    Students shouldn’t have to endure religious pressure as a “life lesson” in a public school funded by taxpayers of all beliefs.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User lieing about an imaginary man in the sky who watches you masturbate isn’t good practice for life.
  • Facebook User: What they said. But also, so you are prepared to sit through wiccan religious rites in an institution paid for by tax dollars. Christian religious practices in public school is actually good practice for requiring people to go along with the majority without question.
• Facebook User: My senior year in high school, my math teacher lowered my grade because I didn’t convert my religion.
• Facebook User: I graduated from high school in 1971. There was supposed to be no more teacher led prayer in schools by then. They got around that at graduation by bringing in some kind of minister. I’m sure I wasn’t the only non-Christian there who was made to feel like we didn’t belong at our own graduation ceremony.
• Facebook User: As a forty year public education veteran (in a conservative southern school district), it has always grieved me to see how many educators/admins do not recognize that their own personal religious beliefs do not belong in our tax-funded institutions. How hard is it to recognize that not everyone is just like YOU? I have witnessed public group prayers (mostly very specific to evangelical Christian churches) being shared at sporting events, school board meetings, faculty meetings and during staff social events. Even worse, the same has been done during assemblies in schools with students in attendence. How is that legal? The ethnocentric POV that permeates the system prevents the few voices that question the practice from having any impact.
• Facebook User: (NOTE: Mike Johnson, below set me straight on the distinction between Ecumenical and Non-Denominational. That part of my comment is indeed in error). I felt that same pain but from the Jewish side. Sometimes religion can unite. Just yesterday I was at an “ecumenical” service at a church to honor MLK, but there “Ecumenical” referred only to different denominations of one religion. I did not mind so much as MLK was a minister of that religion, but I would not call it an ecumenical event. Also I was introduced to prayer in schools only in 5th grade when my family moved from Chicago to Wilmington Delaware. Decades later on an early CSPAN show the CSPAN founder had found and was interviewing of all people, the elementary school teacher of Ronald Reagan. Brian Lamb asked her what he must have thought was a simple question: “What was it like when little Ronald Reagan prayed in your class?” She freaked out at the question. and exploded: “Ronald Reagan NEVER PRAYED IN MY CLASS! YOU KNOW WHY?… Because the constitution of the State of Illinois had banned that practice as of 18**! (I dont remember the specific date). My eyes lit up as before my move to Delaware that’s where I lived, in Illinois and that is why we were free to worship in the region of our FAMILIES. It also cracks the myth that “prayer was taken out of the schools in the 1960s”. It actually was back again in the 1800s with the “Bible Wars” first in Philadelphia and then in NYC where just like what came later in Ireland, people were dying in the streets battling if the schools would be preaching on the Catholic Bible or one of the Protestant Bibles.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User the meaning of ecumenical is understood to be “non-denominational” but Baptists and Catholics do not consider themselves denominations. “Interfaith” would include Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus etc. (Although they are notoriously difficult to plan and execute).
  • Facebook User: I checked. You are correct! I was wondering but should have checked first. I will take down my post later today giving you a chance to read my reply. Alas apologizing makes me ineligible to ever be President though at 73 I am coming into my prime to run for that position (-; Thank you for setting me straight and in a kind, informative way.
• Facebook User: Separation of church and state anyone?
• Facebook User: No public organization

  Including schools

  Can segregate by religion

  Period

  There is no discussion beyond this point

• Facebook User: I wonder how the teachers who led the prayers would have felt about their own children being expected to participate in Muslim or Buddhist prayers.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User outraged. I went to a small Catholic grade school but there were a few students who were not Catholic. They were excused from daily Mass,arrived at school about 8:30.They were encouraged to stand for daily prayers but it was optional for them. Of course this was a very small town.
• Facebook User: Thank you for being a voice of reason!
• Facebook User: This atheist agrees, it was incredibly uncomfortable.
• Facebook User: Excellently said. Barring overt or subtle endorsement of a religion or even of religion in general cannot be tolerated in public schools because they are then oppressive. Neither can vouchers from public funds for secular or religious schools be tolerated, because that is just another path around justice to segregated schools with very different levels of instruction.
• Facebook User: Thanks for sharing – my heart goes out to you.
• Facebook User: Absolutely – separation of church and state – why is it necessary to discriminate so openly when public schools were created for ALL students – regardless of race, color or religion (creed) – they are the hub of our communities in honoring and including all youth and adults.
• Facebook User: Also , even for some Christians , these types of public displays are forbidden.
• Facebook User: Agree. It should never be like this. All should be welcome and safe. People can pray all they want on their own but as a schoolwide activity?? No freaking way.
• Facebook User: If one wants prayer in school, there are plenty of private schools for you.
• Facebook User: Religion is fine at home- – – not forced upon children at public schools. SHAME on those American Christians who violate our Constitution in this manner! 🇺🇲✌🏻✝️