Big Dogs Weblog

Why Can’t We Have Voluntary Prayer In School

by Big Dog on Aug 3, 2006 at 08:35 Uncategorized

Prayer in school has been under attack for years and is now outlawed because of the efforts of organizations like the ACLU who have twisted the First Amendment to fit their desire of Communism. Regardless of how anyone feels about the subject, the Constitution is clear in that Congress may not create a law establishing religion and that they may not prohibit the free exercise thereof. It would seem that if the Supreme Court has ruled (in error, in my opinion) that students may not voluntarily participate in prayer in the classroom, then a place should be set aside for students who want to pray or participate voluntarily in religious studies. Unfortunately, students have been denied this under blanket assumptions that allowing a child to pray on his own in a place provided somehow violates the First Amendment.

The whole idea of the separation clause was to keep the government from making an official religion as was done in England. That act caused a lot of strife in people’s lives and the Founders decided that this was not going to happen here. The misinterpretation of the First Amendment, in my opinion, has caused as much problem as any government sponsored religion could have and while I am not for government sponsored religion (as directed in the first part of the clause) I am in favor of following the second part of the clause as fervently as the first. People should be free to worship, as they see fit (in accordance with the law), where they want. If a child has a free period in school there should be a place where the child can go and read a Bible, Koran, Torah, or any other religious book and should be free to pray.

Some elected officials of the federal government obviously think that this particular scenario is appropriate:

What is the most powerful room in the United States Capitol? Ask some members of Congress and you would probably hear this: Room 219. It’s the room closest to the House Chamber, and its walls have been privy to some of the most pivotal discussions of our history.

Recently, however, Room 219 just got a whole lot more powerful. How so? You see, in Room 219 some of the highest elected officials of our land are bending their knees in weekly prayer gatherings—openly declaring, not their power, but their dependence on the power of God.

Room 219 of the Capitol, a government building, is used for prayer. It is a place where elected officials go, voluntarily, to express their religious faith. If the Capitol were a school, this would be illegal and the ACLU would be foaming at the mouth over the very idea that it is allowed. People are not talking about forcing children to pray, worship, or read scripture. Instead, the whole idea is voluntary participation. It involves providing a place for children to worship in the same fashion as those elected officials. Accommodation of prayer has been part of this nation’s history and until recently was not seen as an intrusion on people’s lives but rather a symbol of the very freedoms millions have fought and died for. Unfortunately, organizations such as the ACLU have chosen to attack this very freedom with little or no regard for history, tradition, and the will of the people.

President Washington and our founders agreed on the necessity of prayer. And while today there are prayer breakfasts and even a National Day of Prayer, seldom do legislators gather to spend significant time actually praying. That’s what led Congressman Randy Forbes, representative of the Fourth District of Virginia, to help initiate these gatherings in Room 219.

Congressman Forbes has also established the first Congressional Prayer Caucus to protect and promote prayer. Such an effort is so necessary today, not because our forefathers did not find prayer important, but because it was never before under attack as it is today.

People in America enjoy many freedoms with regard to many aspects of their lives. We allow the most despicable items to be displayed and expressed as part of those freedoms. It is inherent in our psyche to allow even those with whom we adamantly disagree the opportunity to express themselves. The KKK, the Black Panthers, militant Islam and many other radical groups have the freedom to march where they want, protest where they want, and say what they want (so long as it they are not breaking the law) under the blanket of freedom. Unfortunately, the selective disintegration of our freedoms has made us a weaker nation.

In America, perhaps more so than any other nation on the Earth, we have diversity. People may be believers in any number of religions and may worship in accordance with the tenets of those religions. People are not persecuted by the government for their religious beliefs and, unlike other nations, we do not kill people for being part of another group. But we do deny the freedom of worship when it comes to our schools. Our children are not entitled to the same religious accommodation that elected officials have given themselves.

Are we truly a free people when our citizens are denied their rights because of the whims of others? No nation can truly be free until every legal act is allowed, regardless of who it offends. Denying our children the right to voluntary worship, regardless of the views of others, is just a foot in the door to denial of other freedoms. How can we stand by and let this happen when we so willingly accept the actions of groups like those mentioned above, as a proof of freedom and tolerance?

Source:
The source of the quotes is BreakPoint

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Tags: Commentary