Students should be allowed to pray in schools - Research Paper Example

should be allowed to pray in schools Disallowing prayer in school is something inherently inconsistent with the mood and style of the modern age. The era we are living in is the one in which freedom is favored on all aspects of life, be that speech, expression, or even sexual orientation. Considering this, banning prayer in school would make the policies and legal framework completely biased toward evil, as it is only good that prayers can bring with them in effect. In order to perform well in studies, students not only need physical training, academic lectures, and behavioral counseling, they also need peace of the mind and satisfaction of the heart.

This void in emotional satisfaction is filled in by the prayers. “Students have the right to engage in voluntary individual prayer that is not coercive and does not substantially disrupt the schools educational mission and activities” (Anti-Defamation League, 2013). In many families, parents teach their children to regularly pray. They describe the physical, psychological, emotional, and sociological benefits of praying to their children in their attempt to make the experience of praying all the more enlightening and emotionally fulfilling for the children.

Children build a very positive image of praying using the lessons taught to them by their parents. “Ninety percent of Americas youngsters attend public schools. These students come from homes that espouse a variety of religious and philosophical beliefs” (Americans United, 2014). In such circumstances, when they see prayers being banned in school, they are bound to think negatively about at least their parents, prayers, and/or school. They cannot think positively about prayers and school and yet see the latter denying access to the former.

“Students in school as well as out of school are ‘persons’ under our Constitution” (ACLJ, n.d.) and so they must be granted the right to pray in school. Critics might say that prayers should be banned in schools because they take a lot of time. However, this is not reality. Prayers in most religions hardly take five to ten minutes at the maximum to be made. This time can be allowed either in the lunch break, or in the ten to fifteen minutes of break between consecutive periods. In fact, it takes no more than two minutes for many children to pray.

Critics might also say that prayers should be disallowed in schools because they impact other students. If that is so, there is no harm in that. The purpose of schools is education. If students see their peers and class-fellows belonging to different religious backgrounds praying in their respective ways, it would increase their knowledge about other religions. The increased exposure to other religions would cause them to explore the fundamentals of other religions. In the long run, they would make informed decisions after proper research even if they have to stick to their original faith.

To conclude, there is no harm in allowing prayers in schools. However, there are many harms in disallowing prayers in schools. Disallowing prayer in school would not only deter students from experiencing its good effects on mind and body, but would also serve to inculcate certain very negative feelings in them. Prayer is a way for man to connect with God. All religions preach ethics and there is no harm that can be anticipated with students praying in the school.References:ACLJ. (n.d.). School prayer.

Retrieved from http://aclj.org/education/school-prayer. Americans United. (2014). Prayer And The Public Schools. Retrieved from https://www.au.org/resources/publications/prayer-and-the-public-schools. Anti-Defamation League. (2013). Religion in the Public Schools. Retrieved from http://archive.adl.org/religion_ps_2004/prayer.html#.Uzfp_fmSyVY.