Topic > Persuasive essay: Religion and school prayer in public...

Prayer at school: good or bad? As secular humanists and groups like the Christian Coalition are at war with each other over closed-door high school prayer in Washington DC, the average high school kid is caught in the middle. For years there has been a heated debate about whether or not to pray in school. Every time the discussion reignites, it ends in stalemate, and it's a topic that politicians on the campaign trail tend to stay away from. At first, the discussion was whether or not the school day should begin with a prayer about the PA school system. . This did not last long, as anyone can see that there is so much diversity among the religious beliefs of high school kids today. The topic then moved on to replacing “prayer” with a moment of silence. "Those in favor of prayer in school make several arguments. They say it will increase tolerance in schools, as children learn about different religions and how they practice them. Many believe it will bring out the personal questions kids have about God and religion and will allow them to seek their own belief system. The most common, however, is the argument that bringing prayer back to schools will help reverse the moral degradation of this country Jeffery L. Osgood, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Dover, wrote, “In 1962, when prayer was removed by the Supreme Court, something happened to the American soul and to American schools. Our nation has become increasingly secular and less tolerant of moral standards and values. Since America has become so proud to pray to the God of heaven who created us, we have reaped the rewards. Crime is on the rise. The family split. Test scores of students went on a submarine dive. It's time for a change! "On the other hand, secular humanists have several arguments centering on why prayer in schools is a bad idea. They claim that public schools exist to educate, not to proselytize. Children in public schools are a captive audience. Making prayer an official part of the school day is coercive and invasive. What 5, 8, or 10-year-old would consider praying prayers as part of the school routine “voluntary,” and so public schools are the only appropriate situation? let these two not mix.