In the past Religion was confined to the state now with religious freedom
everything has changed or at least started to change. In order for religion to
be in a private school now it is again trying to be in Public schools. People
ask "why can't freedom to acknowledge god be enjoyed again by children in
every schoolroom across this land?" In the past, a long time ago children
always prayed before class started and before lunch. But things have
changed, "in 1791 the separation of church and state" started. Although it was
made clear about the separation of the two "as late as 1951 some twenty states
permitted schools to begin the day by reading aloud a passage of the bible." Bu
t that had to stop. People didn't have the same beliefs when it comes to
religion, if a family absent even believe in god why should their child be
forced to pray? On many different occasions questions similar to this one were
brought up and complained about. That is what started it all real big.
When complaining, arguing and fighting all started over the silent
moment. In 1978 a few lawyers got together and considered a constitutional law.
The original law said that public school teachers in grades 1-6 "shall
announce that a period of silence, not to exceed one minute, shall be observed
for meditation." This law did not work for long, because it still allowed oral
prayer in public high schools. Later in 1981, the Alabama State Senator Donald
G. Holmes successfully passed a bill that included all grades calling it "the
moment of silence" this law said that "the teacher (was) to announce that the
silent moment may be used for voluntary prayer." Although it would have to be silent prayer. Even after this new law started the lawyers that were opposed to
this were trying to say that students "do not have a right to pray in school"
silently or otherwise because of growing impressions that affect their life. The
silent moment supposedly "(forced) religion on children." I don't agree with
that at all, if there has to be a moment of silence then any child can use that
moment however he or she wants, it does not necessarily have to be used fro
prayer. Usually "the children who have been brought up with prayer or some
type of religion are usually proven to be better" kids. I have friends who go
to private schools where praying in class out loud is perfectly O.K. and normal.
This praying in the classroom usually would have a pretty good size affect on
the rest of a person's life. Although when praying aloud it could force one
type of religion on a student rather than having them have more of a choice of
what type of religion they want or if they even want to have a religion. When
there would be the religion in the classrooms. "School children not
participating in the prayers or the bible readings (would be) asked or required
to leave the room."0 This has been another big dispute because the bill of rights states that there shall be "freedom of religion"1 therefore this means
that if a person does not believe in god or what ever the instance might be then
they don't have to. This means if you want to have any type of religion you
may. The children who are forced to leave the classroom to stand in the hall
are forced to make a statement that says "we do not believe in the god of the
state (or) we do not believe that prayer should be publicly displayed in a
public schoolhouse. "This was all thought to be by mainly every one all wrong,
therefore if a child wished not to participate in the pledge of allegiance or
what ever it might be they did not have to leave the classroom, stand silently
in the halls, or write a statement in stead they were allowed to just sit
quietly in their seats.
Religion in public schools would be good for
certain students but the silent moment is good enough for now. Since religion
has been tried in public schools and hasn't exactly worked, the groups of
children who wish to have prayer meetings with other school members are allowed
to have meetings, groups, clubs, etc. before, at lunch or after school.
"Religion (in the public schools) can change a persons life"3 if a
parent wants their child to have religion they can send their child to a private
school and if a parent does not want their child to pressured in to having a
religion they should be able to send their child to a public school and if he or
she wishes to attend meetings then they can do so on their own.
Religion
can change a person life sometimes for the better, but then again sometimes for
the worse, although the silent moment cannot affect anything "freedom to
acknowledge god in every school room across this land," wouldn't always be a
bad idea.