I would be in favor of a period of quiet time where kids could pray, meditate or just order their thoughts for the day. Group prayer in a particular faith? Absolutely not.

might as well put prayer back in school. It will make everyone upset and start pulling their kids out of the schools that do it, causing those schools to fall apart.

Sorry, had a long, hard, cynical day.

This makes me angry. My kids already get harassed regularly because they have begun expressing their non religious beliefs.
I am not against individuals praying or reading the bible in school if they are not pressuring others. Having prayer over the speakers should be absolutely off the table though.

Prayer. I have often wondered how many "witches" were burned praying desperately to their god for deliverance or how many people have pleaded desporately with their god just before being shot in the face at a school. Prayer in school is meant to proprogate the belief in a Mythological sky daddy that has demonstrated that he has not stopped one school shooting.

Absolutely AGAINST and illegal to boot.. It is a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

not much. A moment of quiet once the kids are seated just to get 'em to calm down and focus but not to prey, oops I mean pray.

Uh no no and more no.

I don't have an issue if it is a student centered activity, like a club...because I think all kids need to find their tribe...but will the schools be willing to accept all religions? If they allow a Christian club, they better be able to have a Pagan or Muslim or flying spaghetti monster club. I also think the administration shouldn't show special interest or preferential treatment to any of the groups.

I live in a rural area, my kids go to a really small school. I find it irritating they sing traditional Christian songs in choir and that the sport teams pray before games. Now...not everyone has to, but it's pretty alienating if they don't. To me that's inappropriate, that is being done at an official school activity. Since there is a separation of church and state, prayer doesn't belong there...

i hate the idea

Hi Emerald Jewel you are not alone,you have fellow freethinkers on Agnostic.com for intellectual support.

No...is my vote. Do away with all of it.

Bad news. We got some Holy Rollers elected here in my NH town years ago. Tried to get prayer or moment of silence in all public schools. Think and hope they are long gone.

The way it is now is ok with me.
Students are free to pray on their own as long as it doesn't interfere with their studies.

None of the faculty is allowed to initiate or require students to pray. This includes coaches leading prayers before or after sporting events.

Sad

No, No, No. Certainly support the separation of church and state.

Hi Emerald Jewel,my thoughts are the same as yours when I read of the news of those people murdered in that church where was their god,was it powerless to stop it,did it not care about those people the real answer it does not exist except in peoples minds.but perpetuated by priests and their kind.and I loathe those evangelists who on their soap box making millions of dollars out of the gullible.and the idea of bringing prayer back into schools is a step backward for knowledge,dumbifying the children.

The constitution says separation of church and state. The religious right is just trying to go after the most impressionable people in our country, our kids. The reason for this is religious followers are declining in number (Be it so slow). They know this, so they're trying to indoctrinate the youngest among us.

Separation of church and state.

To be specific here, prayer was never taken out of schools. People have always been able to pray in school if they choose to. Requiring it was taken out of schools. Leading children in prayer and requiring them to participate is not allowed but, anyone is free to pray in public anywhere at any time.