A question about school prayer

[The_vagabond7]

marciosmg said:

Jackson50 said:

marciosmg said:I hear about this issue a lot on american shows and movies, but I don't fully grasp it yet.

So, who can tell me what is it exactly? Or better yet, here's a question:

I know that a principal can't force his students to come to an auditorium and make them pray a specific prayer, but if a few students, using their free will, decide to use an empty room in school to pray, can they? If some players of the footbal team want to pray together before the match, can they?

Thanks in advance to whomever answers this.

School prayer is acceptable so long as it passes the "endorsement test" which is simply a section of the "lemon test." If the prayer in question appears to be endorsed by the school, then it violates the establishment clause. This was the case in "Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe." In SFISD v. Doe, the SC ruled that student led prayers before a football game violated the establishment clause because they were delivered over the school's public address system. If students desire to pray by themselves in a classroom or before a football game, that does not violate the establishment clause.

 

Thanks for the reply. Now, couldn't someone say that if students wanted to pray together in a classroom, that they are doing in the property of the school and that would be the school endorsing something religious?

So, where is the line drawn?

Like the case of the girl with the song Amazing grace. Is that too far?

 

The students can do whatever they want religiously, the school can have no part in it. Praying in a classroom is fine, a group of students praying in a class room is fine, a teacher asking kids to pray in the class room:wrong, the principle giving permission to use the school intercom to pray outloud to the entire school:wrong, players praying before a game in a huddle is fine, coach telling the players to get together and pray: wrong.

 

The case with the girl and amazing grace I doubt was law, so much as that school's personal decision. And whether you agree with the reasoning ethically, they do have the right to veto what goes on in their school talent show. They aren't required to let somebody sing a song just because it's religious in nature and have to respect that, if they feel that it could be offensive to the rest of the student/teacher body. But their decision on the matter isn't a law.