...Religion in School The controversy of religion in school has been going on for over 30 years. The first amendment in the Bill of Rights states that there is a freedom of religion. People are fighting every day to try to keep religion in school. Allowing religion in school could change people’s lives and make them better people throughout their life. I am a strong believer in having religion in school. The first amendment in the Bill of Rights states that there is a freedom of religion. That means that people can practice their religion freely whenever and wherever they would like to. Saying that means that you should be able to practice religion in schools. In the past century the supreme court has protected the students’ individual rights to pray, wear religious clothes, and express their beliefs in school, yet banned these practices were they are perceived as disruptive, discriminator/, or coercive to peers who may not share those same beliefs. I do not believe that these rights should be banned just because someone does not want to hear about it. Maybe hearing about the religion will make them a better person. There is someone fighting each and every day to try to take religion out of schools for good or keep it in schools. You can look in the paper all the time and see where someone is in court over religion. I think it is pointless for a person to try to go to court or do whatever to take religion out of school. I mean people do have the right to freedom of religion...
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...There is nothing more damning and destructive to America's youth today than the Godless public school system! I thank God for the Bill of Rights. I thank God for the wisdom of our founding fathers. I thank God for the the First Amendment which gives us the legal right to freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right to peaceably assemble and protest. I am exercising my God-given freedom, by publishing this desperately needed article about the Godless and heathen public school system. There is no evil today like the Communist, humanistic, sexually immoral public school system. I detest the public school system! It is destructive to the faith of children! Sex Education Program in Our Public Schools: What Is Behind It? Perhaps you are asking, "What is so wrong with the public school system? In a word, EVERYTHING! Perhaps a better question is: What is right about the public school system? The truth is intolerant my friend. 1 + 1 = 2. Now you can ignorantly claim that 1 + 1 = 3; but you'd be wrong (and probably a product of the public school system). Children are robbed of faith in God in public schools. Instead, children are taught that they evolved from "stardust" which somehow formed into a planet, and then life just happened. Children are taught that humans are animals. If this is true, then bestiality is acceptable, right? This is what the evolutionists teach is it not? A good Christian family is a bulwark for good morals, the soil for the planting of good character, the...
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...Abstract As controversial as it is, official practice of religion in state funded institutions is illegal. According to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the Free Establishment Clause says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As citizens of this great nation, we have the liberty to practice whatever religion we may choose, just as long as the church and the state are separate. There is no greater organization to complicate this issue than the public school system. Children are young and naive and can become impressed by anything that sounds credible. Giving those kids a reason to think one religion is superior to another on the government’s watch is unacceptable, and while I do believe it is important for everyone to have their own religious background, the public school system is not the place for that purpose. A school is the best place for kids the same age to gather and meet new friends. Students with the same hobbies, likes, and beliefs will generally hang out together. The community cannot expect every single person to go to the same religious institution, so it is possible students lead their own practice at school. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FCA, “have been on campuses around the world since 1966, and student-athletes lead the campus ministry” (fca.org). I think it is wonderful students take charge in their own practices and that will not cease anytime...
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...Essay On Religion in Public Schools Everyone knows that something needs to be done about safety in public schools. Whether it’s metal detectors at the doors, or policemen in the halls, something needs to be done. I think that we could solve all of the hate and anger problems quite easily by adding a “Religion Class”. This “Religion Class” could be and extracurricular reminder of what is right and what is wrong. Not only would it unite our schools and districts, but also it would bring more peace to the classrooms. These are just a few things that bringing religion into our schools would do for us. It’s a pretty easy and simple change for all the benefits it would bring, don’t you think? First of all, this minor step wouldn’t even need to change how the schools operate. The ‘Religion Classes’, could be extracurricular. This means that the classes would be either before or after school. The teachers would need no new training because these classes could be student lead. We currently have a weekly lunchtime religion/prayer group called First Priority, but having a daily class would allow us to learn and study religion more deeply. Neither moving nor shuffling of classes would need to take place this way (Swomly P. 38). Sure, some people may not want to have these types of classes due to the differences in beliefs; however, there would be a variety of classes taught on a variety of different religions. This would be done to insure no group would be left out. Also these classes...
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...Joshua Blunt Mrs. James English Class 26 April 2012 Prayer in Public Schools The United States was founded primarily as a Christian nation, it's very philosophy built upon Christian ideals, such as the equality of all men. Like all things, these ideals were corrupted to suit the convenience of men, but it was founded upon them nonetheless. Because of this foundation, at it's inception the United States schooling system greatly supported Christian religion. Over the years, the abuses have built up, unfortunately on the side of Christians using their position against nonbelievers. This has caused an unfortunate backlash, which has seen every instance of Christian symbolism or teaching eagerly repressed by the so-called forces of order. But, in their zeal, these self-proclaimed crusaders have gone too far – they've taken Christianity off of it's pedestal only to replace it with an idol more suitable to their tastes: Secular Humanism. Secular Humanism has been classified by U.S. Courts as a religion, and is supported by public schools. In the case Washington Ethical Society v. District of Columbia, the Supreme Court officially stated that Secular Humanism “qualifies” as a religion under the first amendment. Yet many overlook this classification by the highest legal body in the country. Most public schools not only teach Secular Humanism openly, but they embody it in the entire school system. Atheism reigns supreme, evolution taught as fact, Christianity viewed as a relic of...
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...The government funds all public school across the country, meaning their ownership over these schools must follow what America stands for based on what's said in the Constitution. In the First Amendment, the clause on Freedom of Religion states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (The 1st Amendment). This secures that all students in school have the right to their own beliefs and practices. This becomes very controversial when multiple ides start to cross paths. Influence or persuasion in any form...
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...Religion in the Public Schools: Public Prayer or Private Action? The differences between private and government sponsored religious speech can be difficult, but necessary to determine when dealing with religion in the public school system. In Kountze Texas, a group of cheerleaders are suing the school district because a ban was placed on their usage of religious banners before the local public school’s football games. The cheerleaders created banners, like many high school cheerleaders do, but the message painted on their signs were statements such as, “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” The messages on the banners are religious speech and a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Yes, the United States Constitution does allow for the freedom of religion, but it also separates Church and State. The cheerleaders painted these signs for a school organized football game; the educational institution is a public one and must abide by the United States Constitution and the separation of church and state. If the school were private, religious connotations would be permissible, but being that the school is public, the signs created by the cheerleaders would be considered government sanctioned. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment states, “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Throughout our nations history there has been much debate of what the framers of the Constitution meant by establishment...
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...Freedom of Religion and Public Education The United States came about by people who fled their homes in search of one thing, religious freedom. It was the search for religious freedom that brought people from their homes to cross thousands of miles on boats. This search for the right to practice religion freely is the reason that religious freedom is considered so important in the United States, and is secured for its citizens through the first amendment which reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” (as cited in Killian, 1994). This article calls for the separation of church and state as well as the protection of religious liberty. The importance of separation through the government not promoting or endorsing any form of religion, is often felt in the public school system. The reason that the separation is felt in the public education system is because public school is a government program so, it is not allowed to endorse any religion, however, the students who attend there must be allowed to retain their religious liberty. This conflict has brought about valid opinions and concerns for the different aspects of religion found in a school setting. These aspects include prayer in school being allowed in the school; the teaching of religion in...
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...Freedom of Religion and Public Education The United States came to be because people fled their homes in search of one thing, religious freedom. It was the search for religious freedom that motivated people to leave their homes and cross thousands of miles on boats to come to America. This search for the right to practice religion freely is the reason that religious freedom is considered so important in the United States. And it is secured for its citizens through the first amendment, which reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” (as cited by Killian, 1994). This part of the article calls for the separation of church and state as well as the protection of religious...
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...debate summary: Should schools omit god into the school system? Our learning teams have discussed a couple of con for omitting god and religion into the school system. One of the major cons would be one religion would be favored over the other’s which will more than likely be Christianity. Christianity would be favored more because of the popularity of the religion; there are way too many religions to cover at school. I believe religion should be practiced in a private setting, which would be at home. The parents should be the one teaching it instead of the teacher, who is also not getting paid to cover religion they are getting paid to cover certain courses. Religion is private and schools are very public, if religion was introduced into the school system it would create barriers between the children. This would create fraction between them that would cause negative energy. Schools is intended to provide education not practice religion that would be taking away time for the children to learn. School prayer violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment which provides that government shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion. Because public schools are government funded, prayer led by school officials or incorporated into the school routine amounts to government established religion. Those students who abstain from school prayer may be ostracized. Some kids do not believe in religion so with that being incorporated into the school system, which would...
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...Prayer In School Kevin Magilligan Grand Canyon Univ Prayer In Schools The United States was founded on freedom. One of those freedoms is the Freedom of Religion. Our forefathers knew that there had to be a separation of church and state. This allowed citizens of the US to practice any religion they may chose and the government would not interfere. A plethora of court cases have ruled that having prayer in school is unconstitutional. While having prayer in school that is not sponsored by the administration is constitutional. Groups such as Moms in Prayer are for having prayer in schools. While the American Civil Liberties Union are against having prayers in schools. "To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. The United States and the States shall not compose school prayers, not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity." Congressman Ernest Istook (R-OK). Prayer in school is a debate that has been going on since the 1960’s with the landmark case of Engle V Vitale. The case found that a school wide solicited prayer recited by the students was unconstitutional. This ruling led to other litigation where school sponsored prayer was not allowed, such as during sporting...
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...“In many parts of the world today religious education is facing dramatic challenges.” (catholicireland.net, 2012). We live in a world where society is greatly affected by the ways and customs of different religions and cultures. The questioning of the relationship between religion and education in Ireland has been a sizeable debate recently. The increase in immigration etc. has resulted in new and diverse religions and cultures being introduced into Irish society. Naturally this means that change is imminent. When people first heard that I would be studying to become a religious education teacher their reactions were mostly what I had expected. The look on their face said it all for most people. I could tell they were thinking that religious education was not a real subject. That is was merely a subject where you could catch up on homework or sit back, relax and watch a movie. Of course my natural instinct was to defend the subject as I knew why I wanted to and was going to study to become a religious educator. However as I found myself trying to explain, it was challenging to try and find the words to define what the subject is and what it entails. It was difficult to do this without sounding like a “holy joe” as the expression goes. It made me realise that I needed to sit down and think in detail the meaning of religious education and also what I think the future of religious education in Ireland looks like? Will religious education still be a subject in Ireland in years to...
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...and State ... and School” Should religion be restricted from public schools? Even in 2014, religion in public schools continues to be an intense elusive issue. The right to freedom of religion is so central to democracy that it was embedded in the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution. Our Founding Fathers wisely endorsed strict separation of church and state to ensure religious freedom for all faiths and individuals. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” (U.S. Constitution – December 15, 1791). These two clauses promote free practice of religion by Americans without state interference. Compliance and adherence with the separation of church and state must be enforced in the nation's public schools, yet religion should not be completely restricted from the public school system. Not supporting religion is extremely important in the public school setting because of the specific vulnerability and sensitivity of students. Most children hold teachers and administration at a high level of expectation, viewing them as significant authority figures. Furthermore, children are highly gullible to coercion. Introducing religion in the public schools create these significant risk. In addition, American public schools are growing increasingly diverse. Schools must institute special consideration to the fact that many schoolchildren belong to minority religions or are raised in...
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...Prayer in Public Schools Derrick DuHart Race, Religion, Culture Arkansas Baptist College Dr. Johnson, Instructor November 4, 2014 Tables of Contents I. Introduction Background/Statement of Problems pg. 3-4 Purpose of the Study pg. 5-12 Research Questions pg. 13 Significance of the Study pg. 14-19 II. Literature Review Methodology and Sampling Design Strategy pg. 20 Data Collection Procedures pg. 20 Data Analyzed pg. 21 Ethical Issues pg. 21 III. Results Conclusion pg. 21-22 References pg. 23 Appendix: I. Annotated Bibliography pg. 24-26 II. Survey Questions pg. 27 III. Results (Charted/Tables) pg. 28-31 Notes: I. Introduction Background/Statement of Problem Prayer in Public Schools The courts have ruled against prayer in school. Many agree with the decision; yet many disagree. Prayer should be allowed in public schools because it is already practiced. It prevents...
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...Matt Cagle, Stephanie Snyder, Jessica Johnson, Sarah Haddox Abercrombie EDUC 2312.01 19 October 2013 Culture Diversity in the Classroom What is culture? Culture is “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, manners, and scholarly pursuits.” (Dictionary.com) What does culture look like in the classroom? When viewing culture from a teacher’s perspective, it can be broken down into four different categories such as, religion, ethnicity, language, and economic status. These categories can help to define a classrooms culture. Our goal is to examine how culture, broken into these four categories, is viewed in the classroom. Race and Ethnicity(Sarah): In a classroom, a teacher will come across a variety of different races and ethnicities. Race refers to the physical attributes associated with certain groups, such as Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African American, etc. Ethnicity is the specific groups within a race. For example, within the Caucasian race, you will find the Irish, French, German, etc. Also associated with ethnicity are the societal characteristics for each group within a race such as language and religious beliefs. In a classroom with multiple races and ethnicities, comes a wide range of religious backgrounds, languages, holidays, and customs. This can prove to have both positive and negative aspects within a classroom environment. Positive things that can come from a large collection of racial and...
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