DangerousTalk

Fundamentalist Christians constantly say that God has been banned from public school.  That is a lie. God has not been “banned” from public schools at all.

If a child wants to pray to God, Jesus, Allah, Xenu, or Ringo Star before, during, or even after a test, they are absolutely free to do so. While I am reasonably certain that such prayers would have absolutely no baring on their grade, they are free to pray to whatever deity they choose in a non-disruptive manner.

That’s the key word here, “non-disruptive.” They can’t sacrifice virgins or prostrate the floor in every direction. Nor can they wave their hands in the air and sing Jesus’s praises. In fact, they will need to pray silently because they need to be non-disruptive.

During homeroom, study hall, in the halls or before class starts, people are free to take out their Bibles, Korans, Satanic Versus, Dianetics, or the Loax if they so choose, but when the teacher says that it is time for class to start, all those things have to go away.

If students want to meet before or after school to read the Bible and discuss it, they are all free to do that. However, school clubs usually need a faculty advisor and public school faculty members are considered government employees. Government employees cannot use their position to push one religion over another. In their role of government employee, they must be neutral toward religion. So I don’t think they could advise an official Bible Club. If students want to organize on their own and read the Bible, they are free to do so.

Because faculty members are government employees and government employees must be neutral with regard to religion, teachers, coaches, and other faculty members cannot promote any religion. They cannot lead prayers before class or before a game. They cannot abuse their power as a faculty member to preach their religious beliefs.

In short, no faculty member or student has the right to turn their school into a church. While individual freedom is protected as best as possible, the purpose of school is to learn. Could you imagine if this restriction was removed and teachers and students could disruptively pray and preach whatever religion they wanted at any time and in any way? The schools would no longer be a place of learning and would become a battleground for religious war.

Filed under: culture war, education, free speech, prayer, Preaching, Religion