Moment of Silence in Schools
Personally, which might surprise you, I am not for verbal prayer in school!
I have a problem with someone praying to Buddha in front of my child and expecting them to honor Buddha by getting down on the floor and bowing to him. I think it would be a mess and would seriously infringe on my child’s rights to practice the religion they choose!
But what I DON’T have a problem with, is the Moment of Silence. I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is not infringing at all! The child can do as they wish with that moment. Even if it is spent on nothing more than thinking about they can’t wait to get home and ride their bike!
Well, I guess I should have seen it coming but when I read this on Citizens Link… it kind of surprised me.
| A Texas couple has filed suit against a school district in the Lone Star State for offering a moment of silence in the classroom. They claim the silence is unconstitutional and nothing more than a veiled attempt to get prayer back in schools.
Under Texas law, the moment of silence allows children to “reflect, pray, meditate or engage in any other silent activity.” Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Legal Institute said he thinks the case will quickly be dismissed. “It’s really bizarre, this attack on the moment of silence,” he told Family News in Focus. “I would have thought everyone could agree on a moment of silence. But, I assume this lawsuit is going to be resolved rather quickly, because it doesn’t seem to be really based upon good foundations of the law.” Sasser said there is a hidden agenda behind the suit. |
To that last line… I would say… oh yah! Come on… if your that worried about religious influence… cut out evolution in science! It takes a lot of “faith” to believe it and is used in some religions to explain… how we got here. How about Greek Mythology? A lot of people check their horoscopes and believe that they are true!
NO DOUBLE STANDARDS!
Thankfully, I think Hiram Sasser is right. This one will go away. But there is going to come a time when it won’t… so let’s see what we can do about it now to preserve the freedom that we don have for longer. If you feel led, contact your congressman about this. Many of them observe this already in their capitals.
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I agree with your opening statements, and think some who want prayer aloud in public schools just haven’t thought the matter through. Besides, if prayer were required, there would surely be some people praying who shouldn’t be.
I found this post through the Christian Carnival.
Comment by Martin LaBar — 3/22/2006 @ 9:15 am
As a Texas teacher, daily tasked with enforcing the official moment of silence, the pledge and the Texas pledge, I would suggest the following: Do away with the moment of silence (no matter what anyone says, it’s a subterfuge–and not a very clever one–for prayer), and require the pledges only once per week. As it now stands, kids stand and fidget for the “moment,” and either say nothing, or meaninglessly mumble their way through the pledges. When something meaningful is reduced to a daily, scheduled mantatory exercise, it quickly becomes routine and is no longer special and meaningful.
To those who will doubtless suggest that I have already passed “Go” and am on my way straight into hell, consider this: No one is prevented from praying in school. They never have been. As long as they are not leaping to their feet in the middle of class and screaming “Oh Lord, smite this evil math teacher!” no one will harass or stop any student who wishes to commune with the Almighty. Such devotion needs no schedule, nor will a schedule help it, nor will trying to enforce it on those not interested have the desired result.
Comment by Mike — 3/22/2006 @ 10:34 pm
Mike, you are correct to a point. I do agree with you as well that a moment of silence is not needed either. However, I do see the point of those that support it. It is a symbol that schools recognize the rights of those who do worship. It is a symbol of that freedom. If I had a choice, I would still vote not to have a mandatory moment of silence or prayer in schools.
The pledge is a different issue that should be addressed by grade level. It should be every day in the elementary level. At the Jr High/Sr High level I can understand the point of not having it every day.
Comment by Lennie — 3/22/2006 @ 10:50 pm
Where it may not be meaningful for some… it may be for others. If we teach the importance of what these freedoms are at home or school… then we realize what a privilege it is to exercise these rights and we don’t take it too lightly. Especially when we are fighting RIGHT NOW for other’s freedoms which trickle down to ours! I think my children have a good understanding of that. My children ask to do the pledge as well as starting the day off with prayer!
I personally tear up sometimes when I sing the national anthem. It means more than just something you do before a ball game. I’m sad, Mike, that some of the youth of America isn’t getting that.
I disagree with my husband on this issue. I WOULD vote to have a moment of silence in school. It is a perfect lesson in what our forefathers fought and died for. A refresher on what the first Amendment says…
Amendment I
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.
Comment by Lisa — 3/23/2006 @ 12:49 am
Dear Lennie and Lisa:
As a USAF veteran (and a 17+ year police veteran as well), I too tear up at the national anthem, and the mere sight of the flag is stirring. I also clearly understand that we are at war, that we will be at war for generations, and that we must inculcate our children with our shared civic values if western civilization is to survive.
All of this is, however, beside the point. The issue here is how best to inculcate those values. For high school kids, rote drill is not the answer. Such mind-numbing repetition does not cause their breasts to swell with patriotic pride. For our contemporary kids, do anything too much, too often, and in the same way every time, and it becomes–with stunning speed–boring and meaningless to them.
Comment by Mike — 3/26/2006 @ 1:53 am
I would fight for that moment of silence. I teach 9th grade, and it’s sometimes the only quiet moment of the day.
I also use it to focus myself on the day ahead. I NEED it!
Comment by Linda F — 3/26/2006 @ 5:02 pm
Thanks, Mike and Linda, for your comments. It’s always an honoring and humbling to get feed back.
Comment by Lisa — 3/30/2006 @ 12:18 am