Dan Irvin
Project 4
Argumentation Rough Draft
Eng. 103

Prayer Should be Allowed in School

There are those who will understandably take an immediate defensive position against the suggestion of prayer in school. This defense mechanism is based on being forced to accept something that may not be desirable to the individual. School prayer has caused many conflicts and controversies between church groups and those representing the rights of individuals. There are several positions that can be taken in the movement to disallow prayer in school. They are, the separation of church and state, the argument that if one religion has a right to express itself then every group should be given the same right, and that it violates the civil rights of those who do not want to participate.

Let me define what my perception of prayer in school would be. It would be a scheduled quiet time for those who choose to pray, meditate of just clear their minds. It would not target any particular religious group. This policy would also allow a speaker during school activities to say a prayer if they chose to do so. It would not mandate that anyone else participate but would be available if they wanted to.

The heart of this debate centers around what rights an individual has in comparison to the aspect of society as a whole. The rights of the individual seem to have become more important than what is good for society in this particular issue. Let's weigh the positives and negatives of this debate. I do not know of any instances where prayer has caused problems by creating disturbances, lowered moral values or created a negative impact on social standards. The instances of anti prayer complaints that I am familiar with have never come from a group but from an individual. Prayer, meditation or quiet time has many positive aspects in the development of mental and spiritual health. There are those who would say that they do not have to be subject to this policy of prayer. I could also argue that people should not be subject to the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of a sporting event or that the lunch room does not cater to vegetarians. It all boils down to the ability of every individual to show tolerance for others beliefs and to see the big picture rather than only be concerned with their self.

To make my point about what is good for society may not always satisfy every individual, let's take public smoking for example. If one person said "I have the right to smoke where ever I want" would society allow it, in order to protect this individuals rights? Of course not. It is better for the physical health of society if these individuals do not smoke around those who do not want to be subjected to the smoke. How about seat belt laws? Everyone may not want to wear a seat belt but the law says we must or pay the consequences. Why is this a law? It is better for society if fewer people are killed or maimed on the nations highways. Although both of these examples deal with physical health, the same can be true for mental and spiritual health. Communities today are realizing moral decay, violence, poverty and children without role models. I cannot comprehend me how having a prayer in school would be a negative aspect to this society which is in desperate need of positive reinforcement.

I am not a religious eccentric, and I respect the views and beliefs of others. History has given us examples to follow in maintaining society. Religion has not caused the problems we face today, however the lack of belief in some set of standards has helped to create the position we find ourselves in. Prayer is not a bad thing and does not create bad things. We should give our students every opportunity to be a better person at school at home or wherever they may be.