Prayer In Public Schools: A Qualitative Case Study

Improved Essays
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the goals of reinstating prayer and Bible reading back within the public school. During the 1960s, students were unable to utilize their freedom of speech and religion verbally to continue to pray or engage in prayer or Bible reading due to the removal of prayer and Bible reading ruled by the Engel v. Vitale petition in 1962, this ruling was found to be a practice solely inconsistent with the Establishment Clause (Holscher, 2016). In order to reinstate prayer back within the public schools, there is a need to find a method to modify all the rulings relating to the removal of prayers. Utilize methods to address the need in which offers a practical restoration of understanding, by first returning prayer back to its original functions in public schools. Orchestrate new energy by disregarding the past and offer to students the acknowledgment of their First Amendment rights to repair the damages (put out the fire) and offer a restitutive outlook. Reestablish a peace between all religions by restoring the throne of God to its founding fathers (Catanzaro, 2014). Within these methods, restoration can take place to reinstate prayer …show more content…
These questions will be posed to educational leaders such as teachers and superintendents to address the expectations for future decisions to restore prayer. The outcome from this school districts can be offered globally to educators nationwide to initiate a vision and to confront the disarray regarding the removal of prayer from public schools. The cons of prayer in public schools are undebatable according to the U.S. courts, the pros of prayer allow for students and teachers and other agencies to not be disturbed with the constitutional rights and respects each person to follow their own consciences regarding religion (Chilson,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In this essay, the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments of these two articles are going to be discussed. In general, the argument that is against having prayer in schools has a stronger argument. The author who is for having prayers in schools tries to prove the sanity of his opinion by talking about the history of the U.S. which is a good method as we have to consider the values of this country that has been passed on and on to the next generations since those values are a part of its culture. In fact, without considering the background of the country, our…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Our National History day project is based on how Madalyn Murray O'hair's Supreme Court win, removing a majority of religious teachings in the public schools has been the major contribution to the increase of juvenile delinquency and student misbehavior. Ever since we've enrolled into a private catholic school from being in a public we've both noticed how different the public school system was drastically different. The major contrast we've noticed from being enrolled in a public school was that the students would act out and rebel repeatedly and ever since we've began to wonder "how did this come to be?". The curiosity that built up in our minds was fulfilled with the knowledge of Madalyn Murray O'hair's supreme court win in 1963. Since this…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This Supreme Court is considered to be one of the most controversial and misunderstood decisions made in the history of the Supreme Court. The Engel v. Vitale Supreme Court case tackled the issue on whether or not a school’s nondenominational prayer is a violation of the first amendment. Now the First Amendment 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…

    • 1944 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the years following the decision in the Engel v. Vitale case religion has been erased from our school systems. Although the majority feels there should be a time for personal prayer or meditation, no such allowance has come to fruition. I feel as though each person should be able to express their own beliefs in the manner they choose wherever they choose. I believe that if we were to allow the children of America to sit quietly for a moment and prayer in their own distinct way it would bring about a more open and tolerant viewpoint on one another’s…

    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Engel Vs Vitale Analysis

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A New York State law created states all public schools were to open each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a nondenominational prayer in which the students acknowledged their dependence upon God. Engel vs. Vitale was a case brought to the attention of the Supreme Court by ten concerned parents by minors who attended a public school in New York City. At the beginning of a school day lesson the following prayer, consisting of 22 words, ‘Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen.’, was recited due to the approval of the New York state board of regents (state board of education) in 1951.…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Two prominent landmark cases that can be taken into consideration are namely Engel v. Vitale 370 U.S. 421 (1962) and Lemon v. Kurtzman 403 U.S. 602 (1971). The first case, Engel v. Vitale is a case wherein a group of families in New York complained that the voluntary prayer in the mornings violated their religious beliefs. The court ruled through a 6-1 vote that it is unconstitutional for state to compose a prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools as it violated the Establishment Clause. Interestingly the court rejected the defendants even though the prayer was voluntary and did not subscribe to any specific religion. They found that the mere introduction of religion through prayer was sufficient to establish…

    • 863 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Religion has played integral role in shaping American society since its founding, almost two-hundred and fifty years ago. From the Declaration of Independence, which acknowledged “the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God,” to George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, which established “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” in recognition of “the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God… and humbly to implore His protection and favor,” many of America’s founding fathers freely recognized the authority and importance of religion. Yet, the First Amendment of the Constitution forbids Congress, and, by the Fourteenth Amendment, states, from making any “law respecting an establishment of religion.” The tension between this vague Constitutional limitation and the inseparability of religion from American society has generated countless court cases. Since Everson v. Board of Education (1947)—in which Justice Black famously asserted that the First Amendment has built a “wall of separation between church and state……

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The judges stated that the school could not force children to pray, and if a student felt that the prayer was inappropriate, he or she could exclude oneself. The Supreme Court's ruling in Engel v Vitale was rightfully justified because school is an unbiased place for learning, there is the separation of church and state in the constitution, and the freedom of speech is one of the most vital rights of American citizens. Children should not be forced to pray in school, because…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For example, there have been many court cases that deal with religion in education. Court cases such as Engel v. Vitale, Abington School District v. Schempp, and Lee v. Weisman. In 1992, the Supreme Court case Lee v. Weisman in which it ruled that in graduation ceremonies, prayers could not be conducted because it was unconstitutional (Monk 132). These laws were the involvement of freedom of religion. Education is not influenced by religion and students have the right to practice what they wish and are not made to practice a religion in public schools.…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    It is a completely formal publication written for the purpose of explaining the history of conflicts concerning religion in school and the rights that students, parents, and teachers have regarding the issue. The writer appeals to ethos and establishes credibility prior to the audience reading the article because the Pew Research Center is a well-known and trusted source. The writer also appeals to logos by including statistical information such as the quote, “According to an August 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center, more than two-thirds of Americans (69%) agree with the notion that ‘liberals have gone too far in trying to keep religion out of the schools and the government’” (Lupu et al para. 4). The article also contains many facts relating to Supreme Court rulings, such as “In Engel v.Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court held that the Establishment Clause prohibited the recitation of a school-sponsored prayer in public schools” (para. 9).…

    • 1929 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    By prayer thriving that long, establishes it as a precedent to be a logical and valid practice for our schools. Bringing prayer back in schools will change the moral degradation in this country. Our nation has become increasingly secular, which…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Engel Vs Vitale Summary

    • 1442 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In 1962, the Supreme Court settled a dispute between the New York State Board of Regents and the New York Civil Liberties Union representing five families in New Hyde Park, New York. Several years before, the Board of Regents had written a prayer for the purpose of “supplementing the training of the home, ever intensifying in the child that love for God…which is the mark of true character, training, and a sure guarantee of a country’s welfare.” The recommended prayer read: Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our Country. A substantial amount of local pubic school boards adopted it to be read at the beginning of every school day.…

    • 1442 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Provisional Title “In God We Trust: Freedom Religion in Public Schools” This title was chosen to examine and understand the extent in which teachers and students can express their beliefs, and the extent to which schools allow religion to be tolerated. I chose the title “In God We Trust” because it is the official motto of the United States, yet it directly correlate’s with the controversy of separation of church and state. As an American citizen we have the right to freedom of religion, but the constitution is vague in what extent freedom of religion is acceptable.…

    • 1252 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Edison, well-known American inventor, once said, “I do not believe that any type of religion should ever be introduced into the public schools of the United States.” However, some arguments for incorporating religion into public school systems are strong. Two articles titled Teaching about Religion in Elementary School: The Experience of One Texas District and Teaching Religion in Public Schools: Review of Warren A. Nord, Does God Make a Difference? by Samuel Ayers and Shelly Reid and Walter Feinberg, respectively, explore the various arguments as to why mandating religion into public school curriculum in both elementary and secondary levels is beneficial to students. Samuel Ayers and Shelly Reid explore the effects of teaching religion in a public elementary schools in one Texas district.…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Over the years, there has been a major conversational issue in the United States today about whether prayer should or should not be allowed in public schools. Prayer has already been banned in various numbers of public schools across the country. Many people have different religious views on this issue, but someone else’s religious view should not determine what someone else can do. The First Amendment states “freedom of religion”, so why can children not have this right in public school? There are plenty of different religions.…

    • 779 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays