(November 20, 2014 at 3:17 pm)Alex K Wrote:

(November 20, 2014 at 2:45 pm)JaceDeanLove Wrote: I go to a small Tecas high school. Our principal just gathered all the high school students and we had a Thanksgiving prayer... I would be fine with this if it wasn't forced, and they didn't make it a prayer specifically to Jesus

Who was leading the prayer?

One of the students.

Was it a time set aside by the school specifically for prayer? Or just a quiet time to do what you like.

Additionally, you said it was student-lead, but it's also mandatory?

Quote:One of the students.

Who died and made him king?

(November 20, 2014 at 4:15 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:One of the students.

Who died and made him king?

Jesus, I presume.

The rules about prayer in school are pretty simple but when students get involved it can become more complex. I summarize the rules as follows:

1) Prayer cannot be required in school not even as a mandatory period for prayer or self-reflection;

2) Prayer cannot be school lead or sponsored;

3) Students can pray in school provided they don't disturb others;

4) Students can pray and/or express religious opinions in school assignments and/or when addressing other students including when addressing other students at assemblies and over the loud-speaker provided that the school purpose for the assignment or the student address is not to have prayer or religious speech and when deciding what assignments to display or who will give an address prayer and religious content is neither encouraged nor forbidden.


It's rule number 4 that sometimes leads to confusion.
If the school required you to pray, rule number one was broken regardless of who lead the prayer. If the student addressing the school decided of his own accord to pray as part of the address, it was probably legal unless the teachers motioned you to or otherwise required you to pray too. If the school choose the student because he/she was going to pray, that too would be illegal. But if the student decided to pray as part of an address that was primarily for another purpose and the staff did not suggest others pray, it was probably legal.

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/relig...dance.html

Jenny, I know it's a gray area for some people and pretty black and white for others, but what do you think about the hubbub over students using prayer/god in a graduation address? I can't recall the specifics but there was a small hubbub about this happening in the south somewhere. As far as I'm concerned as long as the school didn't force him/her into talking about god, and it's not the teachers doing it, it's fine.

How is publically praying in a school illegal. See where I am there are Protestant schools and there are Catholic schools, or in some extremely rare ocassions a mixed school.

(November 20, 2014 at 4:48 pm)C4RM5 Wrote: How is publically praying in a school illegal.

It's not. It never has been. Never will be.

The issue is when the faculty of a publically-funded school endorse religion while using the facilities paid for by taxpayer money. The students can do whatever they like, but the faculty cannot give preferential treatment to one religion over another (or preference to religion over irreligion).

(November 20, 2014 at 4:45 pm)FatAndFaithless Wrote: Jenny, I know it's a gray area for some people and pretty black and white for others, but what do you think about the hubbub over students using prayer/god in a graduation address? I can't recall the specifics but there was a small hubbub about this happening in the south somewhere. As far as I'm concerned as long as the school didn't force him/her into talking about god, and it's not the teachers doing it, it's fine.

That's my opinion, and it's the current state of the Department of Education guidelines, provided that the school doesn't suggest the students do more than politely listen. Ask students to bow their heads and you've crossed a line. Having the kids run for the right to speak though and including prayer in their platform, and you've got a real gray mess.

What about in the Northern Irish school system case?