Many Facebookers post that god and prayer have been removed from the schools. They lament this and cite that removal as the reason for the decline of "civility" in U.S. society.
I wonder if they have really given this thought. Having taught and administered for nearly 40 years in schools ranging from high school to graduate school and having worked in six states, I asked myself if religion has really been removed. The answer I came to is that it has not.
Some months ago I posted a challenge for anyone to provide evidence of a state or local law or ordinance that forbids a student from praying in any school. No one took my offer. But, the cries of "god is out of the schools" continues.
I ask again: What school forbids a student's prayers? Or, do the posters mean that organized school religious activities, performed in tax supported institutions are regulated? I suspect the latter. If the theists' goal is to talk to their particular god then I can find no evidence of any restriction. If their goal is to proclaim to the world their own sanctimonious religiosity, they should be restricted.
Many say that the U.S. is a "Christian" nation. I wonder how many really want to live in a theocracy. Or, would these theists rather live in a caring, loving, tolerant nation made up of Jews, Muslims, Christians, agnostics and atheists? Some theists stone women, cut off people's hands, murder children, all in the name of their "god." A good many of them also hear the voice of bearded old men who live in the clouds.
If a Muslim teacher required all students to bring a prayer rug to pray to the west five times a day, these "prayer in school" people would come unhinged. Yet, they would force their religion on the Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, atheist or agnostic.
I, for one, would go to the barricades to protect anyone's religion. But, I would go to the barricades more quickly to protect anyone from a religion.
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