In America today we all have choices to make in regards to our religious beliefs. Many
young children are brought up today confused about religion and the significance it plays in their
lives. There are many sanctions and rules now on what can and can't be thought or displayed to
people on public property, but it wasn't always like this. In this paper I will be discussing the
American religious experience in regards to the impact religion has in the public schools. I will
give arguments from both sides of the spectrum first why I believe prayer shouldn't be allowed in
school and then some benefits if it were permitted. I feel very strongly about this but don't
believe it is as cut and dry as most people tend to believe it is.
Since 1776 the United States has grown from a nation of relatively few religious
differences to one of countless religious groups. This expanding pluralism challenges the public
schools to deal creatively and sensitively with students professing many religions and none. The
following questions and answers concern religious holidays and public education, a subject often
marked by confusion and conflict. Teachers and school officials, as well as parents and students,
should approach this discussion as an opportunity to work cooperatively for the sake of good
education rather than at cross purposes. School districts developing guidelines about religious
holidays will want to base their policies in the shared commitment of respect for individual
religious beliefs expressed in the constitutional guarantee of religious liberty. This means that
public schools may neither promote nor inhibit ...