When I posted my Rant about Poetry E-Mails and the implied Ban on Prayer in Schools, I noted that I would post and link to the cases I found in my research.
Turns out that there's no ban per se on prayer in schools by students, but there is a lot of misunderstood decisions and either people who don't want to find the truth, don't care to find the truth, or know the truth and don't want you to know (there might be others too, but these seem to catch the majority).
Here's what I found:
In 1948 in McCollum v. BOE, the court struck down religious instruction in the Illinois public school because the sole student who did not wish to attend was placed in detention and was persecuted by schoolmates.
In 1962, two cases were brought to the SCOTUS. Only one, Engel v. Vitale was decided after they were rolled into one case. In the decision, the court declared that School sponsored prayers were unconstitutional since they amounted to the government respecting an establishment of religion.
In 1963, Abington Township School District v. Schempp also declared that even if the recitation of prayer is not manditory, it still violates the First Amendment if the school delivers the prayer either directly or via intercom.
And one more I found interesting... In 1980, Stone v. Graham found that the posting of the Ten Commandments violated the Establishment Clause since although it does relate to secular matters such as robbery and murder, it also concerns itself with matters involving the worship of God and keeping the Sabbath Day.
I list these because not one of them have anything to do with a Student's right to pray during school hours. Nor do they limit how much a student is allowed to pray during that same school day.
The only case I found was in 2000, the Santa Fe ISD lost when it was decided that the school allowing a student to give a prayer over the public announcement system amounted to their support of said prayer and violated the First Amendment.
As in all cases, please do your own research and don't just take my finding as (pun intended) the God's Honest Truth.
The Flaming Booth is now open for Business.
Bryan
Turns out that there's no ban per se on prayer in schools by students, but there is a lot of misunderstood decisions and either people who don't want to find the truth, don't care to find the truth, or know the truth and don't want you to know (there might be others too, but these seem to catch the majority).
Here's what I found:
In 1948 in McCollum v. BOE, the court struck down religious instruction in the Illinois public school because the sole student who did not wish to attend was placed in detention and was persecuted by schoolmates.
In 1962, two cases were brought to the SCOTUS. Only one, Engel v. Vitale was decided after they were rolled into one case. In the decision, the court declared that School sponsored prayers were unconstitutional since they amounted to the government respecting an establishment of religion.
In 1963, Abington Township School District v. Schempp also declared that even if the recitation of prayer is not manditory, it still violates the First Amendment if the school delivers the prayer either directly or via intercom.
And one more I found interesting... In 1980, Stone v. Graham found that the posting of the Ten Commandments violated the Establishment Clause since although it does relate to secular matters such as robbery and murder, it also concerns itself with matters involving the worship of God and keeping the Sabbath Day.
I list these because not one of them have anything to do with a Student's right to pray during school hours. Nor do they limit how much a student is allowed to pray during that same school day.
The only case I found was in 2000, the Santa Fe ISD lost when it was decided that the school allowing a student to give a prayer over the public announcement system amounted to their support of said prayer and violated the First Amendment.
As in all cases, please do your own research and don't just take my finding as (pun intended) the God's Honest Truth.
The Flaming Booth is now open for Business.
Bryan
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