Posted on 09/09/2025 2:06:32 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods
resident Donald Trump announced on Monday at an event at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., that the Department of Education will soon be issuing new guidance regarding prayer in public schools.
Speaking at the second hearing of the Religious Liberty Commission, which he established by executive order in May, Trump said, "For most of our country’s history, the Bible was found in every classroom in the nation. Yet in many schools today, students are instead indoctrinated with anti-religious propaganda. Some are even punished for their religious beliefs -- very, very strongly punished. It’s ridiculous."
"I am pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Unfortunately I can see where this will be implemented by introducing Muslim prayers.
I’m not sure it’s any of the government’s business.
If the feds can constitutionally regulate prayer in schools then the next President or Congress can ban prayer in an instant.
NO!!!
PUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHAIN BACK ON THE OTHERWISE DEADLY AND LETHAL FEDERAL GOV'T!!!!
Back when I was in elementary school (many decades ago), our teacher would lead us in a brief nonsectarian prayer. It was a good thing.
And it would be helpful today. I just hope Trump issues strict guidelines. I wouldn’t want any of my young relatives to hear a single thing about Allah.
Kind of hard to stop until Islam is declared to not be a religion but rather a political movement imitating religion.
Prayer would be good at the beginning of the school day, but what teachers can you trust to lead it these days?
Good question. Some of them are obvious freaks.
we had to learn the books of the Bible
“I’m not sure it’s any of the government’s business.”
Maybe this will help...or not:
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion through the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, ensuring individuals can practice their faith without government interference.
The First Amendment
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This amendment establishes two key principles regarding religious freedom:
Establishment Clause: This clause prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one religion over another. It creates a separation between church and state, ensuring that the government does not endorse or support any religious activities or institutions. For example, government-sponsored prayers in public schools have been ruled unconstitutional as they represent state endorsement of religion.
2
Free Exercise Clause: This clause protects individuals’ rights to practice their religion freely without government interference. It allows individuals to hold and express their religious beliefs and engage in religious practices. However, this right is not absolute; the government can impose restrictions if they serve a compelling interest and are applied neutrally.
2
4 Sources
Historical Context
Freedom of religion has been a fundamental principle in American democracy since the country’s founding. George Washington emphasized this in his letter to the Touro Synagogue in 1790, stating that the government “gives to bigotry no sanction” and “to persecution no assistance”. The interpretation of religious freedom has evolved over time, with various Supreme Court cases shaping its application in contemporary society.
Wikipedia
Legal Interpretations and Challenges
The balance between the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause has led to numerous legal challenges and interpretations. Courts often use tests, such as the Lemon Test (from Lemon v. Kurtzman), to determine whether government actions violate the Establishment Clause. This test assesses whether a law has a secular purpose, whether its primary effect advances or inhibits religion, and whether it creates excessive government entanglement with religion.
legalclarity.org
+1
In recent years, there have been ongoing debates and legal battles regarding the extent of religious freedom, particularly concerning issues like public funding for religious schools and the rights of religious organizations in the public sphere.
Wikipedia
+1
In summary, the First Amendment provides a robust framework for protecting freedom of religion in the United States, balancing the rights of individuals to practice their faith with the government’s role in maintaining a secular state.
Growing up, a good portion of our public school elementary school teachers were fellow church members, our Sunday school teachers. Many sat with us during meals and prayed. This was in the 1970's.
“Unfortunately I can see where this will be implemented by introducing Muslim prayers.”
Me too
Me too, but I was in Catholic schools until college. It was funny when I went to my college freshman orientation. There were counselors giving advice on picking courses, majors, etc. Upon hearing I had only been in Catholic schools the counselor said: “Oh...well, you will be really good in English and Liberal arts and really struggle with Math.”
He was right.
Solution simple: ban rug sniffing in school.
Not since I was in grade school have we had daily prayers.
“”Unfortunately I can see where this will be implemented by introducing Muslim prayers.””
It seems to me this has come up before with the very same argument. I can’t recall when and I don’t think it went very far for exactly that same reason..open the door to ?????????
I wonder how many here remember when we had “religious education” in schools....it was every Friday afternoon with a priest for the Catholic kids (all Polish) and a protestant layperson for everyone else; probably mid forties. I don’t remember it after 1950 or so but I remember it in Jr. High. Don’t know why it stopped but don’t believe it was because of any government action...This was in upstate NY...
Just have 30 seconds of silence for the kids to do whatever and be done with it.
I was in an Independent school district in Houston, Texas, you should have experienced that before air conditioning, the teachers really needed the prayers.
I worry about slippery slope and doctrinaire teachers. If you’ve got a class full of Christians who want to pray silently, then I’m all for it. Or Muslims or whatever. But if you have some students who do not believe in theism, they need protection to not have religion forced on them either by requirement or by emotional coercion.
These are the identical issues I face with right to die. While I can understand the right of an adult to make their own decision about the value of life and pain, the fear of someone encouraging them for some financial or care benefit is too dangerous for me to support.
Emotional coercion to encourage someone to take their own life is, indeed, worse than emotional coercion to pretend to a belief you don’t have, but it’s still wrong in my eyes. And how likely is it that you will have teachers who aren’t addicted to pushing their beliefs, usually liberal today, on forming minds? Some great teachers can truly practice the constitutional right of freedom of, or from, religion. But do I trust the majority of teachers? Probably not.
It’s just too dangerous to say, simply, prayer is allowed in school.
A moment of silence that can be used for anything you want to use it for, including prayer, is fine. Just as long as the authority figure in the classroom does NOT lead a prayer that pushes students in the direction of the teacher’s belief system. Students who don’t believe have the same rights to not be intimidated as students who do believe.
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