The New School Prayer

[kat]

This was written by a teen in Bagdad, Arizona. I received it at school today and wanted to pass it along in light of Monday's tragedy.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
and pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but First the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy', our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgements" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns, the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; my soul please take!
Amen

[Leigh]

Wow that is cool. Thanks for sharing it.

[windling]

I don't think it's too bad, except for the "study witchcraft" part. I don't believe ANY religions are given more rights in school than others. In fact, that kind of shows that it's ok for you to want to pray to a Christian God in school, and that the Government shouldn't get involved, but that "witchcraft" is something to hate and fear and not allow. Isn't that essentially doing the same thing you are asking the government not to do to you? Exclusion because of faith is just wrong, no matter which God/Gods you choose to follow.

[Amy2]

I was kind of afraid to respond to this because I didn't want to become an outcast, but the truth is, I really hated it. I don't know how to do quotes, but windling really spoke what is true for me. If we pray to a Christian God, it's all well and good, but if it's another, then it's evil. That is what I find so objectionable.

I think it's perfectly legitimate to offer silent meditation for all students to pray to whatever God they worship, and for those who don't, to have some quiet time to look inside themselves and reflect. I think this would be a good thing. A great thing. But I would not like it if my child were forced to pray or recite the Ten Commandments with a specific definition attached, one that did not reflect our family's beliefs, any more than a Christian would want their child to be forced to perfom Wiccan rituals.

As to the Ten Commandments, perhaps the students could come up with their own "commandments" call them moral guidelines, friendship rules, whatever, and post them on the walls of their school. Ask the students to fill out a form with ten things that should be posted in the halls to see each day as a reminder. Then take the ten most frequently chosen "rules" (which you can bet would include not killing, being polite to friends/parents, etc.) and make a beautiful mural with them for all the students to share. THIS I could get into, but forced prayer in schools? It just gets the hair on the back of my bleeding heart liberal neck standing on end.

[kat]

Originally posted by Amy


As to the Ten Commandments, perhaps the students could come up with their own "commandments" call them moral guidelines, friendship rules, whatever

This poem was written by a teen who obviously is more that a little distressed at what is going on in the public schools today. She feels that everything and anything is permissible in school except God! I believe she feels that there are no moral guidelines. And what are the Ten Commandments, but moral guidelines.

I don't advocate reciting the Ten Commandments in school any more than you do, nor having "forced" prayer, but when children can read about voodoo, or witchcraft, or satan worship, yet you have to fight tooth and toenail to get the Bible on an excelerted reading list for those students who "choose" of their own free will to read it, then there is defintely something wrong with the I'm ok, you're ok picture here.

I pray every day at school. I can't imagine getting through the day without it. But my prayers at school are between God and me. Do I make a big scene when I pray? No. Do I try to get children to pray along with me? No. Do I hide the fact that I pray? No. My children do see me pray. As the Arizona teen points out, there are worse things happening in schools today, more and more that they are being led to believe they should except as being ok.

I did not mean to get on a soapbox.

[Amy2]

Kat, I see your points, but the poem itself seems to advocate something else.

[windling]

Satan worship and witchcraft do NOT belong in the same category. Period.

I don't recall a class in High School that taught anything about the Salem Witch Trials in any kind of detail. I don't recall a class that ever told me about Satan being the ultimate evil. I never read anything in school (at least, not things that were encouraged by my teachers) about Buddism, Taoism, or anything even close to religion. Kids in my school were not "allowed" to lug around the Satanic "Bible" in school. But yet we were all forced to recite a mantra to the flag every day, and were punished if we refused to stand. What kind of brain washing is that?

What I am saying here is that Witches practice a religion. Even Satan worshippers can claim that right. Before you flame me, I do NOT agree with or advocate worship of Satan. For starters, I don't even believe in him. Not part of my theology. But if I want to stand up and say that I deserve the right to worship how I want to, I can not take that right away from someone else. Christian, Pagan, or Taoist, Satanist, Jewish, or Mormon; we ALL have the right to live and worship. I don't want to be forced to recite something just because the majority of my community is Christian. Nor would you be happy to have to recite Pagan litany if you went to a school where the majority was such. Censorship of the Bible in school is as much of a crime as censorship of Tom Sawyer or Catcher In The Rye. But just because those books should be in schools, doesn't mean they should be taught. I made it through school without being taught Catcher In The Rye, and I read it on my own later and liked it. I read the Bible, but I wasn't forced to. No one should be forced to read or recite anything. Not the Pledge of Alligiance, Not the Ten Commandments, and not any other thing that goes against ones beliefs.

In closing, if you want to pray in school, fine. You do it! But forcing others to do so, or even creating an environment where they are made to feel outcast or wrong if they choose not to go along with it, is WRONG. Amy, I am so in agreement with you in your last post. I would support everything you said if it was actually brought up to a school board.

Amy, come over here and sit with me on the Pagan Outcast Couch. At least we won't be alone.

[Amy2]

Thanks windling! Very well said. Amy