Prayer in school is NOT Illegal.

The law is.. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

Key words here are A.Congress and B.ESTABLISHEMENT.

Here is what Establishment means...

es·tab·lish·ment (ĭ-stăb'lĭsh-mənt) pronunciation
n.

1.
1. The act of establishing.
2. The condition or fact of being established.
2. Something established, as:
1. An arranged order or system, especially a legal code.
2. A permanent civil, political, or military organization.
3. An established church.
4. A place of residence or business with its possessions and staff.
5. A public or private institution, such as a hospital or school.
3. often Establishment An established social order, as:
1. A group of people holding most of the power and influence in a government or society. Often used with the.
2. A controlling group in a given field of activity. Often used with the.


It is illegal for a -public- school to FORCE you to pray to a SPECIFIC religion. That is all.

The 10 commandments is not an establishment of any one religion. It exists in Jewish, Cathloic, Baptist, Proestant, Mormon, Calvinist, and I'm sure plenty other religions.

In fact, I found the fact that they were forced to remove the 10 commandments a BIG insult to Jewish people. And I'm sure Christians who insist on not being lumped together with all the other 'crazy so-called christian relgions' were insulted also.


I think we should start removing all those Greek Gods and Goddess from state sponcered function too then, now shouldn't we?

Prayer in schools is legal so long as the teachers and administrators arent leading it or forcing students to do it.

Not sure what the law is in this country. I go to a Catholic school, and it's in the school code that we make the sign of the cross before we start a lesson. I've known teachers yell if we don't.

Catholic schools are usually private, not public. Private schools are not as subject to the "don't enforce prayer" law as public schools are.

*shake* Public school.

Public Catholic schools in England are commonplace. I went to a public Catholic primary school until I went to a (still religious, mind you) non-Catholic secondary school.

England != America.

Er, what? No.

I dont like, condone or support homosexuality in anyway... but I have many friends that are. Doesnt effect my opinion of them. Just like a friend you know that likes to do drugs, but that doesnt change the fact he or she is your friend.


This church where ever it is.. is totally sick.

EDIT: Sick, as in messed up... and a hope the pastor get hit by a mack truck...

Yeah, prayer in school is not illegal, just prayer led by a teacher or administrator. The 10 commandments thing I personally agree with the removal of. Not because I have anything against them or people who believe in them, I just wouldn't want to walk into court and see the symbols of a specific religion (or in this case a few specific religions). Would you want to walk into court and pass by a set of Hindu commandments (or whatever equivalent they have)? I wouldn't, it gives the feeling that one's religion matters within the court, which it really shouldn't, especially given the first commandment "Thou shalt have no other god before Me."

You can have the Commandments in court the day I can post the Wiccan Rede and Charge of the Goddess right next to them, and anyone else who wants can get a damn marble monument and do the same thing.

And what of those of us who are atheist or agnostic? It's not a case where we should have them all represented, it's a case where we should have none represented, to be truly neutral.

I think that was the point, Faethan.

The 10 commandments are more similar to Hamurabi's code, as they are not the 'sign' of any religion.

Its not like Christains even follow the 10 commandments, nor are there even actually 10 of them (theres more like 14)... but thats a different story.

They aren't the sign of any religion, but they are symbolic. If there was something to do with the Hamurabi code in front of a courthouse, that'd be fine. It's not a religious reference, it's the beginning of codified law. Multiple commandments are of a purely religious nature, and therefore have no place in front of a courthouse. How'd you like to be an idol worshiper on his way to court and have a sign that says "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"? How'd you like to be a christian on his way to court and havea sign that says "Thou shalt not believe in Jesus"? It's the same deal.

Er sorry its not Zoroastrinsm but let me post here for you the first paragraph of the code.


When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunaki, and Bel, the lord of Heaven and earth, who decreed the fate of the land, assigned to Marduk, the over-ruling son of Ea, God of righteousness, dominion over earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid so solidly as those of heaven and earth; then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak; so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash, and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind.

Quite a few of the laws make refrence to god as well, and other religious things.


To me, the reason why the 10 commandments thing is such hogwash, is that any other religion is accepted to be shown in public in America except Christianity. If you really wanted to get rid of all religion you would also have to get rid of 90% of history and national symbols.

The laws make reference to religion, but they are not part of a religion's mythology (and I don't mean mythology as a judgement of truth here). How exactly do you figure that any other religion is acceptable except Christianity?

How is Hamurabi's code not part of a mythology but the 10 commandments are?


I figure as much because nobody makes protests about the greek goddess on the symbol of los angeles, they only make protests about the cross. Nobody makes protests about the giant Hanukkah manoras, they only protest the christmas tree.. etc. etc.

Actually the reasone that the Ten Commandments were taken down in that courthouse had absoultely nothing to do that it was a religious symbol( regardless of how it came off), that is, technically, allowed. It was taken down because it was the only symbol there, and it was religious.

For example, in the Supreme Courthouse there's this really nice frieze of diffrent lawmakers throughout history, two of which were Hamurabi and his code and Moses and the Ten Commandments, as well as others, some religious and some not, which I can't name off the top of my head. It was taken down because it was the only religious symbol represented, and that can't be done in a government building to avoid showing favortism, obviously. Simply said, you can have religious symbols so long as all (or at least many) religions are represented.

I'm confused then... was the judge given the option to put up other symbols but refused?