General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Question: Did you have prayer in school? [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)reading the scripture. The teacher let the class know that she was an atheist. She also reminded me frequently of the fact that I was a minister's daughter by asking me to read the scripture.
I was extremely, extremely shy. I was living in the South and had a Northern accent. The scripture moment was utterly humiliating and painful to me. I was so shy I could not even read my own essays in class. And there I was, being picked to read the scripture over and over.
I do not like having prayer in school. The very religious kids and the irreligious are separated by prayer in the schools. And it has nothing to do with the things we learn at school.
I think though that teachers should discuss moral issues like showing respect and kindness for others. Those are values that are shared by the religious and not religious. Regardless what the religion of the teacher is, he or she can teach values that are shared in all religions. It unites the kids and is much healthier than separating kids with religious teachings. And inevitably religion in the schools does separate the kids, the Catholics from the Protestants, the Episcopalians from the Jehovah's Witness.
So I do not support prayer in the schools or any reading other than the study of the Bible and other religious texts as literature.