I don’t have a problem with it, as it stands. “Official” prayer in the school, however, I have a major problem with.

Let’s say that the ’slippery slope’ arguers are correct, and we roll back to the pre-school-prayer ban days. Here’s my question and observation:

WHO will create the official prayer? Let’s say we have an ethnically diverse community that forms a committee or interested persons to create a prayer. In their care to not offend a major player, they write a prayer that opens with “to whom it may concern….”

As an alternative, in a major city there is a public school that is 80% Moslem. They decide that the school day should start with all students on their knees facing Mecca and saying “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet”. Also in this school is a family of Orthodox Jews. They absolutely refuse to participate, leading not only to lawsuits, but to fights in the hallways, and a total breakdown of civil discourse in the community.

The people who demand prayer in the schools have never actually thought through the implications. Particularly when they are in the social minority in their community.

Down the road from me in Central Illinois there is a community that in many ways is a throw-back. This village is at least 80% or more Catholic. There is one church in town. The grade school is on land leased from the Church. The school day opens with “voluntary” religion classes in all grades. The students who do not participate in the religion classes have a study hall to start the day, a class period known to all as “heathen hour”.

Is THAT what we want?

What is the point?? How does this impact a student’s education? What is the objective of public education? Frankly, I don’t think a moment of silence, or a prayer is going to help your kid get into Yale, or become a better person. Now, if you take it upon yourself as a parent to create strong role models and instill strong values, I think that will make a difference.

Sure….if I were a kid I would use that moment of silence to think of something constructive, like playing a prank on the substitute teacher.

Moment of silence? Excuse me. Is this an atheist’s version of prayer?

Why can’t we be accepting of prayer of any faith except the atheist’s version (nothing)? What’s wrong with a Muslim prayer one day and Christian the next?
Wouldn’t this make students more understanding of each other’s religions?

No, that would be educational.

I think a moment of silence for Rod Blagojevich is a better idea…anything to shut him up.

You’re saying that those who don’t “believe” have no right to their moment and you can’t do that. It’s all or none. It has to be.

This is the “talk of the day” today. Next week or the one after, I am sure we will have some talk about how schools are failing, test scores are falling, etc.
This leads me to ask: what does one have to do with the other? Why would we want to legislate such nonsense as this “moment of silence” instead of things that will truly help our schools?
Children can pray, have their moment of silence, or whatever you want to call it at home. Such spirituality should be under the guidance of the parent, or in case of older students, the child themselves. That is the only way we can be assured that we keep religion out of the schools.

See nothing wrong with a “moment of silence” at the start of the school or work day, for that matter. I do object to the fairly consistent silence regarding brain-feeding, educational, and enlightening television programming in a newspaper ostensibly supporting public television. As your alternate P-D TV critic, I watch good tv so some professional tv critics don’t have to. BREAKING…BREAKING…new, original shows tonight on PBS(locally, Channel 9) NOW and BILL MOYERS JOURNAL. Also, next Tuesday: check out FRONTLINE. You know, escapism is fine, so is candy–we just don’t need a 7/24 diet of either one, folks! Wake up, America!

I’d prefer more moments of learning instead.

“Moment of Silence” — for what? The death of a prominent person? To get the kids to quit screaming and throwing things at the teacher? To initiate the inculcation of transcendental meditation? What is the purpose? What are we honoring, worshipping, relecting upon, or being silent FOR?

This IS a slippery slope, and I see it as a thinly-veiled attempt to get around the rightful prohibition of prayer in school. Suzyjax is right on. We don’t need it, and it serves no useful purpose at school. If kids want to take a minute on their own to quietly collect their thoughts, pray, meditate, contemplate their navels, mumble voodoo curses on their math teacher, whatever, fine. There are ample opportunities all day long. Individual moments of silence do not need to be institutionalized. This is just one more waste of energy that could be well devoted to something educational.