Thoughts On School Prayer

Jay Horsley

The Supreme Court ruled this week that the practice of allowing prayers over the loudspeaker before Santa Fe High School football games was contrary to the constitution of the United States. This is an area packed not only with political controversy, but also of religious significance and foreboding. This latter part is what we wish to consider.

The Decision

According to the local paper, “[T]he nation's highest court ruled that the district's policy allowing pre-game prayers tramples on the rights of religious minorities and violates the constitutional prohibition of state-sponsored religious speech...” (Neal Falgoust. “Supreme Court disallows SF prayer.” The Daily News June 20, 2000) Mind you, this was not a policy that forced people to pray or even listen to prayer. The school had simply set up that before the game a student elected as a representative of the student body would say a few words of introduction, invocation, reflection, or admonishment - as the student saw fit. The elected student was free to say what they wished - including a prayer if they wanted.

The Court, in it's own words, decided that “Through its election scheme, the district has established a governmental mechanism that turns the school into a forum for religious debate and empowers the student body majority to subject students of minority views to constitutionally improper messages.” (ibid) So the very fact that an elected student might pray is now “constitutionally improper.” That “religious debate” might take place among the students because of a school policy is now wrong. Where was this court to protect me from my atheistic science teachers whose ungodly teaching spurred heated “religious debate?” Where were these justices when the immoral conduct of my professors caused many of his students to “religiously debate” such basic moral conventions as the propriety of his sleeping with his students? But I digress.

The court objected that in a community like Santa Fe the outcome of an open election on school prayer would almost certainly result in some people not liking the outcome. “The majoritarian process implemented by the district guarantees, by definition, that minority candidates will never prevail and that their views will be effectively silenced.” (ibid) Basically the argument here is that there will be no prayer if the majority votes for it. And the court has previously decided that there will be no prayer if the school authorities decide it. The sum of such decisions is that there will be no public prayer at school, no way, no where, no how. According to “Chief Justice William Rehnquist, along with Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas...in a dissenting opinion, said the majority opinion `bristles with hostility to all things religious in public life.'” (ibid) I'm afraid that they are right.

The Opponents of School Prayer

From whence comes this “hostility to all things religious in public life?” It comes from those who don't believe as their neighbors do and don't want their neighbors to be to public about their beliefs. The first part of this description would describe New Testament Christians. We don't believe as our neighbors do, the great majority of them being bound in the traditions of Protestant denominationalism or Catholicism. But setting us apart is that, although we are critical of such man made religions, we would not seek to legally forbid them from being practiced. According to the paper, “Two families, one Mormon and the other Catholic, challenged the policy before it was put into effect, saying that it discriminated against the beliefs of religious minorities.” (ibid) These people have chosen to live in a community that is overwhelmingly Protestant - mostly Baptist. If they don't like the character of their community they should change it by persuasion - show others the rightness of their cause. But their use of the coercive powers of the court to force their way can only built resentment and a reactionary attitude against them in their own back yard. If they complained about discrimination and being outcasts before, what can they expect now? No, this type of action poisons the very open type of religious debate that we as Christians should seek out in promoting the truth.

The hostility towards prayer is also seen in the outside supporters of these local families. Such groups as the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. These groups scour the country looking to sue those that pray in public places or at public gatherings. The AU's press release said, “`The Supreme Court made the right call. School-sponsored football prayer deserved to be sacked,' said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United.” And “`[S]tudent-led, student-initiated' prayers at football games violate the separation of church and state by coercing students to participate in religion.” (http://www.au.org/pr61900.htm) These folks are also currently involved in other suits in Texas, Alabama, Virginia and Louisiana. In fact, in Virginia, they are currently suing to stop a school that has a “mandatory moment of silence” on the basis that it is a tacit approval of prayer. So these groups are not just against prayer, but also against the provision of an opportunity for it. They contend that prayer in school is not illegal - you can still pray silently by yourself - which is true, but I fear that we shall have that right only until they find some way to read our minds.

Having said all this, you might think me to be an unqualified supporter of school prayer. I wish I were, for if done right it would be a wonderful thing. No, what I unqualifyingly support is godly prayer. Jesus taught that we should “pray at all times and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1) The apostle Paul said to be “devoted to prayer,” (Rom. 12:12; Col. 4:2) to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and “urged first of all” that prayer be made for all men. (1 Tim. 2:1) But godly prayer is seldom the prayer of school prayer.

The Practitioners of School Prayer

In my short life I have seen school prayer practiced in many forms. In most instances the prayers were neither scriptural in thought or implementation. The best I can say about it is that I appreciated the effort of the people to remember God, but several times I'm sure God would have wanted His name left out.

When I was in grade school our teacher would line us up for lunch, recite the Lord's prayer with us, and march us off to the cafeteria. This was about as close to proper school prayer as I have seen. Here was someone in authority leading us in prayer – and leading prayer for a group is a work of authority – to teach us the principle of prayer and returning thanks to God. She was teaching a good lesson both by her words and her example. The only criticism could possibly be in the choice of prayers - reciting the Lord's prayer each day.  But for her it seemed a good compromise, it was a Protestant community, and who would object to simply reciting the Lord's words? But even in that was compromise -- and here is the problem with school prayer -- it must never offend. So all doctrinal points that might offend anyone are removed - and we are left with weak prayers that don't pray what needs to be prayed. Later the family of some of my schoolmates converted to the Jehovah's Witness sect, and after some minor controversy it was decided that the classes that those girls were in (including mine) would no longer have prayer.

Next in my school prayer experience was the “moment of silence” in high school. The courts said we couldn't pray, so for two years, before the courts shut even this down, we had a time for our own prayers. I have no idea how many of the students actually prayed, but I dare say it wasn't many, as the “moment” became shorter and shorter and less “silent” throughout the year.

Then we were able to bring back prayer at football games for a few years. The courts had ruled that local ministers could no longer lead them (although I know of a few backwaters where they still do and no one in the community has complained so as to bring attention to it) so students lead the prayers. From then on our student government included a “Chaplain” whose sole duty, so far as I could tell, was to pray at football games. The main problem with this was the it was always a girl who was elected. This seems not only to be the case where I grew up, but all over, including Santa Fe. In fact, it is statistically proven that student government in American schools is dominated by girls. The apostle Paul said, “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” (1 Tim. 2:12) Women leading prayer qualifies as “exercising authority.” And because the courts wouldn't allow anyone but students to do it, prayers in front of thousands were led by very young women, in some cases, so young as to not even be women.

Another problem with the student led prayers, whether led by boys or girls, is the abysmal content. As one supporter of school prayer recently told me, “because of the type of prayer offered at football games no one will miss them when they're gone.” To make sure to offend as few people as possible the prayer is robbed of all sentiment beyond: 1.) Address to a “higher power” - often the Father in Heaven is not even mentioned by name. 2.) No more thought is expressed than no one gets hurt, all are good sports and maybe that we have a safe trip home afterwards. And 3.) such pray er is almost never ended in Jesus' name - again for fear of offense. The prayers in Santa Fe were a notable exception in this last regard, and see how much flak was taken over it? Few others will take the risk.

In the end, what is said is hardly prayer. It is often indirectly addressed to God, devoid of almost any meaningful content and not asked as Jesus name as He instructed: “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do.” (Jn. 14:13; see also Jn. 14:26; 15:16; 16:23-26)

So in conclusion, the best I can say about school prayer is that I appreciate the effort of many to remember and thank God. Often people have fought, at great time and expense, for this right. And I deplore the increasing hatred of religion by those who seem to want to free themselves of every godly influence.  But tragically, I've almost never heard a school prayer that would please the Lord or is worthy of an “Amen” from a New Testament Christian.