Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2 From: amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: Prayer in schools and WHY Message-ID: <621@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Feb-84 10:43:30 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxq.621 Posted: Thu Feb 9 10:43:30 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 10-Feb-84 06:34:41 EST References: <198@mi-eec.UUCP> <623@ihuxp.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 31 I don't think that prayer has a place in the public schools. Here's why: In the early 1950s, I was going to a public school in State College, Pennsylvania. I was the only Catholic in my class, and the teacher (a Baptist) had me stand up in class, while she led the other children in a prayer for the good of my soul (I had enough problems because of my English accent that all the other kids found so funny). It was a humiliating experience that has stayed with me ever since. If there were prayer in the public schools, I don't see what would stop that sort of thing from happening again. Also, any prayer that would be general enough to satisfy all of the students who might be praying (there is a Buddhist in my son's second grade class) would be so vague as to be meaningless. It would be only one step up from starting with "To whom it may concern." Teach the students about religion, a great idea. Every year, my family has a seder so that my children may better appreciate their Jewish roots (my mother is/was a Jew--she converted to Catholicsim when she got married). I think that people should have a good knowledge of what other people believe; taught in such a way that they get an appreciation that other people have a legitimate religion and that theirs is not the only way to God. John Hobson AT&T Bell Labs Naperville, IL (312) 979-0193 ihnp4!ihuxq!amigo2