by Brian Birk

Created on: December 22, 2008

Prayer is allowed in public and private schools. To say that prayer is not allowed in school is dishonest. People who claim to be followers of Jesus should not say things that are dishonest, false or misleading

The Supreme Court has never banned all types of prayer from school. In 1963 the court decided that requiring students attending public schools to read from the Bible or recite prayers violated the first amendment of the constitution. Later they expanded that principle to include prayers directed of led by school officials or offered at school-sanctioned functions.

Any student facing a difficult test can certainly offer a silent prayer while sitting at his or her desk. A teacher can pray for his or her students in a similarly private manner. You can pray for your local schools, the teachers and the students. The Supreme Court has not ruled against any of those types of prayers.

Would it be OK if a Muslim third grade teacher in Minneapolis required students to memorize and recite verses from the Koran? Would it be OK for a Buddhist teacher in Oklahoma City to require students to pray to Buddha? I believe the Supreme Court would correctly rule that those examples would be violations of the first amendment. I also believe they ruled correctly back in 1963 when the case involved an atheist child in a school where the teachers led Bible reading and prayers. I believe the Supreme Court interpreted the constitution correctly.

Should we really be blaming the schools and the Supreme Court if our children have not been taught how to pray and have not been encouraged to read their Bibles? I am a Lutheran Pastor, and I do not feel that public schools ought to be charged with teaching children to pray and read their Bibles.

Approximately five hundred years ago Martin Luther wrote a catechism. He did it so that parents would be able to teach their children the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments. He not only provided the words for memorization, he supplied meanings so that the words would be understood.

Parents are allowed to teach their children to pray and to read the Bible. The Supreme Court has not ruled against that. Churches are allowed to teach their entire congregations to pray and to read the Bible. The Supreme Court has not ruled against that either.

If you are a parent and your are concerned that your child does not know how to read the Bible and does not know how to pray, then teach your child to read the Bible and to pray. If you don't know how to read the Bible and pray yourself, then take your child to church and announce to the pastor that both you and your child need to be taught how to read your Bibles and to pray.

In the case of school prayer I do not believe that our constitution needs to be amended. I do not believe that the Supreme Court ruled incorrectly, and I do not believe that schools are failing our children. I believe that children should be taught to pray and read their Bibles in their homes, and that people of all ages should be taught to pray and read their Bibles in churches.

May God lead you and guide you if you are someone who is willing to teach others to pray and read their Bible.

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