Edwards
Belinda Edwards
Professor Keith Howard
CRJ-330-OL16A
December 8th, 2018
What Happens When God is Removed
Prayer can be spoken out loud or in silence with a group of people or alone. Most people
associate prayer with religion. A sincere moment of spoken wishes to God is a prayer. In grade
school, about fifteen years ago, I would notice most staff members praying during a moment of
silence for morning announcements. I was given the great opportunity to witness praying at
home, church and school.
Today that moment of silence is no longer used to say prayers or reflect on the events to
come for the day. At the elementary school I work at in my hometown very few stops what
they’re doing to have a moment of silence in unison or individually. Most of the staff continue
working or holding conversation during morning announcements. A few others and I stop what
we are doing and look at the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance. I notice the kids would look at
both the adults who carry on with what they were doing before the announcements began and the
adults who pause.
Some kids chose to stop, others continue with what it is they were doing before the
announcements began. It is clearly confusing the kids and leaving the decision making up to
them. Kids are supposed to be told what to do, not given an option to decide for themselves. Of
course, the praying is completely optional for students, faculty and staff. The moment of silence
should be mandatory.
In 1962, the United States Supreme Court decided in Engle v. Vital that a prayer
approved by the New York Board of Regents for use in schools violated the First Amendment by
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constituting an establishment of religion. The following year, Abington High School in Abington
Township, Pennsylvania also ended prayer session due to the same First Amendment violations.
Both cases, Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v. Schempp, were known by the media
as kicking God out of the public school (Green, Steven K). These cases should have never had an
impact on something so much more important. Acknowledging God within other school systems
on certain days of the week quickly began to become undone because of lawsuits. Some wanted
religion to continue to be taught daily.
Prayer in public schools should be allowed, without the fear of lawsuits. Having a
moment of silence for prayer regardless of religion is not forcing religion on anyone and it’s free.
Pennsylvania law required public schools to read from the bible at the opening of each school
day. The district court ruled that the law violated the First Amendment, even though the law
