A dear friend asked me on Facebook 

"Do you think they should put prayer back in school?"

“Prayer in Schools” is a rock-throwing, shouting, name-calling contest that has become a frenzy of “rights” far too emotionally charged on the political and religious spectrum to be a friendly back and forth on Facebook.

But on my personal and private weblog here’s my view.

When I was a child at Cove School we had prayer every morning, a Christian devotional, and we had Bible memory verses to do. During World War II for the first time we had military dependents at Cove School, Americans from all over the country. In one class I witnessed a teacher being unkind to a child -- a beautiful little girl from up north whose father was an army doctor -- a teacher being unkind to a child because her Jewish parents did not approve of our Southern custom of Christian devotions at school. The teacher’s hateful prejudice is branded in my mind.  

In America there are private schools for Christians and Muslims and others who want prayer in school. Holy Nativity Episcopal School is one. There is Christian prayer for the entire school every morning, teachers may open class with prayer, and meetings are opened with prayer. Wednesday there is chapel, a worship service, for everyone. All who are admitted to the school understand this, as do all who are employed at the school. Reiterated by Jesus, the Old Testament commandment to love God and love neighbor is a constant. Holy Nativity is a private Christian school.

But public schools and civic events are not forums for evangelistic fervor. Christians who pray in public need to pray with kindness and consideration, sensitively and mindful that folks may be present who have very different views and beliefs. To do so is to love neighbor. In my experience however that is seldom the case. In a public forum, a hands-clenched-eyes-squinched prayer “in Jesus holy and precious name Amen” is mindless, unloving, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unkind, but that is usually what happens. Cramming one’s religion down others’ throat is not an American right and is not Christian witness but rather is offensive, a way to make enemies for Christ, unforgivable nigh unto Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit. At the very least it is the sin of certitude.

So then. Prayer in school? In private schools, yes, absolutely. In public school anyone who wishes to pray may pray privately. 

Christians are commanded to love God and love neighbor. We who walk in the Way of the Cross are not called to be militant about our rights, but mindful of our responsibilities.

TW+