Why do we need prayers in our public schools?

A column from The First Amendment Center recently published in The Gazette has set off a conversation on these pages about public prayers. With the Democrats in charge of Congress and the White House, many conservatives are concerned the nation will see a shift in the influence of politics on religion, and vice versa.

Evangelicals and other like-minded individuals worry about the effect the new political climate will have on prayers that begin government meetings, and the moments of silence that begin some school days around the country. This is an issue that simmers below the surface most of the time, and boils to the surface from time to time as activists such as atheist Michael Newdow get hearings in court to get rid of one or another of these programs.

I remember reciting the Lord's Prayer aloud first thing in the morning before getting down to the grind of learning my multiplication tables and grammar at a public school.

School days in earlier grades didn't include mandatory praying, so I was a bit surprised when Mrs. Johnson directed us to stand for prayer. I figured, new school, new procedures, so I followed along. Now that I'm an adult the idea of the need for group prayer in public schools still puzzles me.

Parents send their children to public school to learn reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic, not how to have a relationship with a higher power. That's what families and churches are for. Why do some people insist on mixing the two?

Of course, the simple solution is that parents who want prayer in school should send little Travis and Madison to private schools where religion is part of the curriculum. But that's not always an option, so some folks try to skirt the rules by pushing laws requiring a moment of silence. They say prayer isn't required or even encouraged; Students are free to reflect on the coming day, becoming one with nature or asking the deity for strength to get through today's algebra test. Since prayer isn't explicitly required, they say, there's no problem with any of those pesky church-and-state issues godless heathens find so troubling. The courts have ruled for both sides, depending on technicalities of how the specific law is written.

My question is, why do those who support these moments of silence believe they're necessary? Will the republic fall to the barbarians without them? Will God send plagues to chastise us for our errant ways?

I was raised in a Christian home and I'm comfortable with my relationship with God, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why some people insist on spending so much energy to get around the ban on mandatory prayer in public schools. I've heard the arguments that the freedom from religion folks want to rid the public square of all references to religion, or that the United States is a Christian nation so atheists should just get over it.

Frankly, I don't buy either.

I no more believe the atheists won't rest until the last nickel inscribed with "In God We Trust" is melted down than I do that those pushing prayer desire a Christian theocracy.

On the other hand, although most of the Founding Fathers were not atheists, and most Americans say they believe in some higher power, this is not a Christian nation in the same sense Saudi Arabia is an Islamic nation.

Fears the United States will either become hostile to religion or that it will become a theocracy are overblown. We have bigger problems than Jimmy not being able to lead the class in prayer at school. We should spend our time an energy addressing those issues, not manufacturing more.

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Lewis is a writer and copy editor for The Gazette opinion pages. Readers can contact him at 636-0370 or by e-mail at george.lewis@gazette.com.