God has called me to an extremely noble profession. At least, I believe He has. I have the privilege of working with the bright young minds we call our future. Their 5th grade brains are brimming with knowledge that far surpasses what I knew even in the early stages of high school. The powers that be in our department of education have gone to great lengths to determine every detail our students need to know at each grade level. Our professional Bible is called Core Content and it's what a teacher lives by.
I don't know if you realize this or not, but Congress starts their sessions with prayer. That isn't really surprising to me. After all, our country was founded on the belief in God and His power...In God We Trust. My second grade teacher believed in God and the power of prayer. I know that because she talked about God and how powerful He was. Also, we said a blessing each day before lunch. Beyond second grade, I'm not quite sure what my teachers believed about God, but I do know what they believed about Columbus, John F. Kennedy, and Adolf Hitler.
In June of 1963, while Christians across the United States were daydreaming, the Supreme Court listened and acted on atheist, Madelyn Murray O'Hare's, arguement concerning God, prayer, and The Constitution. Her dreams came true when God was evicted from schools. Since that day, prayer been outlawed in schools across the United States. That makes me intensely angry. Why?
I do not have the luxury of saying a blessing with my students before lunch. I cannot have moments of silence when we are remembering a national disaster. I could not speak of how God would help those who were victims in the Virginia Tech tragedy. But, it hits closer to home than even those examples.
I cannot pray with a student that tells me their mother or father was too harsh on them the night before. I cannot pray with a student when mammaw or pappaw dies. I cannot pray with a student when their beloved pet gets ran over or simply dies. I cannot pray with two quarreling children and ask God to solve their problem. I cannot pray with a student who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. That's why I'm angry.
How do you feel about prayer in school? If we allow prayer would it open the door to a host of other religious obligations? Christians must figure out a way to keep God in school--I believe that with all of my heart and that isn't in Core Content. [TNTNKY, copyright 2007]
3 comments:
wow..totally different perspective on prayer in school. great post. I don't really care what host is allowed into the schools. We can pray it all out. I'd say if I were a teacher and felt led to share my faith in God, I'd have to just let 'er fly and take the chances that no one would really care other than my Lord and the child who needed my prayer. If I was like you who needed my job, I might think differently.
Core Content, huh? Sounds like someone forgot the seeds. selahV
TnT,
Certainly a thought provoking post. I am still kind of torn here though. I do not want a teacher of any different faith praying with or teaching my child their faith. And yet, I do not see anything wrong at all with a teacher being able to prompt the class to a time of silence for all who desire to pray, at their desks, a prayer. That time of silence can be at the beginning of the day, before lunch and yes, even for a fellow student or teacher who is having a rough go at it for the moment. I do not think that teachers should not be able to teach about the Founding Fathers of our Country and their faith in God that guided them in their endeavors. Thus, I would understand there would need be no reference to Islam in American History before the 1970's. Islam DID NOT shape America in her birth. As I catch my breath and slowly exhale now, I think our times have truly changed. I'm with SelahV that if God leads you to pray with a student, you have no choice but to pray with that student. God will work out the rest. But I do not want my child to be taught to pray to Mecca or Mary. So, I'm still torn at the end of the day. Obey God first and the laws of man second. It'll get you into trouble with man, but it will keep you out of trouble with God.
Luke
Luke: have you heard where they are allowing Muslims a prayer room in schools? A lady in our church mentioned it in Sunday School.
TNT: what would be the harm in a situation like the VaTech tragedy for you to say, "let's take a minute and think about the people who lost their kids?" I really don't get the no silent moment of reflection thing.
I think we need a religion course in highschool so kids would know what the difference is between Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Budhism. Those are the top warring factions in religions. Why not explain what each believe regarding the worldview? Or is this already covered in Social Studies?
Blessings to you TNT as you try to live in the world you aren't a part of. selahV
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