Silent, personal prayer cannot be disallowed, but schools that receive federal or state funding should not promote any religion or time out for prayer ~ separation of church and state.

The reason individuals should be allowed to pray at school (Or anywhere else) is the fundamental human right to freedom of speech. The reason prayers should NOT be conducted by any employee of the state while functioning as an employee of the state is the necessity of separation between church and state. The reason students should NOT break into audible prayer in the middle of a classroom setting is that it is disruptive. The reason prayers should NOT be announced over a school intercom is that the state is required to maintain separation between church and state.

The same reasons why thinking should be allowed in churches

There are benefits to a dedicated "reflection/quiet time" where children should be given the opportunity to pray if they do have a faith or just time to think about the world, themselves, their families, friends or whatever if they do not have a religion. This gives children the benefits of reflection, without excluding, indoctrinating or offending anyone.

Prayer is allowed in school.

upholding the bill of rights. But it must be private, and also not forced upon others

If it is a public school, one that gets its money from the tax payers, prayer should not become a part of that school in any way. People can pray if they want to, but no one should ever be asked to pray in a public school. Not everyone in the country wants to pay for that.

Children should be allowed to pray in civics class when looking at the politicians running for office.

Well because we are human beings and we should be able to do what we want as long as we are not harming others in the process.

it should be allowed because it would probly help the children that pray do better in schools

I have thought about your question for 20 years now. There simply IS no reason for it. Pray at home before and after. Leave my kids alone.

To save the souls of Gods children.

Anyone that thinks prayer is not allowed in school has never gone to class on the day of a tough final exam.

People try to look for simple ways of solving complicated problems but sometimes just create more problems. Some people think that school prayer will make children better or nicer or more Godly. Most people think school prayer will infringe on the students' freedom of religion. What kind of prayer is prayed when you have Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Wiccans, Agnostics, and Atheists in the same classroom? It is unreasonable to compromise everyone's values to come up with some bland prayer that will be acceptable to everyone. The Catholic Church agrees with the U.S. Constitution as currently interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court and does not support "structured" prayer in public schools. In the Vatican II document, Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae (Human Dignity), the Church states: The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits. Children will continue to privately pray before tests just like they always have. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html With love in Christ.

As a religious person, I do not believe that formal prayer should be sponsored by public schools. If a student wants to pray on his/her own, as long as it is not disruptive in any way to others or their school work, have at it. I don't think a school should say "You can't pray". Again, as long as it's not disruptive. Pray at home before you go to school. Or go to a private school if you need to have structured prayer as part of your daily curriculum.

According to Jesus in the Book of Matthew, there should be no formal prayer, period.