Prayer sessions at a public high school graduation?

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Should religion be banned from public schools?
Poll ended at 02 Dec 2009, 2:28 pm
Yes. 53%  53%  [ 16 ]
No. A public school should have the right to hold whatever type of religious ceremony they wish. They dont have to acknowledge other religions. 10%  10%  [ 3 ]
No, but as long as other religions are acknowleged and respected. 37%  37%  [ 11 ]
Total votes : 30

dougn
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06 Jun 2009, 2:47 am

886 wrote:
Heh, strange, I'm surrounded by a bunch of jesus freaks irl. :x

Really? In Seattle?



Mist01
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06 Jun 2009, 3:46 am

claire333 wrote:
I always thought it was pretty much common practice to have a baccalaureate service prior to graduation. Are you also having one of these? Maybe your school is just lumping them into one.


Ive never even heard of that. Then again, some people have never heard of Vespers. Whats a Baccalaureate service?


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06 Jun 2009, 5:53 am

Mist01 wrote:
claire333 wrote:
I always thought it was pretty much common practice to have a baccalaureate service prior to graduation. Are you also having one of these? Maybe your school is just lumping them into one.


Ive never even heard of that. Then again, some people have never heard of Vespers. Whats a Baccalaureate service?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaureate_service
Same thing as vespers.



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06 Jun 2009, 6:04 am

I was torn. I didn't know weather to say "Yes", or to say "No, but as long as other religions are acknowleged and respected.".
I ended up voting for the latter, but I'm still somewhat torn- what does education have to do with religion anyways? Why should it be in schools at all?

But I voted for the latter, as people will do what they will. But if one religion is included, all should be. It is unfair and biased to do otherwise.

The high school I went to had a slight Christian overcoloring which always annoyed me.
I mean, we had wiccans. We had a bible study group, but no similar group for other religions. I remember that some of the wiccans tried to make a group and tried to have it approved. The principal denied it. No surprise.


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Mist01
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06 Jun 2009, 6:32 am

I should have started a Buddhist group, but there probably would be so few people even interested let alone actual adherents that there would be no point in making it. I have a feeling the principal might have allowed a religious tollerance club. I should have brought it up. The problem is finding potential members and a teacher to sponser it. I know there was a Bible club and it had a weird name. Like Club 221 or something like that. I forget what the actual number was.
There seemed to be quite a few Wiccans at my school too, but I dont think they tried to make any group. They were all usually the "outcasts" and anti-socials. I think there were a couple jews, but everyone else was most likely either Christian/Catholic or Athiest. Those two made up the vast bulk.


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06 Jun 2009, 6:36 am

claire333 wrote:
Mist01 wrote:
claire333 wrote:
I always thought it was pretty much common practice to have a baccalaureate service prior to graduation. Are you also having one of these? Maybe your school is just lumping them into one.


Ive never even heard of that. Then again, some people have never heard of Vespers. Whats a Baccalaureate service?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaureate_service
Same thing as vespers.


Oh ok, thanks. The actual Vespers article is a lot different than the Baccalaureate article for some reason. The Baccalaureate article said some parts of the US use the term Vespers, so thats why im a little confused. What we had at my school defenatly matched up with the Baccalaureate article.


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claire-333
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06 Jun 2009, 7:18 am

Mist01 wrote:
The actual Vespers article is a lot different than the Baccalaureate article for some reason. The Baccalaureate article said some parts of the US use the term Vespers, so thats why im a little confused.
Ah...you are correct. I guess some parts of the US call it vespers although it seems not to be. Vespers is something completely different.



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06 Jun 2009, 10:30 am

Is it a private school? Then they can do whatever they please.

Is it a public school? If so, you should contact the ACLU, this has lawsuit potential.

I actually couldn't answer the poll, because none of the answers fit my position. Any student should have the right to organize whatever they like, so long as it does not have anything to do "officially" with any school function. If the school is involved in any way, or provides any funding, that is unacceptable.



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06 Jun 2009, 12:04 pm

I don't think we should have religious stuff in school. School is for learning not worship, and as there are likely to be a variety of beliefs among the students, it's not very appropriate.

Religious stuff at my secondary school was rare and met with controversy. At my primary school, it was quite Christian, we sang lots of hymns and said lots of prayers, and they brainwashed me and lots of other naive children into beliving in a God their families did not believe in. I don't know how those of different religions felt there. My guess is they didn't feel happy with it.



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06 Jun 2009, 2:50 pm

No, religion shouldn't be banned from public schools. My high school had the most wonderful Christian club that was (only slight pun intended..) a Godsend. We met every morning before school to pray, and I never could have gotten through without it.
But that was a voluntary group of students that wanted to meet to pray, not something everyone had to to. It's not something that should be done at events like graduations that include everybody. Prayer and Bible study were required to be student-run.



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06 Jun 2009, 4:01 pm

claire333 wrote:
Mist01 wrote:
The actual Vespers article is a lot different than the Baccalaureate article for some reason. The Baccalaureate article said some parts of the US use the term Vespers, so thats why im a little confused.
Ah...you are correct. I guess some parts of the US call it vespers although it seems not to be. Vespers is something completely different.


Yeah I think thats it. Odd how our language is, eh?


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06 Jun 2009, 5:08 pm

Maggiedoll wrote:
No, religion shouldn't be banned from public schools. My high school had the most wonderful Christian club that was (only slight pun intended..) a Godsend. We met every morning before school to pray, and I never could have gotten through without it.
But that was a voluntary group of students that wanted to meet to pray, not something everyone had to to. It's not something that should be done at events like graduations that include everybody. Prayer and Bible study were required to be student-run.

In the sense you describe, you're right, it certainly shouldn't be banned from public schools.

But as you point it, it should be voluntary, student-run, etc. Nothing at official functions like graduations.

I answered "yes" to the poll question but strictly speaking I don't think religion should be banned from public schools, just that public schools should be banned from endorsing (or appearing to endorse) religion.



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08 Jun 2009, 10:25 am

Maggiedoll wrote:
No, religion shouldn't be banned from public schools. My high school had the most wonderful Christian club that was (only slight pun intended..) a Godsend. We met every morning before school to pray, and I never could have gotten through without it.
But that was a voluntary group of students that wanted to meet to pray, not something everyone had to to. It's not something that should be done at events like graduations that include everybody. Prayer and Bible study were required to be student-run.


I agree that it is completely inappropriate for events like graduation, and that it be mandatory such things be student-run without undue external influences. But if you're going to make the school property available for such things, then other student groups have the right to use the facilities under the exact same terms as the religious groups. Period - that's my opinion.


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886
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08 Jun 2009, 10:41 am

dougn wrote:
886 wrote:
Heh, strange, I'm surrounded by a bunch of jesus freaks irl. :x

Really? In Seattle?


Yeah. Just my immediate family I suppose, my dad always preaches "god's will" to my cousins, and they go to church all the time. Other than that most of my close friends are atheists or just don't care, and I've never talked on a religious subject with anyone at work... I've heard someone mention they're atheist I guess, but that's it.


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