LTE - about Prayer in Schools. "Prayer 24-7" in the Winston-Salem Journal this morning

[Mira]

Letter to the Editor, Monday Feb. 6, 2012
Winston-Salem Journal
Winston-Salem, NC

Prayer, 24-7

I believe we should mandate prayer in schools.

But before we can, we must first

Prove that God does in fact exist. (Tangible evidence, please, because even atheists have faith.)

Determine which god is the God. (There are more than 4,000 known religions on Earth, all competing for the top spot. Until we filter out the nonexistent gods from the real one(s), we run the risk of many children praying to something that doesn't exist — a colossal waste of precious school time.)

Verify whether or not God has almighty powers. (If so, then we don't need to pray. God already knows our wishes and will act accordingly.)

If not, then next we should verify that God is accepting prayer requests. (Because no one likes unsolicited spam.)

Lastly, we should verify that God actually answers prayers. (Otherwise, what's the point?)

Once we accomplish the above, we should immediately mandate prayer in schools. In fact, I will probably pull my child from school so that we can just pray all day. (Sorry, teachers, but talking to God seems way more stimulating than class time with you guys.)

But until then, we probably should focus on creating a bunch of really smart scientists, mathematicians, artists, doctors, engineers and teachers who might someday answer this and life's other great riddles.

This will require every minute of the school day, I'm afraid.

R.R.



www.journalnow.com

[RKP5637]

1. And along the way the 'real' god should be given a hearing aid, it's clear he/she/it is deaf! n/t

[jwirr]

2. I actually like that. It hits the nail on the head. I am a Christian but I do not believe that

teachers should be allowed to lead prayers in public schools. There are so many different beliefs in this world. What are we going to pray? As background. I had a teacher in 3rd grade who made us pray for that guy (Joseph McCarthy) who led the communist witch hunts in senate during the 50s. We were asked to pray for him because he had died. My family did not like him and if I had known in 3rd grade who he even was I would have thanked God for finally getting him out of congress. I also belonged to a religion that does not pray for the dead.

[Initech]

3. Wow, that was so dumb that it made my brain hurt.

First of all he recommends "finding the true god" (read: "his" ) and then has the nerve to insult teachers on top of that. Wow.

[enlightenment]

5. Where you reading the OP or something else?

Because nothing in the OP suggests either of those things.

[Initech]

7. This part here:

"Sorry, teachers, but talking to God seems way more stimulating than class time with you guys.) "

Was that not just blatantly insulting teachers or am I wrong?

[Occulus]

11. there's this thing called sarcasm

[Initech]

12. I couldn't tell if that was serious or sarcastic.

[11 Bravo]

6. I'm a teacher and a Christian, and I must not have read the same post you did.

[Sylvylou]

13. My god?

Hi! I'm the guy that wrote this letter to the editor. I was (at least attempting) to use basic logic along with a tad of sarcasm. I'm actually somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic so 'my god' would (I guess)
be something yet to be seen or understood at least by me. As far as the teacher comment, I was again trying to just be sort of cute there but certainly not disrespectful to teachers. Both of my parents and two of my grandparents were life long educators. I think teachers are the best of the best and if it were up to me, they would make three times what they make today. I guess I was making the point that if anyone really thought they were able to communicate directly to god, wouldn't they just do that all the time instead of go to school, work, the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter? In general, I think the folks who want prayer in schools are just small-minded dingbats who lack the mental capacity to see that not everyone is like them and that this is ok.

Rick Randall
W-S, NC

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Excellent.

[Bigmack]

8. Best school prayer letter ever... here...

Dear John,

As you know, We've been working real hard in our town to get prayer back in our schools. Finally, the school board approved a plan of teacher-led prayer with the children participating at their own option. Children not wishing to participate were to be allowed to stand out in the hallway during prayer time. We hoped someone would sue us so we could go all the way to the Supreme Court and get the old devil-inspired ruling reversed.

Naturally, we were all excited by the school board action. As you know, our own little Billy (not so little, any more though) is now in the second grade. Of course, Margaret and I explained to him no matter what the other kids did, he was going to stay in the classroom and participate.

After the first day of school, I asked him "How did the prayer time go?"

"Fine."

"Did many kids go out into the hallway?"

"Two".

"Excellent. How did you like your teacher's prayer?"

"It was different, Dad. Real different from the way you pray."

"Oh? Like how?"

"She said, 'Hail Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners...'"

The next day I talked with the principal. I politely explained I wasn't prejudiced against Catholics but I would appreciate Billy bein transferred to a non-Catholic teacher. The principal said it would be done right away.

At supper that evening I asked Billy to say the blessings. He slipped out of his chair, sat cross- legged, closed his eyes, raised his hand palms up in the air and began to hum.

You'd better believe I was at the principal's office at eight o'clock the next morning. "Look," I said. 'I don't really know much about these Transcendental Meditationists, but I would feel a lot more comfortable If you could move Billy to a room where the teacher practices an older, more established religion."

That afternoon I met Billy as soon as he walked in the door after school.

"I don't think you're going to like Mrs. Nakasone's prayer either, Dad."

"Out with it."

"She kept chanting Namu Amida Butsu..."

The following morning I was waiting for the principal in the school parking lot. "Look, I don't want my son praying to the Eternal Spirit of whatever to Buddha. I want him to have a teacher who prays in Jesus' name!"

"What about Bertha Smith?"

"Excellent."

I could hardly wait to hear about Mrs. Smith's prayer. I was standing on the front steps of the school when the final bell rang.

"Well?" I asked Billy as we walked towards the car.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Mrs. Smith asked God to bless us and ended her prayer in Jesus' name, amen just like you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Now we're getting some place."

"She even taught us a verse of scripture about prayer," said Billy.

I beamed. "Wonderful. What was the verse?"

"Lets see..." he mused for a moment. "And behold, they began to pray; and they did pray unto Jesus, calling him their Lord and their God."

We had reached the car. "Fantastic," I said reaching for the door handle. Then paused. I couldn't place the scripture. "Billy, did Mrs. Smith say what book that verse was from?"

"Third Nephi, chapter 19, verse 18."

"Nephi what?"
"Nephi," he said. "It's in the Book of Mormon.

The school board doesn't meet for a month. I've given Billy very definite instructions that at prayer time each day he's to go out into the hallway. I plan to be at that board meeting. If they don't do something about this situation, I'll sue. I'll take it all the way to the Supreme Court if I have to. I don't need schools or anybody else teaching my son about religion. We can take care of that ourselves at home and at church, thank you very much.

We've got to stop this!

Bill

[Mira]

9. I like it. A perfect illustration

of the letter writer's concern.

[brooklynite]

10. Um, I don't have "faith"...

Prove that God does in fact exist. (Tangible evidence, please, because even atheists have faith.)

I have lack of belief in anything other than the physical universe I see around me...