Indiana’s Tyranny: To Require the Lord’s Prayer


Posted by Omnipotent Poobah

In keeping with the long and ignoble tradition of plastering the Lord’s Prayer on every flat surface in creation, Christians in the Indiana legislature have introduced a bill to require reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of every school day.

I’ve no issue with the Lord’s Prayer itself. I suppose it’s as useful as anything in helping accomplish the bill’s goal of, “establishing character and becoming a good citizen.” But prayers seem a little weak for such an important job and there is no proof it works anyway.

I also have no issue with teaching about religion in public school provided it is taught from a sociological or historical perspective and includes all religions and non-theistic points of view. After all, it is an important part of the nation’s history and understanding it can help pull us all together.

I don’t even care if religious groups want to use the school building to hold services as long as they pay the freight for that use and school isn’t in session.

But, I draw the line at requiring the Lord’s Prayer or any other religious custom or action in schools.

It’s true the bill only requires prayers at charter schools which may be partially funded by non-governmental groups. However, charter schools are, more often than not, at least partially funded with government money. And therein lies the rub.

By virtue of that government money, charter schools are open to everyone, not just Christians. Requiring kids to repeat their prayers is heavy handed and a back door to killing the concept of separation of church and state – a separation that inhibits the idea of a thriving and expanding theocracy. And BTW, wouldn’t this bill fall into the category of tyrannical Big Government that steals our liberties in a much more fundamental way than light bulb or low-flow toilet regulations?

If you insist on required prayer take your educational business to a religious school. There you can freely pray or require prayer as you wish. I don’t even care if you want to sacrifice goats (they go swimmingly with a little mint sauce BTW) on an altar. Your school, your money, your rules.

But the worst of these sorts of laws is that they are 100% unnecessary. Nothing prevents in-school prayer now. You’re free to pray all you want, any time you want. Kid got a dicey test coming up? They can put in a few quiet words to the Big Guy before they pick up their pencil. Scared they’ll be picked last for the volleyball team? “Oh dear Lord, don’t let them pick me last. Amen.”  Prayer doesn’t need to be required or recited aloud to be effective.

“Dear Lord, I beseech thee. Show those who would rob one person’s religious freedom in order to make it only for their own understand there is a way of compassion and understanding. A simple solution to a simple problem. Let them trust in your wisdom and show them the bright light of respecting all others as they ask to be respected.”

“In the Lord’s name we pray. Amen.”

 

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3 Responses to Indiana’s Tyranny: To Require the Lord’s Prayer

  1. As a Hoosier, I find this appalling. You can find a church on just about every corner in this town. Raising rational children removed from this nonsense is already difficult. To think they could be subjected to it in school fills me with anger. If you’re religious, keep your beliefs to yourself.

    My friend published an article on this topic on my blog. The final paragraph makes it worth reading.
    http://nonobsense.blogspot.com/2012/01/proposition-for-indiana-republicans-who.html

  2. Maybe they figure that since the charter schools only get government money for part of the expenses, then that means that they only have to comply with government rules (like the constitution) part of the day?