TOP 5 REASONS WHY RELIGION SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• "Public schools can neither foster religion nor preclude it. Our public schools must treat religion with fairness and respect and vigorously protect religious expression as well as the freedom of conscience of all other students. In so doing our public schools reaffirm the First Amendment and enrich the lives of their students". Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley June 1998          READ MORE

• "Americans are being denied the right to express their religious speech in the public square." Ralph Reed, Christian Coalition.          READ MORE

• Majorities of Republicans (89 percent), Democrats (73 percent) and independents (69 percent) think the courts have gone too far in taking religion out of public life.
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• Not only do three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) think posting the Ten Commandments on government property should be legal, but also two-thirds (66 percent) say it is a good idea to post the commandments in public schools.         READ MORE

• Similarly, 90 percent think the phrase "under God" should remain in the Pledge of Allegiance READ MORE

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Pros & Cons on Religion in Public Schools

Pros

• School prayer would result in many societal benefits. The public school system is tragically disintegrating as evidenced by the rise in school shootings, increasing drug use, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, and HIV transmission.
• It promotes the beneficial aspects of religion, not sectarianism.
• Allowing children religious freedom permits them to gain a level of spiritual enlightenment, and keeps them away from the temptations of peer pressure and gangs
• Americans believed if more people were religious there would be less crime and immorality.
• If religion was taught in schools, people from different faiths could learn about each other, promoting harmony
• Teaching about various religions in public school offers the opportunity to expose children to a variety of different faiths, and cultures.
• School prayer would allow religious students an opportunity to observe their religious beliefs during the school day .

Cons

• The separation of church and state was designed to avoid imposing a single faith on everybody

• There is now a large and growing population of non-Christians in the U.S., including Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.
• Organized prayer would exclude some students who are not of that faith. This could lead to other divisions within the school.
• Teaching children about other religions or denominations can be considered indoctrination, as the line between teaching and preaching might prove too thin for some parents
• Because public schools are government funded, prayer led by school officials or incorporated into the school routine amounts to government-established religion.
• Violates the “separation of church and state.”
• Public schools are intended for education, not religious observance or proselytization
• The public school system is created for all students and supported by all taxpayers. It should therefore remain neutral on religious issues over which students and taxpayers will differ.

Sources
Pros & Cons Religion Public Schools
Pros & Cons Religion Public Schools
Pros & Cons FAQs

CALL TO ACTION

SPEAK OUT If you would like to do something about allowing religion in your schools an easy way to start is by speaking up.
Contact your local and state representatives, student council, your school parent and teacher organizations, and even your local school board.
Speaking up is a small but important step. If you don't voice your opinion no one will know how you feel about the issue. 
 National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer could turn out to be a protest and draw attention to the 50th anniversary of the supreme court decision Engel v. Vitale. The article talks about weather or not National Day of prayer goes against the constitutional amendment. There is debates occuring about weather or not there could be  clause to end the National Day of Prayer. 

So if you want to speak out against these actions and keep our rights to a National Day of Prayer, then speak up and contact your local and state representatives.