Comments about ‘Paul Ryan says he supports prayer in schools if states agree’

Whose prayer does he support being prayed in school? What if someone doesn't want to participate, what are you going to do with them? Can Ryan say that the prayer offered is not the establishment of a state religion? Can Ryan guarantee that those who do not want to pray or pray to a different God or don't believe in God will have their rights protected.

I believe prayer should be in the home where it is not limited instead of in schools where it has the potential to be a wedge that divides our students and communities. We fought that battle. I don't want to go back, I want to go forward.

Can Ryan say that the prayer offered is not the establishment of a state religion?

QUOTE

Offering a prayer is not Congress making a law respecting the establishment of religion.
Congress is not involved and is not making a law.

I don't want prayer "cheapened" in our public schools. Go to an average high school and see what happens when the pledge of allegiance is recited. Prayer is personal, prayer should be done in a reverent manner. Prayer is sacred. It is because I believe in prayer that I don't want it in our public schools unless it is done in private by students of their own choosing in time and place.

In other words, Ryan would support violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. Why am I not surprised.

Furry1993 said: In other words, Ryan would support violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. Why am I not surprised.

They're conservatives, so they'll amend the constitution.

A student sitting at his desk in a public school is within his rights to pray. A teacher at the front of the classroom as an authority figure who calls for a prayer is infringing on the religious freedom of students he's being paid a public salary to teach. That's the law and I think it strikes the right balance.

Zeus is going to be pleased that his followers will *finally* have a chance to worship him in public again. In American schools no less!

Most of the comments show bias before they even carefully read Ryan's comments. He did not say he was for classroom or teacher lead prayer but for special event prayer. And I enjoyed the diversity of prayers at the RNC. As an LDS Group Leader in the USAF I was called upon to offer prayer in many different situations and always took my audience in account and I will never forget the student requested prayer in my H.S.science class on 9/11. Everyone in the class thanked me as they left the room. There appropriate and inappropriate times for prayer in schools and public places. There have and always will be different beliefs about God but that should not stop us from acknowledgement of His influence on the founding of America.

So Ryan says that in Utah, he doesn't think it will be difficult to get prayers in school -

does he feel that way because Utah is so Republican, or because it is so Mormon?

If it because it is Mormon, he expects it to be Mormon prayers in schools - but what about those who are not Mormon? Should they just move out of state? And if they do, what happens if they take their companies and businesses with them? What happens if they don't and your child has to pray in the faith and tradition of the people with money instead of the faith and tradition you are teaching them?

If it because they are Republican, does that mean other Republican states will have prayers of their dominant religions? Didn't we recently have a Court case over that in Texas where an LDS girl was not being allowed to pray according to her faith?

Why are so many of those who don't trust the Government so willing to trust the Government with their religion? "I don't trust you to spend my tax money, but I trust you to teach my child about God!" Really?

Schools are NOT the government.

They are just local community service.

We have had prayer in congress, we have had prayere in school for first 150 years, clearly there was nothing wrong about it.

It is not unconstitutional, it does not matter whose prayer it is. That is false agument.

Allowing prayer does not favor one religion over another.

"Allowing prayer does not favor one religion over another."

That is true, if done in compliance with the constitution.

I am quite certain that there are some religions that would offer a prayer which would cause quite an uproar in almost any school.

While I agree that allowing for school prayer is not unconstitutional, it can and would quickly cause more problems than it solves.

Just ask the LDS and Catholic families who sued Santa Fe school district in Texas in 2000 to stop prayer at football games.

@ the truth: What religion do you belong to? Do you really think it would make no difference to your Sunday services if a Buddhist prayer were offered? Or a Jewish prayer? A Hindu prayer? A Wiccan prayer?

Do you really believe there is no difference from one religion to another?