My question is why you need to have a state mandated moment of silence in pulbic schools. If/when my children pray about school we do it at supper and when they go to bed. I don't want someone mandating a moment of silence when they should be teaching him math.

 

If there is a particular event that calls for a moment of silence, sure . . . but mandated every day???? What is the point???

 

The decision is not an attack on God or religion - maybe the moment of silence was an attack on something, but this is defense of education and individual rights of students.

 

It was not a designated pray time about school. It was a moment of silence to focus on the day's activities in whatever manner you saw fit.

This is ludacris!

 

So is this:

 

"I am overwhelmed at the thought of the tremendous weight of moral responsibility that Catholic parents accumulate upon their shoulders by not sending their children to Catholic schools...

 

Is it any wonder that there can be no peace in a world where everything possible is done to guarantee that the youth of every nation will grow up absolutely without moral and religious discipline, and without the shadow of an interior life, or of that spirituality and charity and faith which alone can safeguard the treaties made by governments?

 

And Catholics, thousands of Catholics everywhere, have the consummate audacity to weep and complain because God does not hear their prayers for peace, when they have neglected not only His will, but the ordinary dictates of natural reason and prudence, and let their children grow up according to the standards of a civilization of hyenas."

 

-Thomas Merton

 

His view is far more extreme than my own, I'll admit, but I understand where he's coming from. Of course, he's speaking about French schools which are likely considerably different from our own. We have altered the Constitution in this country so that we no longer feel entitled to "freedom of religion" but "freedom from religion." I haven't seen the entire ruling, so I won't speak to it or even venture that it is, on its face, a horrendous decision. But I am ever-mindful that the world we live in is changing... and that my team is losing.

I still don't understand why you would need to require a moment of silence in schools on a daily basis. I would assume that religious families pray at home together before they head off for the day and/or before they go to bed at night...or at any other time in which works for their schedule.

I still don't understand why you would need to require a moment of silence in schools on a daily basis. I would assume that religious families pray at home together before they head off for the day and/or before they go to bed at night...or at any other time in which works for their schedule.

 

Like Habib said, what you have said is a reason why there need not be a state law requiring a moment of silence.

 

On the other hand, I don't really see how, if a school district wants to do so, it is unconstitutional to do so.

"I am overwhelmed at the thought of the tremendous weight of moral responsibility that Catholic parents accumulate upon their shoulders by not sending their children to Catholic schools...

 

Is it any wonder that there can be no peace in a world where everything possible is done to guarantee that the youth of every nation will grow up absolutely without moral and religious discipline, and without the shadow of an interior life, or of that spirituality and charity and faith which alone can safeguard the treaties made by governments?

 

And Catholics, thousands of Catholics everywhere, have the consummate audacity to weep and complain because God does not hear their prayers for peace, when they have neglected not only His will, but the ordinary dictates of natural reason and prudence, and let their children grow up according to the standards of a civilization of hyenas."

 

-Thomas Merton

 

His view is far more extreme than my own, I'll admit, but I understand where he's coming from. Of course, he's speaking about French schools which are likely considerably different from our own. We have altered the Constitution in this country so that we no longer feel entitled to "freedom of religion" but "freedom from religion." I haven't seen the entire ruling, so I won't speak to it or even venture that it is, on its face, a horrendous decision. But I am ever-mindful that the world we live in is changing... and that my team is losing.

 

The first amendment speaks to both "freedom of" and "freedom from" - how does doing away with a moment of silence abridge anyone's freedom of religion?? It doesn't. Pure and simple.

 

As for Merton, and I am a big fan . . . I would not want a non-trained religious person doing anything in my children's schools to teach them anything about religion. There is too much unhealthy religion that I want them having no part of to risk some lay person trying to influence them at school.

To me its all about the basic fundamentals of life. Pledge of Allegiance. National Anthem, Moments of silence. Reflect and be thankful for where you are. Can those people who disagree with all of this, lives be that much dIfferent than mine. How does any of this affect there life in a negative way? If it is that much of a problem? PACK YOUR DARN BAGS AND GET THE HECK OUT !!! GEEEEEEZZZZZ !!! :puke:

The first amendment speaks to both "freedom of" and "freedom from" - how does doing away with a moment of silence abridge anyone's freedom of religion?? It doesn't. Pure and simple.

 

As for Merton, and I am a big fan . . . I would not want a non-trained religious person doing anything in my children's schools to teach them anything about religion. There is too much unhealthy religion that I want them having no part of to risk some lay person trying to influence them at school.

 

On the bolded, I am straining to find a scenario in which you would need training to lead a moment of silence or in how a moment of silence is unhealthy.

 

In college, our coach would have a moment of silence, 30 seconds total, for each player to focus on the game in whatever manner they deemed fit that prepared them for the game. There was no training for it nor was it unhealthy.

 

So, I am at a lost to understand why this is such a negative, unhealthy situation.

On the bolded, I am straining to find a scenario in which you would need training to lead a moment of silence or in how a moment of silence is unhealthy.

 

In college, our coach would have a moment of silence, 30 seconds total, for each player to focus on the game in whatever manner they deemed fit that prepared them for the game. There was no training for it nor was it unhealthy.

 

So, I am at a lost to understand why this is such a negative, unhealthy situation.

 

I was responding to the quote by Merton, so the bolded was not directly related to the moment of silence. I still haven't had anyone explain the educaational benefit of the moment of silence? Why is it needed?? What is the purpose??

...how does doing away with a moment of silence abridge anyone's freedom of religion??

It is not the federal government's job to control, dictate or othewise influence religion. That is what the whole concept of the "separation of church and state" was all about with our nation's founders. There was never an intention to keep religion out of government, but most definitely an intent to keep government out of religion.

 

By abridging religious freedoms, our government has slid into a place it was never intended to go.

And then people wonder why some families choose to make some significant sacrifices to send their children to Catholic or Christian schools.

 

I don't understand 2 things:

 

Why would there be a mandated moment of silence?

Why would it be unconstitutional?

 

I suppose that if the moment of silence were billed as prayer, that would be unconstitutional.

It is not the federal government's job to control, dictate or othewise influence religion. That is what the whole concept of the "separation of church and state" was all about with our nation's founders. There was never an intention to keep religion out of government, but most definitely an intent to keep government out of religion.

 

By abridging religious freedoms, our government has slid into a place it was never intended to go.

 

I fail to see where the striking down of a state law mandating a moment of silence constitutes the government meddling in religion. I also disagree with your assessment of the intentions of the First Amendment. In the words of James Madison "And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in shewing that religion & Govt will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together."

Edited January 26, 200917 yr by Habib

It is not the federal government's job to control, dictate or othewise influence religion. That is what the whole concept of the "separation of church and state" was all about with our nation's founders. There was never an intention to keep religion out of government, but most definitely an intent to keep government out of religion.

 

By abridging religious freedoms, our government has slid into a place it was never intended to go.

 

Public Schools are a governmental creation . . . there should be nothing remotely religious about them.

 

Again, what is the educational purpose of a moment of silence??

Public Schools are a governmental creation . . . there should be nothing remotely religious about them.

 

Again, what is the educational purpose of a moment of silence??

 

To focus on the day's activites.

I gave you a similar example of a moment of silence for a basketball game.

I fail to see where the striking down of a state law mandating a moment of silence constitutes the government meddling in religion. I also disagree with your assessment of the intentions of the First Amendment. In the words of James Madison "And I have no doubt that every new example will succeed, as every past one has done, in shewing that religion & Govt will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together."

 

If striking down the law is government meddling in religion, than it IS a religious prayer and should have been strucken down.

 

This was a moment of silence with no direction on prayer. So, why is silence unconstitutional?