[mercyteapot]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...1n2prayer.html

In a nutshell, this is a story about a local elementary school that sets outside time and room for Muslim students to pray during the day. Students from other religious persuasions aren't given the same accommodations. The district is claiming this doesn't favor one religion over the other, since Islam mandates specific times for prayer and Christianity, Judaism, etc. do not.

[fergus51]

I don't think that Christians aren't given this type of consideration. They get all their holiest days completely off at school. They don't ever have to attend on a Sunday or Xmas or Easter. Is it such a big deal if a muslim gets 15 minutes a day? As long as all the students get the same break to spend as they so choose, I don't see a huge problem. I dunno, it seems like making a mountain out of a molehill.

[fergus51]

BTW, I enjoyed the comment that one reader made about our kids not being allowed to say the "pledge of the legions" in school anymore!

[Spidey's mom]

Easter is on a Sunday when public school isn't in session and Christmas falls during "Winter Break".

I think you just need to make sure you accommodate all religions. When the Muslims are praying, do all the other kids get a break?

This reminds me of smokers at work - I want the same amount of breaks they get.

Fergus - that "pledge of the legions" comment was funny.

steph

[Jolie]

Originally Posted by stevielynn

Fergus - that "pledge of the legions" comment was funny.
steph

My youngest daughter attended a Methodist preschool. They recited the Pledge of Allegiance every day, but she seemed to think it was a prayer, and always ended it with "Amen." Hubby and I laughed that the public school she was set to attend for Kindergarten would probably kick her out for that.

[mercyteapot]

The non-Muslims aren't given a break at the same time. The Muslim children are pulled out of academics for prayer. I really think this probably violates the separation of church and state. If the district was serious about not violating it, they'd accommodate these kids by agreeing to let them leave campus to go pray somewhere else.

Christian kids aren't granted Sundays off to go to church. Everyone gets the day off to do with as they will. Easter happens to fall on a Sunday and Christmas is a national holiday, so of course everyone gets them off, whether they celebrate or not.

[Suesquatch]

Totally unacceptable.

If your religion requires such stringent adherence attend a parochial school.

[fergus51]

Originally Posted by mercyteapot

Christian kids aren't granted Sundays off to go to church. Everyone gets the day off to do with as they will. Easter happens to fall on a Sunday and Christmas is a national holiday, so of course everyone gets them off, whether they celebrate or not.

Sure, but why do you think people get Sundays off? It's because of our Christian religious heritage. Xmas is a national holiday for the same reason. It's easy to say the other religions don't deserve any accomodation when yours already has been accomodated.

BTW, the separation between church and state doesn't necessitate prayer be held off campus. School districts have even been found to be in the wrong when they banned Christian study groups held on campus during lunch hours.

[fergus51]

Originally Posted by stevielynn

Easter is on a Sunday when public school isn't in session and Christmas falls during "Winter Break".

I think you just need to make sure you accommodate all religions. When the Muslims are praying, do all the other kids get a break?

This reminds me of smokers at work - I want the same amount of breaks they get.

Fergus - that "pledge of the legions" comment was funny.

steph

Sure, it's just "winter break", wink wink... Come on, we all know it's Xmas break. And we all know we get Xmas and Easter and Good Friday and Sundays off because Christianity is the dominant religion. If not, no one would object to making the school week Sun-Thursday and changing winter break to February

I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Christians are the majority, so that makes sense. I just don't see why some kids having 15 minutes to pray is a big deal either. Give every student that same 15 minute break and find something important to focus on when it comes to education (like funding, class sizes, student performance, bullying, etc). I can't imagine Jesus would say "Not fair! If he gets 15 minutes out of class I want it too".... but then again I could be wrong, I'm not a Christian afterall.

[caliotter3]

We were in the deep South when my daughter was in second grade. My husband and I had to speak with her teacher and explain to our daughter the concept of separation of church and state when she was forced to pray at the beginning of the school day in a public school. The teacher was very nice and not of the racial majority. She was openly concerned with keeping her job although we pointed out that by forcing prayer on the children the law of the land was being broken. To be quite frank, this was the first I had heard about the common practice of prayer in public schools in the South and I was put back by it. The bigger problem we had with what was going on was that a little boy, Muslim, I believe, was being singled out for not participating. To me that was cruel. The teacher could have at least explained to him that all he had to do was be quiet and respectful while everyone else prayed. Instead he was badgered. Try explaining all of this to a 7 year old.