Friday, February 25, 2005

Prayer in School Part 3: "What we should do"

Simply put, the answer to how Christians can "put prayer back in school" is to just do it! There are no laws barring prayer in school. There'd be no way to enforce them if there were. No one can stop a person, Christian or otherwise, from praying. The only beef the law has with prayer is whether the state can mandate it ... and that answer is NO!

So, why aren't Christians satisfied with this? Because, the fight over prayer in school is a comfortable alternative to true spirituality. How many times has a passel of parents shown up at the school board meeting demanding a prayer before the football game. How many times have they shown up early to the game and pray in the parking lot instead? They don't. If you want to join other believers in prayer before the game, it's not illegal. The laws only have a problem with it when those who do not choose to pray are obligated to.

Why do we cling so dearly to this prayer at the beginning of the game or school-day anyway? Is it sacred or called for scripturally? No. Is it honestly our belief that somehow we might convert someone to a truthful, saving knowledge of our Creator by exposing them to our prayers? I certainly hope not. Prayer is a communication between the believer and God, not an evangelistic tool. If we were serious about leading people to God, we'd spend a lot less time trying to coerce them into praying and a lot more in private prayer for them.

Let me be clear here about my beliefs. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior. His sacrifice on the cross served my penalty for falling short in the eyes of God, and His resurrection was the proof that He had the power to do that. My belief compels me to be a witness of this truth to the world around me. I see mandating prayer in school as an abdication of this responsibility and on those grounds I must oppose it.