> > People are alowed to pray in school, schools just arn't allowed to force people to pray.
>
> Think again. In at least some states -- possibly all, but I'm not sure -- you can't pray, period. I did anyway, and fortunately I went to schools where it was not made a big deal. But, then, I tend to pray inconspicuously anyway, so who knows.
>
> Obviously forced prayer is wrong, but even going so far as to remove optional school sponsored prayer was, I firmly believe, going too far. Regardless, it is clear that ruling against prayer under any circumstances is not only wrong but no business of the people who made and enforce those rules.

Last summer, I attended an early college program at Ricks College, a school organized and ran by the LDS Church (Mormons). One of the most memorable and cherished things there were the prayers before class, and although a good percentage of the people were Mormon, not everyone was. These prayers, whether the participaters believed in God or not, gave us a sense of unity and it seemed to help the class run smoother.

Similarly, I am in a lot of plays in my high school drama program. Before each performance, believers and non-believers alike stand in a circle and offer up a prayer to God. We choose to do this (this is, after all, Utah, and as long as the teachers don't join in, students are allowed to pray. At least, that is what we do.) These prayers help not only in calming our own fears, but they are a peaceful reminder of what's really important in life. Like my sister Ticia said, it's not what people do to me...it's what I do to people that counts. Prayer, for me, is not only a way I can offer my thanks to my God, it is a way to remind me that I am not better than others, that I am here to serve my fellow beings. It seems to me that optional prayer in school does more good than it does bad.

Mia