Youth Opinion : School Prayer: ‘Everyone Could Do Their Own’

The Republican majority in Congress has renewed the call to restore prayer in public schools. Organized prayer is prohibited, although many school districts allow students to have religious clubs and prayer groups as extracurricular activities. We asked Southern California students if they prayed that day at school and whether they felt school prayer should be more formal.

LEAH CHER WALKER

15, sophomore, Hamilton Music Academy, Los Angeles

Usually, I pray before tests. So usually that’s every day. It makes a lot of difference. I know that studying helps, but prayer before tests gives you a little hope, and makes you straight and focused. It gives you a little encouragement.

I don’t fold my hands or bow my head. I will close my eyes, sit still a minute. If people are trying to talk to me, I tell them to wait. It’s not like I talk out loud, I talk in my head.

My family prays together. We are strong Christians. I go to a school that is multiracial, multiethnic. There are Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, Jewish people. I don’t think they should single (school prayer) out as a Christian prayer. But if it were a moment of silence, everyone could do their own sense of prayer.

VICTOR GONZALEZ

18, senior, Santa Ana High School

School prayer has nothing to do with education. They don’t teach religion here, and it will conflict with other subjects. It will discriminate against people. What religion will it be mandatory to pray to? Are we going to have to pray on our own time? It will just take up our time to learn.

I haven’t really heard it discussed at our school. It’s more of an issue back East. Here, there’s a diversity of religions.

It would be great to see everyone express their religion. But school time is not the appropriate time. If someone is forcing them into something, they’re not going to do it. It won’t change anyone’s attitude.

JACQUELINE RODRIGUEZ

17, senior, Santa Ana High School

Sometimes I have prayed in school, but to myself. I’m involved in sports. Sometimes before a big race, I pray for God to give me strength to finish. I’m Roman Catholic and pray at home.

I think the problems in schools come from the atmosphere students are living in, like living on the street or gangs. But if you’re praying in school, that might bring other problems up. Cliques would start, with Catholics on one side and others on another. That would separate students with other beliefs from their friends because they don’t think the same way.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY

16, sophomore, Granada Hills High School

I did pray today. It’s one of those things I just never really think about. I just do it. There was a fight this morning that kind of prompted me.

Before prayer was taken out, the problems in the school systems were very minimal like chewing gum, talking out of turn. Violence and many things in the negative aspect of life have risen drastically since prayer and Bible reading were taken out of schools.

America broke off from Great Britain not only (because of) the Parliament, but for religious freedom. The Bible was a cornerstone for American liberty. It was the one (book) that everybody learned from. I think the Bible can be pretty much mixed in with all aspects of education.