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Poll: Should Prayer Be Allowed at Graduation?

We're looking for your opinion after a lawsuit was filed following a prayer at a Columbia-area high school.

Last week's lawsuit by an senior against the school district for a prayer at graduation has stirred up a lot of debate.

, and we thought it was time to ask you for your opinion.

So vote in the poll and tell us below whether you think prayer is appropriate in a public school setting or at graduation.

RyanH June 6, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Wow, I suggest you read the Constitution, specifically Amendment I.
Lindsay Street (Editor) June 6, 2012 at 12:16 pm
How would those responding on this thread feel if the prayer was a Muslim prayer? Or if it opened with the Sh'ma?
Would this be better or worse?
RyanH June 6, 2012 at 12:18 pm
There's an easy way to solve this. Let the valedictorian lead a prayer in the religion (or absence thereof) of his or her choosing. At a school as diverse as Irmo, there is bound to be a Muslim, Hindu, Jew, or atheist named valedictorian at least every 3-4 years. I wonder how many Christian attendees and their families would go ballistic the first time a Muslim instructed them to bow their heads--or better yet, kneel--as s/he chanted a prayer in Arabic? I'm betting all of them.
Turning the tables is the easiest way to expose the hypocrisy of people who think a Christian prayer in a public school is "harmless" or is a "right" because the majority says it is.
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Little doubt that would lead to violence against the minority. Majority rules, right Ginger Rogers? I somehow don't think many would put in ear plugs and look away...
Sami June 6, 2012 at 12:29 pm
It was the "student" that said the prayer NOT an employee of the district. Is that not 'freedom of speech'?
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 12:39 pm
@Sami, the school knew about and scheduled the prayer.
Now, the student body DID vote on having the prayer. Then it gets into whether you think the 1st and 14th amendment of the constitution protects a person FROM religion. The supreme court has consistently said yes they do for the last 50 years or so.
Ginger Rogers June 6, 2012 at 12:50 pm
The students at Irmo voted on this. The majority did rule in this case. The student who said they prayer did not make, convert or try to convert anyone's religion, beliefs, etc.
Ginger Rogers June 6, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Hera, the students at Irmo voted on this prior to the graduation. JoSCh is right and it is a 1st and 14th Amendment issue.
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 12:59 pm
What is up with this "Crusade, this Jihad, this religious WAR against American Freedom? Don't you believe in America? The 14th amendment provides equal protection for all citizens, especially the minority. The first amendment provides freedom of religion and freedom FROM state sponsored religion. The supreme court has ruled on this and were in favor of America for the last 50 years, why aren't you?
loriz June 6, 2012 at 01:01 pm
yes absolutely there should be prayer!
Barry Davis June 6, 2012 at 01:02 pm
America was founded on Christian ideology. Democracy has in roots in Christian beliefs. To deny our heritage and turn our back on our faith is a sure road to demise.. In all of my years in public schools I never saw anyone punished or criticized for failing to participate in a prayer. To deny us a right to publicly acknowledge our faith and our beliefs is a modern day political position. We have never denied those who wish not to participate that right, why deny us our god given rights.
par5
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 01:08 pm
Democracy has it's roots in Christian beliefs? Do you not believe that the Greeks existed in the 7th century BC?
Your heritage was sustenance farming and hunting only a few hundred years ago. Get off the internet, it's a sure road to demise.
Stephanie June 6, 2012 at 01:30 pm
I've been to MANY graduations in my time and never was asked to pray. The ceremonies were beautiful and dignified and went off without a single complaint that I ever heard. Prayer is for religious ceremonies and private moments.
TCWash June 6, 2012 at 01:30 pm
The only people I know that are screaming about prayer in school are Chrisitans. All these dumba**es that want prayer in school,
Think on this. I know Wiccans. Druids, Buddists, Muslims and even one SATANIST that teaches in the public schools. these people have a right to their beliefs but I do not want them leading MY children in prayer. And if we had prayer in school, they would have a right to do so. The second reason NOT TO HAVE PUBLIC PRAYER?!? In the "Sermon on the Mount" Jesus is asked, "how should we pray?" PLEASE NOTE Jesus does not tell them how to pray first, he gives them a warning, Let us turn to Matt. Chapter 6: 5 thru 8 “ 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. As a Bible believing Christian who can READ and wants to live as much like JESUS as I can, if I need to pray in public, i do it quietly and to myself... so as not to be thought a hypocrite or a (re)publican by God.
Stephanie June 6, 2012 at 01:35 pm
Well said Cookie! That's precisely what I was thinking
TCWash June 6, 2012 at 01:38 pm
Barry, JESUS does not want you to pray in school. Read the Bible, MAtt Ch 6!!!
Are you going to say Christ was unclear about what he wanted us to do?!?
John H June 6, 2012 at 02:04 pm
I attended several graduations this season and all of them opened with a prayer to a Christian God. We all just sat there, didn’t think a thing about it. I can’t recall one word that was said during the invocation. If the graduation was opened with the Sh’ma followed up by the pledge of allegiance spoken in Parsi, there would have been a huge public outcry followed by an aftermath of legal action against the school leaders. I probably would be on board with that because the contrast was so evident.
stanley seigler June 6, 2012 at 02:33 pm
it would be great to have gov haley give the invocation at CofC, USC, clemson,wherever, with a sikh prayer and the benediction by franklin graham...
alice bea June 6, 2012 at 02:34 pm
students put up with alot at school and they hardly get to make any decisions letting them vote on it is allowing them to be a part of the graduation process
alice bea June 6, 2012 at 02:40 pm
cookie have you ever heard of where two or three are gathered in my name there i am also
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 02:55 pm
Most of us call that place "church."
SaltyDawg June 6, 2012 at 02:55 pm
Should they be free to chose whether to graduate with students of another race? Should they vote on whether gay kids should be banned to another ceremony?
The majority don't get the authority to violate the rights of minorities. Sorry, you fail at understanding constitutional rights.
JoSCh June 6, 2012 at 02:56 pm
The guy who is suing the school district says he felt he was excluded from the graduation process. Keep up Alice. Before you say "majority rule" allow me to remind you of the 14th amendment.
TCWash June 6, 2012 at 03:06 pm
Yes I have, but the scripture does not say, hold people and force them to listen to a prayer that they do not agree with. That is Sharia law. And if you want that, in America, then let's bring in all the rest of the things that go with having a theoractic government.
stanley seigler June 6, 2012 at 03:15 pm
@cookie washington: "...when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray..."
would be interesting to hear this explained by one who advocates prayer in schools...especially one who interprets the Bible literally... BTW organized religions did/do much to destroy the tenets of Christianity and religions in general...ie, love thy neighbor as thyself...do unto others... the crusades, the inquisition, pogroms, salem witch trials, prayer in schools, gay marriage, etcetc... OK so prayer in schools not on par with the inquisition...but if tenets of most religions were followed there would be no dissension over prayer in schools or on gay marriages...ie, Christians would realize how they would feel if haley gave a Sikh prayer at their graduation...
stanley seigler June 6, 2012 at 04:27 pm
@Glenn Pound: "...We are a Christian nation...you are welcome to move to a non-Christian country!!!"
oh/my the old N-word 'go back to africa 'argument...it's still around...tho it adds nothing to any discussion. 'we are a christian nation...in words only. NOT in deeds...'all hat and no cattle,' as they say in TX...we are hypocrites...who support failed, un-christian, greed is good, principles of the 1%-ers...
Larry Boales June 6, 2012 at 04:37 pm
Ginger Rogers
The ACLU stands for the opposite of what you believe it does. It was set up and continues to to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. While the go into court to oppose the government sponsorship of religion (such as placing a cross above everyone's tombstone in a public cemetery) they also go into court to oppose governments infringement on the freedom of religion (such as defending a Christian's right to have a cross on their own tombstone). They have a long history of defending groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example.
stanley seigler June 6, 2012 at 04:42 pm
@JohnH: "...It was all in good jest. Fell kind of flat. South Bahston. That's a good one."
it was taken in jest, and gave me the opportunity to run off at the mouth... the south bahston line would be good if i could switch accents... also use i'm from south america...
stanley seigler June 6, 2012 at 05:39 pm
@alice bea: "...where two or three are gathered in my name there i am also..."
this has nothing to do with Jesus' instruction re prayer...but maybe a good lesson here (matthew)...eg; 'Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to sin, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.' feel sure those who take the Bible literally will follow this instruction...the muslims (at least in saudi) do cut off the hand of a thief...
Chris Winston (Editor) June 11, 2012 at 11:44 pm
More students have joined the lawsuit: http://patch.com/A-tZJr

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