Orlando Shooting

City wide prayer vigil was held in Orlando, Florida, in support of an incident that resulted in the death of 49 people and the wounding of 50 people.  The shooter, who was of Islamic faith, targeted a gay nightclub and according to sources the shooter had the intent to harm or kill people associated with the LGBTQ community.  The shooter was armed with an assault rifle and he targeted a gay nightclub.  Many faith based leaders and especially Christian leaders rallied around the Orlando community asking that the nation show love and support for the gay and Muslim communities.

How Offended Are We

If folks are so offended by God in any form and are opposed to prayer let us see if their disgust levels are high enough to encourage them to stop using this...

 

Voice of the People

The Christian Perspective 

My Neighbor  - Buddhism

I had an opportunity to interview a Caucasian couple that practices Buddhism. This couple had one child who attended public school for his high school years. During this interview the discussion was focused on how the couple felt about bringing prayer back to the schools. The couple was not familiar with the law that was passed about taking prayer out of the schools. I explained the history of how and why prayer was remove from public schools. Once the history was explained the couple was reluctant to voice their opinion about the topic we were discussing. After a while the couple agreed that prayer should be reinstated in the schools. The couple felt that it is needed to put prayer back into public schools.

My Resident - Islam

Another opportunity I had was to interview a single mom with three children, who practice Islam faith.  When the question of what she thought about reinstating prayer back in the school. The single mother agreed that there should be a moment of silence for prayer in schools, because that mean anyone could prayer to their own higher begin or who they believe in. She also suggested that prayer could help the children stay focused better.  She made a remark that every child needs to have a sense of faith to believe in.  These were some of her reason why prayer should be reinstated.

One in the Same

Prayer is a way a person communicates with a high being in which they believe in. When reviewing these prayers from various religions, it seems like we, as American people are more like when it come to faith.  The language might be different but the message is the same. People   have the right to believe in any higher being but one thing remains the same  ,we  all  have  faith  in a powerful  focus. Please take the time to read each prayer.  

Buddhism  - The Refuge Prayer

Buddham  saranam gacchami

I go to the Buddha for refuge.

Dhammam saranam gacchami

I go to the  Dhamma for refuge

Sangham saranam gacchami

I go to the Sangha for refuge.

Christianity – The Lord’s Prayer

Origin: The gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed by thy name,

Thy kingdom comes,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven

Given is day our daily bread 

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

And the power and the glory,

For ever and ever

Amen

Islam – The Fatiha

Origin:  The opening words of the Qur’an

In the name of Allah, Most gracious, Most merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustaner of the Worlds

Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Master of the Day of Judgment

Thee do we worship, and  Thine aide as seek

Show us the straight way

The way of those on whom Thou has bestowed thy Grace, those whose Portion Is not wrath, and who do not go astray

Hinduism – The  Gayatri Mantra

Origin: The Vedas

Oh Creator of  the  Universe , may  we receive thy supreme sin – destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

Judaism – The  Shema

Origin: The book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 6

Hear, Israel, the  Lord  is our  God  , the  Lord  is One.

Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom for ever and ever 

And you shall love the  Lord  your  God  with  your heart and  with  all  your  soul  and  with  all  your  might. And these words that I command you Today shall be in your  heart.

And you shall  teach them diligently to your children, and  shall speak of them  when you sit at home, and  when  you  walk  along the  way and  when  you lie  down and  when you rise up. And  you shall  bind  them  as a sign on your  hand , ad  they shall be  for  frontlets between  yours eyes. And you shall write  them  on the  doorposts of your house and  on  your gates

So What's The Big Deal: Social Issues Behind the Push For Prayer

Removing prayer from schools began in the early 1960s with a Supreme Court ruling. Madalyn Murray-O'hair, an atheist, was one of the persistent people in support of this removal of prayer.
However, the case was a combination of cases brought by O'hair and a Unitarian family from Philadelphia. What's more interesting is that a ruling was taken into consideration by a woman who was deemed the most hated in America. For more information please see this article found on Americans United For Separation of Church and State.

The Push For Prayer in schools has been at the forefront of many debates. Having students pray within their respective schools has been a controversial topic for many people across the United States. With the 50th anniversary of the removal of prayer from schools in 1962 occurring, the topic has come up as to whether or not there is a need to return to having prayer happen in the school systems and any other public place.

Many believe that since 1962's call to remove prayer, the public schools quality of education has been on the continued decline. There has also been an overall increase in violent crime, divorce rates have increased tremendously and even births to single mothers have been on the steady rise.

Below we see supporters rallying to have prayer back, particularly in our schools, supporting the Georgia House Bill 816 while also addressing the negative impacts removing prayer has had.

The "Great Debate" has fueled quite a few social media and social movements that are rallying around prayer in schools. The Reset Movement (@JesusisTheReset #JesusistheReset) rallies around prayer focused on Jesus Christ alone. There are also two other movements, 24-7 Prayer (@247Prayer) and Multicultural Prayer Movement that draws on the beauty of interdenominational linking to have prayer across all faiths. 

The bottom line is that prayer has a positive impact on every aspect of life. When tragedy strikes, people resort to prayer, When people are in need they ask for prayer. People who do not identify with any particular faith tend to ask for guidance from others they know follow a higher being. Prayer is positive. No matter your affiliation prayer is involved in some form or fashion. Just look at how people of varying faith and association came together around Orlando...

 

Case Law     

 Schempp v. Abington Township School District

Over 50 years ago there were several case laws that sealed the decision to not allow prayer in public schools, and this only leads me to believe that the United States government did not find value in prayer for it's students. 

Schempp v. Abington Township School District- This was a legal case that decided in favor of Edward Schempp.  Schempp did not believe his child should be forced to participate in school organized prayer.  During this time, children enrolled in Pennsylvania public schools were required to read 10 bible readings in class and recite the Lord's prayer once a day. Edward Schempp was not in agreement with this practice with regards to his own child, so the United States Supreme court ruled on June 17^th 1963, in an 8-1 decision that legally, mandated bible reading or prayer in public school was unconstitutional.  

Engel v. Vitale

In 1962 Engel v. Vitale set a precedent for all other cases regarding the use of pray in public schools.  A group of parents, which included Steven Engel objected to the mandatory prayer that was occurring in New York City public schools.  The issue of school sponsored non-denominational prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making any law respecting an establishment of religion.  This clause not only prohibits the government from establishing an official religion, but it also prohibit the government  from favoring one religion over another.  Also, this clause prohibits the government  from favoring religion over non-religion or non-religion over religion.         

http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/facts-and-case-summary-engel-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abington_School_District_v._Schempp

http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/establishment_clause

Fired For Faith

Trending in Washington State... Bremerton High's Coach Kennedy was simply sharing with his team one very important thing that has gotten him through some trying times. After every game, Coach would offer a prayer that his team could join in on just as a symbol of thanks and gratitude not as a way to influence the students one way or other. Kennedy had many struggles growing up in foster care and he shares that prayer was one of the things that helped him to carry on another day.

Kennedy has a heart for his players and he simply wants to bring an integral piece of who he his to the field. Prayer has sustained him in many ways. It allowed life to "make sense" for him and he is showing to his team. He uses prayer as a way to motivate,        encourage and mentor to his players not to persuade them to believe what he believes.     Prayer is simply a token of appreciation.

   To read the story check out the article written on Christian Headlines.