The law does not require
or suggest that students publicly pray or express any religious
viewpoint, but it protects students if they do. While school
officials, teachers and coaches (while at school, on school time, or
in any way acting in their official capacities) are constitutionally
prohibited from requiring or suggesting to students that they pray
to open football games, the beginning of the school day or other
school events, student speakers have the constitutional right to
chose to do so. Also, parents, pastors, fellow students and any
others who are not school officials, employees, teachers or
coaches have the constitutional right to encourage student
speakers to publicly pray to honor God and ask Him to bless their
schools, students, teachers, and those in attendance at various
school events.
Football Games and Beginning of the School Day:
The new law has a model policy that is recommended for school
districts to adopt. Every Texas school district must adopt a
written policy that complies with the new law before school begins.
Under the model policy, a student leader will publicly introduce (1)
the beginning of each football game, (2) the opening announcements
and greetings for the school day, and (3) any other events
designated by the school district. The eligible student leaders who
will be giving these introductions are (1) Student Council Officers,
(2) Class Officers of the highest grade level in the school, (3)
Captains of the football team, and (4) any other category of
student leaders whose selection is based on neutral criteria as may
be designated by the school district. The speakers will rotate in
order throughout the year as occasions arise. The policy is
designed so that it will be a great honor to be a student-speaker
for school events. Any student who is notified that they are
eligible to be a student speaker for the year should immediately
accept the invitation without hesitation for it will be an immense
honor and opportunity.
Student speakers should
draft their remarks so that their introductions of school events are
“related to the purpose of the event and to the purpose of marking
the opening of the event, honoring the occasion, the participants,
and those in attendance, bringing the audience to order, and
focusing the audience on the purpose of the event.” This may
include a prayer as long as the subjects of the prayer are subjects
upon which the student is permitted to speak (i.e. “related to the
purpose of the event and to the purpose of marking the opening of
the event, honoring the occasion, the participants, and those in
attendance, bringing the audience to order, and focusing the
audience on the purpose of the event”). As a simple example, since
safety and good sportsmanship are directly related to the purpose of
athletic events as well as honoring the events, the participants and
those in attendance, one student might open the event by saying
something like “Let us have a safe game tonight, may no one get
injured, may everyone play fair….” (a secular, non-religious
viewpoint on the topics of safety and sportsmanship) while another
student might open with a religious-viewpoint (prayer) saying
something like “God, let us have a safe game tonight, and please
protect us all from injury; And please provide us with an atmosphere
of respect for each other, sportsmanship, and fair play; We ask your
blessing on this event, on all those in attendance, on our schools,
and on our students…., in Jesus name, Amen” (a religious viewpoint
on the topic of safety and sportsmanship), and the school must treat
both expressions with equality. A student will not get in
trouble for choosing to publicly pray.
Prayer is the expression
of a “religious viewpoint” on the subjects the prayer mentions. If
a student expresses a prayer as an introduction of a school event,
the new law requires the school to treat the religious expression
the same as a non-religious expression on the same topic and the
school “may not discriminate against the student based on a
religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise
permissible subject.”
For many years, students
have been reluctant to stand up and express their faith in public
schools for fear of being disciplined. Students should no longer
have such fear. Schools are not religion-free zones; school
officials are not prayer police; and students of faith are not
enemies of the state. The new law makes this clear
Graduation Ceremonies:
The new law also covers
graduation ceremonies. Under the model policy, a student speaker
will open and a student speaker will close graduation ceremonies.
Each student may do so with a prayer. Throughout the history of
graduation ceremonies, prayer has traditionally been the means of
opening and closing graduations. A student must be sure that their
prayer is “related to the purpose of the graduation ceremony and to
the purpose of marking the opening and closing of the event,
honoring the occasion, the participants, and those in attendance,
bringing the audience to order, and focusing the audience on the
purpose of the event.” If a student expresses a prayer to open or
close a graduation ceremony, the new law requires the school to
treat the religious expression the same as a non-religious
expression on the same topic and “may not discriminate against the
student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on
an otherwise permissible subject.”
Student speakers such as
valedictorians who will make graduation speeches will be free to
share and discuss their faith when such expressions are on the
subjects upon which they are permitted to speak: “The subject of
the addresses must be related to the purpose of the graduation
ceremony, marking and honoring the occasion, honoring the
participants and those in attendance, and the student's perspective
on purpose, achievement, life, school, graduation, and looking
forward to the future.” The schools must treat such speeches the
same as those expressing secular and other viewpoints on the same
subjects and “may not discriminate against the student based on a
religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise
permissible subject.
If You Chose to Pray:
What a privilege it is
to have the freedom to publicly pray in America when such an act
would be illegal in many other countries.
If you chose to say a
prayer, realize that this is your individual prayer and not
the school’s prayer. Prior to 1962, prayers led by schools were
common. But in 1962 the Supreme Court held that government
prayers in public schools are unconstitutional. On the other hand,
individual voluntary prayers by students--even if publicly
stated--have never been held to be unconstitutional. You, as a
student, are therefore speaking for yourself, and your prayer is
your own individual expression (not that of the school district’s).
You are not “leading”
the audience in prayer. Therefore, do not say “Will you please join
me in prayer” or “Let us pray” or “Let us all join together in
prayer.” No one should feel compelled to join in with your prayer.
You could say, however, “I have selected to open our game (or school
day, or event) with prayer.” And you could add, “For those of you
who would like to join me, I invite you to do so.” Or you need not
give any introduction to your prayer but just say it when you step
to the microphone.
With regard to all school events mentioned herein, a Christian
student may always end his or her prayer “in Jesus’ name,
Amen”—there is nothing unconstitutional about using the name of
“Jesus,” and Christians should never be afraid to humbly use the
name as Biblically directed.
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ŠKC94-07
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Why end a prayer "in Jesus' name, Amen"? Not every American
student is Christian, so, not all will end a prayer “in
Jesus’ name.” But why do Christians?
The phrase, "in Jesus’
name," is not a tag line intended to proselytize or to
offend Jews, Moslems, atheists, or others but is said to
comply with a basic tenant of the Christian faith:
John 16:24,26:
[Jesus said,] "Until now you have asked for nothing in My
name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy
may be made full....In that day you will ask in My name...."
John 14:13,14: [Jesus said,] "And whatever you ask
in My name that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name,
I will do it." John 15:16: [Jesus said,] "... so
that whatever you ask of the Father in My name,
He may give it to you." Colossians 3:17: "And
whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the
Father." Acts 3:6: "I do not possess silver and
gold, but what I do have, I give to you: "In the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" Acts 4:12:
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men
by which we must be saved." John 12:32: [Jesus
said,] "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to
myself."
For someone to attempt to prohibit or discourage a
Christian from ending a prayer “in Jesus’ name” would not
only cause the person to violate his or her conscience but
would cause the individual to violate a basic commandment of
his or her faith.
If someone prays in the name of "Jesus" and the listener
is a non-adherent to that name, the listener may believe
that the person has prayed to nothing. How can one
logically be offended if they believe someone has spoken to
the air? There are many children who believe in Santa Claus
and tell others of their faith in and their petitions to
him. Does this offend anyone? A reasoned reaction might be
amusement, but not insult. The same should be true
concerning religious expressions. Another's prayer should
offend no one any more than a child's heart-felt
proclamation of "Santa Claus is coming to town." A sincere
prayer is not intended to offend anyone but rather to honor
God and seek protection and blessing for believers and
non-believers alike. The idea of a person being offended by
the expression of another's sincere prayer “in Jesus’ name”
may simply be a euphemism for intolerance.
