I think unwanted prayer is sinful. Forcing someone to pray, when they don’t want to, disrespects that person’s personal boundaries.
Especially under the guise of doing the Lord’s work. It is controlling and manipulative. And far from heart felt.
Even when I was younger and in my most religious phase, I never liked pushy religious types forcing prayer on me or others. It never sat right in my spirit. And felt even worse when I forced prayers on others who did not want it.
With that said, if a student truly wants prayer because they are hurting, prayer should be allowed amongst the students. Amongst those they are comfotable with and trust, and just them. And it should be sugfested that this child talk with an educated school counselor privately because they are obviously in emotional distress
If a teacher wants prayer, leave the kids out of it. Go to your coworkera. Don’t force children to deal with adult issues even in prayer.
Most parents do not engage teachers enough to know or trust the spiritual nature of the teacher or if that nature aligns with their own values. Ao they should stay out of it…
A private personal prayer should not be broadcast out, made public to invite the whole class to participate in when children make a habit of using private personal information to hurt each other.
A teacher should not be alone with a student in a closed off space to do a private prayer with a student, for obvious reasons. It does not look right and you have no idea if that teacher is a predator.
Prayer should not be treated as a political talking point. Especially when most if not all politicians need to get down on their knees and pray for their own sins, and their own need for forgiveness.
So should schools lead prayers?
If it is a Catholic school, yes. A Christian school, yes. A place where teachers are vetted and aligned with the principles of the school, yes. Where the children are inserted by families who share the values of the school, yes. Then it should be expected for public non invasive non personal prayers to occur led by administrators of the cloth.
Public schools where none of this has been taken seriously let alone ensured? Abaolutely not. If you can’t take the time to do it right, take it seriously, or protect the boundaries of the children, you don’t have any right to do it and you aren’t serving or respecting God by trying to enforce it.
If Christians truly want to serve Jesus in school setttings, do things that encourage better mental health instead. Make it easier to have counseling sessions. Teach kids how to cope eith emotional distress, and how to solve conflicts nonviolently.
Teach virtue- integrety, honesty, wisdim, how to think for themslves, finding joy in the little things, sarisfaction through completing goals, fulfillment and happiness through connection with family and community and spending time away from the phones, tvs, and computers.
Teach them how to form bonds with others, and each other, how to build trust and not to take it for granted or to trust too easily those who will take advantage.
Teach them how to respect each other and why that is important in order to be a good member of society.
These are useful things that will serve God becauae they nourish and strengthen your children to do good in this world and succeed.
