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→Query: A lesson on Christianity for atheists.
What I am trying to point out is that if there are other avenues (like I stated above with lunchtime bible study (or Koran study even?), school chapel etc) then there is not a need for any classroom prayer of any kind.
What I am trying to point out is that if there are other avenues (like I stated above with lunchtime bible study (or Koran study even?), school chapel etc) then there is not a need for any classroom prayer of any kind.
[[User:MetcalfeM|MetcalfeM]] 17:41, 4 March 2008 (EST)
[[User:MetcalfeM|MetcalfeM]] 17:41, 4 March 2008 (EST)
:: The problem, I believe, is that atheists (etc.) have all sorts of incorrect ideas about Christianity, because they view it through the glasses of atheism. That is, they reject that God exists, so they see Christianity (and other religions) as merely something in one's mind, not something that is related to reality. I'll illustrate with a common example. Christians believe that God exists and is concerned about us and helps us in all sorts of ways, including comforting us in difficult times. Of course, we have to believe in Him if we want His help. Atheists don't believe that God exists, so when they see us being comforted in difficult times, they ascribe that comfort not to God, but to ''belief in'' God. That is, they consider ''the belief itself'' to be helpful (even if as a crutch). Similar would apply to prayer: they would see prayer as a type of ritual that Christians engage in, rather than actually ''talking to God''. As a ritual, it could be performed at any time, such as keeping it until after class. But as ''talking to God'', it's in principle no different to ''talking to the teacher''. Sure, there are times during class that you should not talk to the teacher, but neither is the school going to have a blanket ban a student from talking to the teacher during class, saying that all such talk should be outside of class time. Some should be (e.g. conversation that's not on the class subject), but other conversations are appropriate ''during class time''. The same applies to prayer. A prayer thanking God for helping your sporting hero do so well last week and asking that he be fit and well for next week's match is not appropriate in class. But asking God to help the student(s) concentrate on the subject and understand what the teacher is saying ''is entirely appropriate'' in class. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:55, 4 March 2008 (EST)
: As a veteran teacher of teenagers for nearly six years, Metcalfe, I can assure you that classroom prayer is ''immensely'' helpful to learning and behavior. Moreover, nearly all the great minds drew upon [[prayer]] and the [[Bible]] for their ''intellectual'' insights. So your statement that "there is not a need for any classroom prayer of any kind" is a bit like saying "there is not a need for a textbook or a teacher, or for water in a desert." There most certainly is a need for it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 17:50, 4 March 2008 (EST)
: As a veteran teacher of teenagers for nearly six years, Metcalfe, I can assure you that classroom prayer is ''immensely'' helpful to learning and behavior. Moreover, nearly all the great minds drew upon [[prayer]] and the [[Bible]] for their ''intellectual'' insights. So your statement that "there is not a need for any classroom prayer of any kind" is a bit like saying "there is not a need for a textbook or a teacher, or for water in a desert." There most certainly is a need for it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 17:50, 4 March 2008 (EST)