Generally, it's unconstitutional if the school sponsors or encourages it, but if the students do it by themselves, it's OK. This has been applied to in-school prayer groups, prayer before football games, etc.
Part of the reason is that by initiating such activities, the school is more or less implying that they are "right". Part of the problem, which is actually a more important issue to me, is that having the school handbook say that kids can refuse to participate isn't the same as them not being treated differently if they don't. Again, I'm speaking from experience. Just to clarify my position, I have nothing agains voluntary prayer in schools, so long as it's student-initiated and led. In fact, in high school, I used to go to a friend's prayer group during lunch, just because it was a quiet and peaceful place to sit and eat and read or think. --Ben. G wrote: > So here's a question: If requiring the recitation of the pledge in it's > current form in a public school is unconstitutional, is the OPTIONAL > recitation of that same pledge also unconstitutional? > > It was always my understanding that I could refuse to recite the pledge > without any punishment. Is this ok? Or is the fact that the rest of my class > is probably going to recite it...coercive? > > >>I agree, but the judge didn't have that option. :-( >> >>I'm glad he ruled the way he did, though. I caught a lot of crap in >>high school for not saying the "under God" bit, since I was agnostic at >>the time. >> >>--Ben >> >> >> > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Find out how CFTicket can increase your company's customer support efficiency by 100% http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=49 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:174167 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
