North Carolina Students Can Now Pray At School, Mention God In Assignments

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, has signed legislation that will explicitly allow students in public schools across the state to engage in voluntary student-led prayer.

The new law permits students to create religious clubs and coordinate prayer groups, reports North Carolina Fox affiliate WGHP.

The three-page law also allows students to pray by themselves or in groups — aloud or silently — in exactly the same way they can discuss or think silently about any other issue.

Additionally, students will be able to communicate their religious beliefs in written assignments and artwork under the new law without fear of censorship from teachers or school officials.

The legislation does set limits on prayer and God talk at taxpayer-funded schools. Religious students won’t be able to interrupt other students who are trying to learn, for example. They also can’t harass nonreligious students.

The law, which takes effect immediately, sailed through North Carolina’s House and Senate chambers with overwhelming support. In the Senate, the vote was 48-1. In the lower chamber, it was 106-9.

Advocates for religious freedom are happy with the outcome. They are also calling for laws allowing voluntary student-led prayer across the country.

“The North Carolina bill is the kind of legislation that is needed in every state,” said Bill Donohue, who heads the Catholic League, in a press release. “To that end, we are contacting the governors in the other 49 states asking them to adopt the North Carolina law as a model in their own state. We are also sending them a copy of the law that Governor McCrory signed.”

North Carolina Students Can Now Pray At School, Mention God In Assignments

I hope my state does not pass this.

I totally do not understand why religious conservatives insist on trying to shove religion into public schools. Why is it so important that they have to make their beliefs known to everyone in every second of their lives? There's a reason that religion and state are separated. Kids have always been allowed prayer groups outside of class and being allowed to talk to each other about religion, that falls under freedom of religion. But putting it into assignments when it's not part of the assignment is bad precedent. I hope every science teacher who gets that in an assignment gives the kids a bit fat F. It's a problem for kids coming into college. I used to teach college level bio, my best friend is a physicist at a major uni in NC, and while she doesn't have these issues in her class because religion and physics don't have disagreements, her friend who teaches geology always has major fights with young earth creationists. When I taught bio I would preface my class with "This is a science class and we only teach and talk science. If you want to talk about religion and evolution, the place to do that is in your religion class or anyplace other than this class. I expect you to write your papers and give answers on tests based on the material I teach here, and leave religion out of it." That NEVER needed to happen when I was in college, and I went to a religious university to boot. I have no idea why the US is devolving in this sense, it's seriously putting us behind other countries in understanding how science works.

Eater of Worlds said:

I totally do not understand why religious conservatives insist on trying to shove religion into public schools. Why is it so important that they have to make their beliefs known to everyone in every second of their lives? There's a reason that religion and state are separated. Kids have always been allowed prayer groups outside of class and being allowed to talk to each other about religion, that falls under freedom of religion. But putting it into assignments when it's not part of the assignment is bad precedent. I hope every science teacher who gets that in an assignment gives the kids a bit fat F. It's a problem for kids coming into college. I used to teach college level bio, my best friend is a physicist at a major uni in NC, and while she doesn't have these issues in her class because religion and physics don't have disagreements, her friend who teaches geology always has major fights with young earth creationists. When I taught bio I would preface my class with "This is a science class and we only teach and talk science. If you want to talk about religion and evolution, the place to do that is in your religion class or anyplace other than this class. I expect you to write your papers and give answers on tests based on the material I teach here, and leave religion out of it." That NEVER needed to happen when I was in college, and I went to a religious university to boot. I have no idea why the US is devolving in this sense, it's seriously putting us behind other countries in understanding how science works.

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Let me ask you something, Is the big bang taught as theory or fact?

NC is strong religious state like many southern states, in Alabama, you can create religious clubs in my state and less PC for students who drawing a picture based on religious and praying on school ground during before class and recess or break time.

I'm really don't care and religious students aren't threaten to our society, and pretty harmless.

It isn't same as mandatory praying at school in 1950s and 1960s.

First Amendment protects religious freedom.

Foxrac said:

It isn't same as mandatory praying at school in 1950s and 1960s.

First Amendment protects religious freedom.

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Yeah ,but this could be the first step to try and bring that back to public schools.

whatdidyousay! said:

Yeah ,but this could be the first step to try and bring that back to public schools.

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No, today, school praying is voluntary and it is already exist in some schools in southern states.

Oh my God! What? I am not supposed to say that?

I really do not understand the unfiltered hatred and intolerance directed at people of faith. Some folks just need to grow up and realize that not everyone thinks and believes the same way they do.

Steinhauer said:

I really do not understand the unfiltered hatred and intolerance directed at people of faith. Some folks just need to grow up and realize that not everyone thinks and believes the same way they do.

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This why I feel this a bad idea , b/c there some many differences faiths not everyone workshop the same God . Every student should be able to talk about their faith and believe and there is only so much time for each class. The teachers will need to be unbiased and that is going to be hard to do.

whatdidyousay! said:

This why I feel this a bad idea , b/c there some many differences faiths not everyone workshop the same God . Every student should be able to talk about their faith and believe and there is only so much time for each class. The teachers will need to be unbiased and that is going to be hard to do.

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Nobody force your kid to praying at public school.

Foxrac said:

Nobody force your kid to praying at public school.

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That's right but still... praying in a classroom is proper? Why don't they pray while poo-poo instead? In Middle East, the students pray and learn nothing else. Right or wrong?

CrazyPaul said:

That's right but still... praying in a classroom is proper? Why don't they pray while poo-poo instead? In Middle East, the students pray and learn nothing else. Right or wrong?

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No, not during instructional/lecture but outside of class, free time, recess, lunch time in small groups.

Now we have different religions and I feel that they are going to start a religion war on us against our different faiths.

There is one thing I am wondering why they have to put prayers and religion in public schools instead of religion private schools? This is the way they want children to be in private school like Catholic private schools or Jewish private schools or any other religion they would prefer to chose for a child or children into the religion schools. But public schools, this is not the answer to that. The children came to learn about their subjects in order to get ready for college someday. They don't have time to think about religion in public schools. No religion in public schools. That is the separate between religion and state.

Foxrac said:

No, not during instructional/lecture but outside of class, free time, recess, lunch time in small groups.

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Oh, is that it? I am sure there are millions of students doing that in other schools anyway since the staff can't stop them from doing that out of the class. Same with colleges.

My point is if the student prays during lunch before eating, who stops him/her? Nobody! What is the point of this new law????? Oh, wait a minute... the law allows religious students to talk about religion in their daily homework... is that proper??

CrazyPaul said:

Oh, is that it? I am sure there are millions of students doing that in other schools anyway since the staff can't stop them from doing that out of the class. Same with colleges.

My point is if the student prays during lunch before eating, who stops him/her? Nobody! What is the point of this new law????? Oh, wait a minute... the law allows religious students to talk about religion in their daily homework... is that proper??

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The law give extra protection for students because most schools are PC and some teachers can call you to shut up or tell you to stop praying.

It seems like you don't understand about religious freedom and the law doesn't enable praying during instructional hours and the homework is out of school property so the law only applies to school properties.

Secretblend said:

Let me ask you something, Is the big bang taught as theory or fact?

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I'm not an astronomer (that's my ex-fiance's job, also a professor at a major university). However, it's taught as scientific theory. To the public, theory often means opinion or conjecture or hunch or speculation , but in science it is a well substantiated explanation. A lot of theories are so well established there is no way that they will be changed in any real way. For instance, wee have the theory of gravitation that allowed us to predict how things would be on the moon long before we go there and it was no surprise to find that things moved on the moon just like we thought.

Facts are never fully considered truth in science. However, it generally refers to an observation or measurement or some evidence that can be expected to occur the same way under similar situations. It's also used to refer to a scientific explanation that has been tested and confirmed so often there's no reason to keep testing or looking for additional examples to prove it.

There are facts in the Big Bang Theory that have been measured. However, there are several plausible models for the facts. The BBT is just one of them and the most popular one.

Does that clear it up any?

It's not required.... if some kids want to have a prayer group... let them. It's not like it's required and it's not like it's going to be done mid class. It's not like they can force it on other students... So what, who cares? Freedom of choice. I'm allowed to have a LGBT group in school... they can have a prayer group... big whoop. You can't just defend the freedom of one side of things and not the other. As long as nobody is being forced to participate and it isn't being forced down peoples throats I see no issues with it. As long as it is done on their own time.... there is no issue.

Eater of Worlds said:

I'm not an astronomer (that's my ex-fiance's job, also a professor at a major university). However, it's taught as scientific theory. To the public, theory often means opinion or conjecture or hunch or speculation , but in science it is a well substantiated explanation. A lot of theories are so well established there is no way that they will be changed in any real way. For instance, wee have the theory of gravitation that allowed us to predict how things would be on the moon long before we go there and it was no surprise to find that things moved on the moon just like we thought.

Facts are never fully considered truth in science. However, it generally refers to an observation or measurement or some evidence that can be expected to occur the same way under similar situations. It's also used to refer to a scientific explanation that has been tested and confirmed so often there's no reason to keep testing or looking for additional examples to prove it.

There are facts in the Big Bang Theory that have been measured. However, there are several plausible models for the facts. The BBT is just one of them and the most popular one.

Does that clear it up any?

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Well, all I know is when I was going to school, they were teaching it as fact which I did have a problem with.

I don't mind if they teach it as long as they make it a point that it's a theory.