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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 20584
[Civil]
Date Posted:
4/30/2009
8:42:28 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 2,817
RSS: 32,767
Comments: 10
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Letter: Graduation Prayers Make Some Uncomfortable
Author: Chillicothe Gazette Source: Chillicothe Gazette (OH)
Title: GRADUATION PRAYERS MAKE SOME UNCOMFORTABLE
I am a senior at Southeastern High School, and May 23 I will go to the graduation ceremony with pride, happiness and overwhelming joy. However, I am afraid if something doesn't change, my graduation experience will be tainted. You see, it is a tradition of my school and schools across the nation to have a prayer at the beginning and end of every graduation ceremony, and I find it extremely uncomfortable because I am not of the Christian faith.
I hold no animosities toward Christians; in fact, most of my best friends are followers of Christ. I feel that during graduation ceremonies when the entire crowd is asked to stand and join in prayer, if I remain seated I will be ridiculed for not standing and showing respect for someone else's religion. I feel at the same time that if I do stand, then I am submitting to and accepting something that goes against what I believe.
I am a proud Wiccan and have my own beliefs, which are not evil, as most uninformed people think.
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Community Thoughts: There are 10 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| ... | Apr 30th. at 10:34:51 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
I have an idea for the student: Don't go. You'll never see that batch fundies ever again in your life anyway. You'll be glad to get away from high school, especially since I heard it was an even worse experience after the minor incident in Colorado ten years ago.
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| Interesting Moral Quandry | Apr 30th. at 6:24:09 pm EDT
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
The problem is, that Jesus sides with you, and never meant for this nonsense to be taken up in his name. It shouldn't have to be relevant that Jesus offered his friendship, and that you're more likely to accept it, and I'm sure he wouldn't have it so, if they'd ever listen. However... These people seek to be peasants unto Jesus, feeling him to be less cruel than the alternatives, and you're essentially sharing a franchise with a neighbor's servants.
Think of it, as that they are accepting the blessings of an educational certificate, despite being illiterate peasants, and stand proudly, as the humble should.
Now, if you'd like a real constitutional crisis, challenge the right of Government to regulate something as holy as Education. Academies, after all, descend from Christ Solomon.
Arawn Graalrd
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| Once Again, The Voice Of Reason Comes From England | Apr 30th. at 4:29:27 pm EDT
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Jenna (Cary, North Carolina) - Email Me
I completely agree with Moonlight. If this is a public school ceremony, why is there a prayer anyway? I could completely understand the Thanksgiving analogy if the graduation had taken place in a religious school or a family gathering, but this wasn't the case. A public school is supposed to be exactly that: a school for the public. We live in a multicultural society and there are many of us who do not pray to the Judeo-Christian deity (deities, if we're being absolutely honest) or pray at all. A moment of silence is both in better taste and represents the many beliefs we now have amongst us.
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| One Question Or More | Apr 30th. at 2:38:31 pm EDT
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Moonlight Wolf (Bradford, England) - Email Me
What exactly is a prayer doing at a graduation ceremony? Aren't these ceremonies about celebrating students' achievements? Sometimes I do think that some people overstate their deity. Graduation should be about the students, not about religion.
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| Might I Suggest... | Apr 30th. at 2:20:26 pm EDT
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Lady Auroarah (Florence, Mississippi) - Email Me
Perhaps you should stand and pray to whom you feel comfortable praying to.
May I also suggest you ask the Goddess to guide you to what you feel is the right thing to do.
Literally, pray on it. She will give you the answer to your quest.
I went though my own college graduation last year and I stood in crowd of praying christians and said my prayers to the Goddess. It felt good just being myself and enjoying my accomplishment.
Yes, I too am very uncomfortable when they start long and drawn out prayers, but I find solace in my beliefs. You should too.
You would actually be surprised how many people just stand there around you and don't pay a bit of attention to what the person on stage is saying, regardless of their beliefs.
BTW, GOOD LUCK in your future endeavors and HAPPY GRAD DAY!
May the Goddess watch over you and you path be one of joy as you walk through the new doors that have opened to you!
Blessed Be.
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| Some Thoughts... | Apr 30th. at 11:47:37 am EDT
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Ixacacau (Moore, Oklahoma) - Email Me
This is a little different scenario but I think there is a way it may apply.
My family is evangelical. The only holiday we celebrate together is Thanksgiving and we alternate it between my Mom's house and mine. We both like to cook and we love each others' recipes.
Thanksgiving at Mom's includes a pre-dinner Christian prayer. That works out because everyone is at the table when the meal is presented and served. No one stands; I don't bow my head but extend my own thanks to my own Gods in silence. They can hear that, you know.
At my house, there is a candle burning for the Goddess and the God during the cooking and serving and the meal is buffet style. Some family members know what the candles are for because they asked. Some don't know and just think it's pretty. Anybody who wants to pray before they dig in ends up doing it quietly because not everyone is seated at the same time.
The way that this may apply during a graduation ceremony is this: the graduation is like the everybody-at-the-sit-down-meal. Since everyone stands, you can do that if you wish. Don't bow your head, though. If you wear a pentacle or other emblem of belief, touch it or grasp it in your hand, lift your face to the sky and thank your Gods that you have made it through High school and ask for the wisdom to appreciate all the adventures that are in store for you after you graduate.
No matter who speaks aloud at your graduation, your Gods will hear your thanks to them.
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| Consider The Circumstances... | Apr 30th. at 10:35:26 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I have found that it is mannerly to at least go through some of the motions in cases where I am invited to someone's home or function where blessings are asked. I don't have to pray with them-and I don't, nor do I feel that it is any compromise to my beliefs in order to be polite at any time.
If the prayer makes one uncomfortable-don't participate in the prayer itself. Standing, in itself doesn't reveal anything but being polite anyhow, and maintaining the decorum of the situation.
Manners are not a compromise, nor a lowering of one's own beliefs. It is merely a sign of respect by those simply passing through and in no way implies committment of any sort.
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| I Second That Motion | Apr 30th. at 10:11:36 am EDT
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Sea Raven (New Haven, Connecticut) - Email Me
Every so often, a cartoon actually has a point. There was a Simpsons episode in which Lisa decides she's a Buddhist and will not celebrate Christian holidays with her family. In the Buddhist temple, she runs into Richard Gere who tells her that, although Buddhism is about finding inner peace, it's also about respecting others and the diversity of their religions. Then he goes home to celebrate Christmas with his daughter. (see wikipedia for a longer description of the episode named "She of Little Faith")
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| Why Not Silence? | Apr 30th. at 10:10:00 am EDT
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Amber (Charleston, West Virginia) - Email Me
Every day of the legislative session in my state, the House starts the day with a prayer. It made me feel uncomfortable, so I just stood there, feeling foolish. I didn't feel as though I should be around in a prayer in which people praised their "Lord and Savior the baby Jesus" because it seemed blasphemous and disrespectful to the group of Christians to be involved. I wouldn't want to involve Christians in my rituals or prayers because I know they would feel uncomfortable and would disagree with my beliefs. It's rude to force someone into that situation.
I don't know why leaders can't offer a few moments of silence if they want to pray. What about atheists? They don't pray to anyone, so why should I expect them to listen to my beliefs while I pray? At my graduation from college, the speaker told a short, spiritual, uplifting story rather than a prayer. It was nice, and no one was forced to feel uncomfortable.
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| Get Over It | Apr 30th. at 9:31:28 am EDT
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
If you don't want to stand and pray... don't. If you are afraid of being thought less of because you are a different faith, get over it. If people want to pray, they want to pray. There have been minority faiths at graduations for a long time. There were Jews and Hindus at my graduation. They stood and quietly let the Christians pray. Why can't you?
It was a topic of disucssion. I, being a pagan myself, asked them if they felt any kind of pressure to stand or somehow under duress. They said no. The Hindus said, "We all pray to someone. I pray to my Gods and they to theirs. The Gods know the difference." Interesting notion isn't it. My friend of the Jewish persuasion said, "It is just a matter of respect and manners. If I was hanging out with you and some pagans starting to have a prayer I would stand and be quiet too."
Both explanations seems valid to me. Manners and respect are a great example for us to set for others. It also seems commonsense that if you believe in a higher power, that it can tell the difference between my taking part in a prayer or just being polite. My advice to you is to get over it. What you believe is a matter for you alone. What other people want to believe and do as a group is their business. You have chosen a path fewer people walk. Other people don't owe you anything for it. You pay attention to what you want to do and quit worrying about what other people do around you.
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