November 3, 1999
Prayer better from 'closet' than
high school stadium press box
___By Julian Shaddix
___Executive Director, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals
___The Fifth Circuit Court has not outlawed prayer before Friday night football games. They have ruled, however, that the traditional press box, public address system, school-sponsored or school-facilitated prayer is unconstitutional. Further investigation will show that although the court has ruled that prayer cannot be given as a public prayer under the sponsorship or endorsement of the school, it has also reaffirmed a student's right to pray separate and apart from the school's involvement.
___What should principals and other school officials do about this? Very simple--abide by the law. In my opinion, there is no single individual who has more obligation to abide bythe laws of our land than does the school principal. Realizing that this is an emotionally charged issued, it is important that all school districts have a clearly defined school board policy addressing this issue and that school officials spend as much time as necessary communicating this policy to students, parents, local churches and other constituents.
___Maybe what we should emphasize in our communication is that the courts have also stressed the student's constitutional right to pray on school property as long as it is separate and apart from school officials.
___With that said, and before you decide that I have lost touch with reality, let me explain: First of all, there is no way on earth that the Fifth Circuit nor any other authority can abolish prayer before football games. As long as there are kids playing football, there will be prayer before, during and after football games.
___In fact, I can remember very vividly my mother praying for her three sons long before the day these games were to be played. There are two reasons why I know she prayed. First, she told us she was praying for us, and second, she repeatedly demonstrated it in our home. Somewhere my mother had read that when you pray you should enter into your closet and pray. (I guess she missed the part about entering into the press box and praying). Many times I remember passing the closed door to my mother's bedroom and hearing her pray for protection and guidance for her three sons. She taught us to pray early in the morning, before each meal and before we went to sleep each night. This teaching was every day, consistent and memorable.
___As I think about this, I am reminded that God must not have been pleased with my mother because, heaven forbid, she never attended a Friday night football game. Sometimes I wonder how she survived without hearing and participating in the public address system prayer under the Friday night lights. Seriously, I do not believe my mother ever requested or expected the school to pray for her boys. I really think she felt this was the responsibility of our family and our extended church family.
___I guess what I am saying is this: When football game time came around, we were prayed up. This legacy is one I hope to leave my own three children and assist them in passing on to my seven grandchildren.
___Praying is not the school's nor the government's responsibility; it is mine. After all these years, it seems amusing to me that as a 40-year educator, and having attended literally thousands of games, I remember almost nothing about those press box prayers. I must quickly add, however, that the memories of my mother praying from her "closet" are treasures that grow more precious everyday.
___All of this leads me to form the opinion that we do not need prayer put back in the public schools. We need prayer back in our homes.
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