Why is the lack of school prayer blamed when a kid does a bad thing?

[cynatnite]

At the VA hospital today the news did a report about the Cleveland school shooting and a lady commented that it's what happens without prayer in school. I nicely said, 'maybe the parents fell down on the job'. She replies 'maybe the parents didn't teach him about god'. I responded by saying 'we don't have religion in our house and our kids aren't shooting their classmates or breaking any other laws'. I also added that this kid had a history mental illness plus a lot other parents had been after the school about getting metal detectors and hiring more security.

I've heard this argument before. School prayer will bring about better kids and all that. They never mention bad parenting or any other factor that might come into play. A coworker from an old job once commented that the lack of school prayer was the reason why a boy was attacked and brutally beaten within an inch of his life.

I don't understand it at all. Ideas?

[Lex]

1. More people are killed in the name of God than any other thing

that I've ever known.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Everybody exploits it for their own pet issues.

Lack of school prayer, lack of gun control, too much gun control, men, video games, Marilyn Manson, foie gras, tap-dancing penguins, mooninites, rap music, and so on.

Why? Because they're jerks?

[MrCoffee]

3. bingo.

spot on.

[Kool Kitty]

4. "Why? Because they're jerks?"

Sounds about right to me. I was going to say because they're idiots, but jerks works just as well.

[Cerridwen]

5. Because it's simplistic and jingoistic and it allows the speaker to absolve

themself of any responsibility by placing the blame on "them"; whomever "them" may be this week, i.e., liberals, communists, feminists, atheists, whatever.

Considering how all powerful God is supposed to be, He sure is weak if he can't get into those kids' hearts without government sanctioned prayer. And yep, that is sarcasm.

[moggie]

6. People want simple solutions to complex problems

And if they already have a comforting fantasy in their life, why not apply it to horrifying situations?

[Yavin4]

7. Uneducated, Unelightened People Always React With Religion

because they don't understand the world. Teaching Christianity is not going to stop these kinds of mass murders. Gun control, better school security, better understanding, and treatment of mental illness all will.

[baldguy]

8. Maybe the kid is just an evil little prick.

Forcing him to pray would just make him eviler and prickier.

With any luck, he'll grow up to be President.

[jgraz]

9. I think we should start blaming crimes by religious people on prayer

Actually, we should blame all non-school crime on prayer, since we allow people to pray outside of school.

[Ezlivin]

10. Because no Christian has ever murdered another person

That's why the prisons are full of atheists and other heathens.

:sarcasm:

[kestrel91316]

11. Because people who pray (to Jeebus) are pure as the driven snow

and NEVER commit any crimes.

You didn't KNOW that?? What's the matter with you?

[AX10]

12. Because they are delusional and believe...

that recting a prayer every morning makes you a better person.
jingoistic Crap is all it really is.

[Mike Daniels]

13. I'd point out that during the years there was prayer in schools

there was segregation throughout the south and black men were being killed for no reason other than looking at a white woman.

I'd love to hear prayer-pushers respond to that comeback.

[Lex]

16. They used the Bible to support their racism & segregation with verses

showing how it's okay.

Just like they do on every gay issue these days.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. 2 + 2 = 5

Back in the 1950's we had prayer in schools. Back in the 1950's there were no school shootings. Therefore there are school shootings because there is no prayer in schools.

It's an argument that appeals to people who don't think.

[Odin2005]

15. Because Religionist bigots assume us secular people can't be moral people.

Thus in their minds lack of religion in schools causes immorality.

[cloudbase]

17. Prayer is only part of the solution.

Gotta have corporal punishment to beat the snot out of 'em, too.

[_testify_]

18. Because forced prayer is tool to isolate those who are different

And if we can isolate them, then we'll know who the troublemakers are...won't we?

[Evoman]

19. Because just praying at home doesn't appease Our Dark Lord.

He must be prayed to at all time of the day, or your mind will turn evil. EVIL!!!!

[LostInAnomie]

20. Why does their God need to have his ass kissed to protect kids from being shot to death?

Either he can't protect them because he's impotent, he won't protect because he's malicious, or he is actively killing them because he's evil.

Which is it?

[niyad]

21. bob hope's comment on lack of prayer in schools "now kids will actually have to study to

pass their tests."