joy of joys

School prayer and Alabama's ban of organized public school prayer is back in the news, thanks to Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts. Great, just what we all needed. Previously, I would have start ranting about how religion is personal, and needs to be kept apart from the State, including public schools. I've never had a problem with an individual student praying (I think there is more silent praying before an exam than the government realizes). What I have a problem with a single religion or denomination being the unofficial school's religion.

I've changed my mind. Let's have mandatory school prayer at the beginning of each day. The catch, each day the prayer is from a different religion. I think there are probably over 180 religions in the world, so no religion would get more than one day. (I use the 180 day figure, because that is what Indiana law was when I went to school, many years ago.) Each student would receive a handout of the prayer of the day, or the prayers for that week. I'm volunteering the first prayer for a school system.

Great Mother of us all, with your many names, Gaia, Isis, Artemis, Brigid, Bast, Diana, Morrigan, Lilith, we greet you this morning and ask for your blessing.
Great Father of us all, with your many names, Zeus, Osiris, Cerridwen, Odin, Shiva, Apollo, Jovah, we greet you this morning and ask you for your blessing.
For you are the Divine Mother and Father of us all, and we are all your children, so we ask that you fill our hearts with love for our sisters and brothers.
Where there is fear, replace it with understanding.
Where there is hate, replace it with compassion.
Where there is despair, replace it with hope.
For all of your gifts, we offer our deepest thanks.
In the name of the Goddess and the God,
Blessed Be!

There you go, school prayer issue taken care of.