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By Jordan King
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A new map shows which states have the most people opposed to Christian prayer in schools.
Why It Matters
There is a cultural and legal battle about prayer in schools, and other public forums, going on across the United States.
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For example, Texas lawmakers are considering requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling that would not allow Oklahoma to launch the country's first religious (Catholic) public charter school.
There are ongoing debates about prayer at school sporting events and time for prayer during the school day.
What To Know
The states that say they oppose allowing public school teachers to lead classes in prayers that refer to Jesus are Washington state, Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut. Washington, D.C. is also part of that list, according to a new analysis from the Pew Research Center.
The study, released on Monday, is based on data from Pew's religious landscape survey conducted between July 17, 2023 and March 4, 2024.
Conversely, the states that are in favor are North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.
In these states, there is no significant difference between those who are for or against: Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware and Maine.
In total, just over half of U.S. adults say they are in favor of prayer in schools, made up of 27 percent who are strongly in favor and 26 percent who say they just favor it.
Meanwhile, 46 percent oppose prayer in schools, made up of 22 percent who say they strongly oppose it and 24 percent who say they just oppose it.
Advocates of prayer in school argue that it instils American values and that students should be allowed to practice their faith.
Opponents argue against prayer in schools because it amounts to government endorsement of one religion, violating the First Amendment's separation of church and state.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said during his first term 2020: "You have the right to pray, and that's a very important and powerful right. There's nothing more important than that, I would say."
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in May: "We will continue our efforts to protect inclusive public education. We call on this nation to recommit to church-state separation before this safeguard of democracy and freedom is further attacked."
What Happens Next
There are multiple legal battles ongoing across the country.
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