First post... Erin was forwarded this email petition last month. Comments will follow... Dear President Bush: Many of us were deeply touched to hear you recite a portion of Psalm 23 in your address to this great nation in the dark hours following the terrorists attacks. We were encouraged and comforted to know that we truly had a believer working with us and for us in our nation's highest office. We, the people of America, are requesting that you lift the prohibition of prayer in schools. As the pledge of our great country states, we are to be "One nation, under God." Please allow the prayers and petitions of our children in schools without the threat of punishment. Currently adults and children in the schools are prohibited from mentioning God unless of course His name is uttered as part of a curse or profanity. Madeline Murray O'Hare is dead. Let her legacy of atheism in our schools die with her! Sincerely, The People of America (Mark 10:13-14) "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." -------------- MY COMMENTS -------------- Zoom in on the phrase "Please allow the prayers and petitions of our children in schools without the threat of punishment." Where to begin? Obviously, no child is prohibitted from saying an elective prayer in school, and there is no such punishment. In that respect this is propaganda and misinformation. But I want to look at a theological aspect... What does prayer accomplish, in a theological sense? You're talking to God, telling him stuff he already knows. He knows what's going on (presumably), he knows what people need, he knows what you want. I've often noticed that people try to make their prayers sound nice, even poetic. Will God be moved by the fancy rhetoric of a well-phrased prayer? Is the prayer designed to convince God to do things your way? Is that why they talk about the childrens' "petitions" to God? If there are enough bowed heads, God will respond to the large public interest? It seems as though God will do what He wants whether He hears prayers or not. So why does the believer pray?