•L.1.F.3.•MeMe•E-Zine•

[3]. John Wants Prayer...

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...Mary Does NOT!

John wants prayer in school, and Mary does not. Describe a compromise position you think John and Mary might agree on, and identify any problems that position might encounter. Respond in approximately 100 words.

John wants prayer in school because he gets great personal satisfaction from being able to commune with his God whenever he so chooses. Mary, on the other hand, doesn't want prayer in school because (for whatever reason) she finds prayer offensive. A Utilitarian solution is hard to come by because, regardless of what concessions are made to either party one of them is going to end up in a situation where their needs will not be met, i.e. John's right to pray will be hindered in some fashion or Mary will still be offended by John's ability to pray in school. As stated in our text, "...it is important to differentiate between allowing prayer and promoting it..." (Mosser, 2010). As prayer is always an intensely personal practice it is practically impossible to not allow prayer is public school. John can safely assume satisfaction that he, his children and any of his contemporaries will always be allowed to pray in public school on an individual basis and even as a group activity in that "...the Supreme Court has ruled that students are allowed to organize, voluntarily, religious clubs-which can include prayer and Bible study-at public schools, just as they might any other kind of club". (Mosser, 2010)

The promotion of prayer in public schools, on the other hand, is considered unconstitutional and is thus not allowed. By the institution of a prayer, any prayer, as a practice before every football game (for instance) a public school would be considered infringing upon the rights of those who do not wish to pray by promoting prayer as a rule everyone would be compelled to follow. By saying that everyone is required to pray at specific times (i.e. as classes begin, before meals or at pep rallies) is considered a promotion of prayer which goes beyond allowing individuals to do so and steps into the realm of requiring the group to do so by example. This is not allowed.

Personally, I believe that the proper legislation (as they stand in the previous examples) already exists in public schools, that individuals (such as John) are allowed to pray at their own discretion and are even encouraged to form clubs where they can freely express their religious beliefs as a group. This, in conjunction that prayer bound individuals already have the right to go to the Church of their choosing and worship however they see fit should suffice as religious freedom enough. If you want to pray in school then go right ahead (John)! Nobody can stop you but to expect everybody else in public school to want to do it just because you do is not only ethically wrong but illegal.

While on the other hand, anyone offended by the existing rights to prayer and worship in public schools (such as Mary) can rest assured that they or their contemporaries will not be forced to participate in any prayers that might cause offense by the exclusion of the promotion of prayer as an accepted practice. If you don't want to pray you don't have to (Mary). If it offends you that others are doing it then go away! There's the door right behind you, what are you still standing there listening for if it makes you so mad? If you don't want to pray no one can force you to do it, least of all the law. As stated before, prayer is an intensely personal practice so, in the face of the fact that laws already exist that make you exempt from being forced to participate should you not wish to, beyond the fact of those laws any interaction with praying individuals becomes your personal choice (Mary).

In conclusion, I believe that the Psychological Egoist's ethical stand is where both John and Mary are coming from. Both of them are dead set on their individual and ultimately selfish ends with the issue of prayer being the common means to those conflicting ends. Because Psychological Egoism (Me, me, me, me, me!) is diametrically opposite the ethical stands of Utilitarianism (The needs of the many as evenly distributed as possible), there may never be a complete and/or absolute a solution to John and Mary's differences...