A number of Georgetown High School students were recently “caught” praying before classes at Georgetown High School.

Although the prayer sessions have been going on for years, the before-school gatherings were ordered shutdown.

  They have since been sanctioned by school officials following a public outcry and an appeal by the students to be recognized as a school-sponsored “club.”  

The group has met for more than a decade without objection until an anonymous individual ratted them out and school officials called a halt to the praying. Shutting down the prayer sessions was instigated by an anonymous phone call. Additionally, a national group claiming to support separation of church and state raised a complaint against the student group's activities which sent school officials temporarily scurrying under their desks.

Thirty years or more ago, hearts would have rejoiced that high school students were praying on school grounds or anywhere else for that matter.  But not today.

 Our betters have determined that the constitution promises not freedom of religion but freedom FROM religion because (dare I say it) Muslims, Buddhist, atheists, etc. might be offended.  But we bend over backwards to accommodate their demands — foot showers in public buildings, prayer rugs in some venues, prayer-time off for others, etc.  Oh! How far we have travelled on the senseless journey toward Political Correctness.

Keep in mind, the local student prayer group was meeting outside of school scheduling, but horror of horrors, they were praying in an unused school space with like-minded students and one devout adult lady was handing out printed material to those who asked.  No one was required to be present but everyone was invited.  It seems to me that if a group of folks anywhere, anytime wants to pray and they are not causing harm or inconvenience to others, then, it's nobody else's business. I can think of much more harmful activities before the school bell rings that these students could be engaged in, besides praying.

Local students have been praying before school since 1999!  But, school officials said they were unaware of the practice.  Where were our administrative officials and what were they doing while a highly visible group of young people came together to pray for eleven years — undetected by those in charge?  Makes you wonder what really sinister activities could be taking place without official awareness.  And, what other matters our school administrators might be “unaware” of. On the other hand, perhaps local school officials simply turned a blind eye because they saw no real harm in praying until someone challenged the prayer practice.  Let's hope that's the case.

A local lady has reportedly been handing out Bible verses and invitations to the prayer sessions to students as they arrived on school grounds during the eleven-year history of the Georgetown High School Prayer Caper.  She said she was granted permission by a former district superintendent to do so and has gone unquestioned for over 10 years. The school solons now say she is unable to provide written proof of the permission.  Somehow, I am inclined to believe the words of a woman dedicated enough to voluntarily rise early in the morning to spread the Good News to our young folks. I do not doubt her motives or her belief that she was acting in good faith and with official sanction.

Pray, tell me —what harm was done by this dedicated woman and the praying students?  None that I can fathom.  But, yet, they are vilified for not worshiping at the altar of Political Correctness.

Perhaps all is well that ends well.  School officials have recognized the group after several students applied for “official” status by asking for permission granted to other “clubs.”  They will now be allowed to do exactly what they were doing before school hours on school property.  Halleluiah!  Sanity has prevailed.

The only difference now is that the group must be led by a school district employee. And no “unauthorized” literature can be passed out among students on school property.

It seems to me that the praying students, the individual who voluntarily took the initiative to aid the group, local ministers who have spoken to the group and the public would have been better served with a quiet conversation concerning how their activities could become legitimate.  Instead, the people involved were publicly made to feel as if they were doing something outside of societal expectations. Some may have even been led to believe they were doing something wrong instead of praiseworthy. A little sensitivity could have averted these emotions.

Need I point out that there is no mention in the U.S. Constitution about separation of church and state?  The phrase is not mentioned.  What is decreed is that all Americans have “freedom of religion” and it worked quite well until the onslaught of Political Correctness.

School administrators have rectified an onerous situation and students are once again free to pray under prescribed circumstances. Fair enough.  But who can really dictate that a group of students cannot gather on the sidewalk or inside an empty space to pray together.  Why can't like-minded students join hands in the hall outside a classroom before an exam (or athletic event) and pray.  Must we pray with a supervisor?  Can we not pray openly or silently anywhere on public property? These and other questions of Freedom of Religion might someday be answered.

I believe that grass-root Americans will come to our senses and demand that a country founded on Judeo/Christian principles and philosophy deserve to practice what we preached for more than 200 years before Political Correctness was decreed to be the “law” of the land.

John Brock is a retired college professor and, newspaper editor/publisher, who lives in Georgetown County.  He can be reached by mail at this newspaper, or my e-mail at brock@johnbrock.com