<p>As a Christian, I fail to understand the strong need some of my brothers and sisters feel to have prayer allowed or even promoted in public school. They seem to envision only Christian or perhaps Jewish prayers being spoken. You would think they would consider it preferable to have no prayer at all, rather than to have their kids subjected to listening to a prayer praising Satan or Krishna or Allah or Mother Earth! Obviously, if you allow prayer to Jesus, then all sorts of religious prayers have to be allowed as well in this diverse country of ours. Do they seriously want that?</p>
<p>I agree that it is in poor taste to selfishly hijack the celebration of hundreds of students and their families in order to make a political statement. However, having seen the context the boy gave for the prayer, it doesn’t seem as rude as I thought it might be. Nevertheless, Jesus commands His followers to respect civil authority and not to lie. If this young man submitted a speech for approval and then failed to deliver that speech, then he essentially lied to and disrespected authority. You can’t do God’s will by sinning.</p>