Target: To our Congress, and our government Region: United States of America Sign the petition Petition Background (Preamble): In GOD WE TRUST. In two landmark decisions, Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the US Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in schools. While the Engel decision held that the promulgation of an official state-school prayer stood in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause (thus overruling the New York Courts’ decisions), Abington held that Bible readings and other (state) school-sponsored religious activities were prohibited. Following these two cases came the Court's decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), a ruling that established the Lemon test for religious activities within schools. The Lemon test states that in order to be constitutional under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment any practice sponsored within state run schools (or other public, state sponsored activities) must adhere to the following three criteria: Have a secular purpose; Must neither advance nor inhibit religion; and Must not result in an excessive entanglement between government and religion. The U.S. Supreme Court removed prayer from the Nations School System in 1962 and the results of prayer leaving our schools has destroyed the very moral fiber of our educational system, and now our nation. As a result, crime and violence has reared its ugly head in our Schools. Students and Teachers as well as Faculty are no longer safe. The Prayer in school debate hinges on the principle of the separation of church and state. The U.S Supreme Courts ruling to totally remove prayer from our Nations schools has been a big mistake. The case was brought to the attention of the court system to remove prayer on June 25, 1962. At that time, 39 million students were forbidden to pray. This case was brought to light by an atheist by the name of Madalyn Murray OHare. She wanted prayer out of the school because she had a young son who attended school, and she didn’t want him to pray to God. As a result of this one woman’s actions, prayer was taken out of the schools. After Madalyn Murray OHare deaf her son is now save and a believer. This nation has always been built on the Foundation of God. God s name is on our money, which reads In God We Trust. Please help us put prayer back in the school by signing this petition. I am a strong advocate for Social Justice and I need people that can help me advocate this petition so we can keep our children and our schools safe. The recent school shootings in high schools and major universities, and children coming up dead by gun violence can one day be eradicated. Let’s petition Congress, our Government, and our Nations Councilmen and Women and let’s bombard them with these petitions. It is also more than slightly disturbing that prayer has been taken out of schools, yet there are so many instances where religion and the existence of God are recognized by the government. For example, each day's session of the Supreme Court starts with the invocation "God save the United States and this Honorable Court". The National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner" contains the words "Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation". The National Motto is "In God we Trust". The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag contains the words "one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". The Declaration of Independence includes the phrase: "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence". Let’s open up the lines of communication to God back in the schools. Help by signing this petition so we can return back to peace and safety.