(This is a short speech given on January 28, 2014 in front of the Gilbert Arizona School Board in response to the issue of public prayer being removed from meetings. Read the story on my friends and I at http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/Faith-and-Justice/7-2/MyView. Never stop praying, my friends.)
Hello Madame President and Members of the School Board,
My name is Olivia Jensen and I am fifteen years old.
Religious expression in government is a practice that America was founded upon. Our Founding Fathers revered God publicly, with a belief in a Supreme Being, a Creator, as their main principle.
If an aspect as important as this is removed not only from the deliberations of America’s federal government but from the daily workings of the people’s organizations, we are abandoning these foundational values.
George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern without God.” He believed that prayer in action allowed his “thoughts, words, and work” to be directed for good, which, in settings such as these, is crucial to success.
Bringing prayer into these meetings will demonstrate an appreciation and acceptance for all religious backgrounds. This preservation of religious cultures and ideas, no matter what they may be, provides an atmosphere conducive to these school board meetings’ effectiveness.
Prayer is also important in regards to making decisions where the welfare of children is involved, which is the main function of this council.
As a nation, we have removed the founding principles of faith from our systems, and it has already taken effect upon the youth of America. As a school board, there is an obligation to uphold this aspect of faith in your deliberations and decisions.
Having prayer of any kind also takes into account the religious views of those young minds who may be affected by the workings of this board as well as the diverse perspectives of the community.
One of the main purposes in supporting prayer in public meetings is the acknowledgement that all religion plays a vital role in sustaining the health of communities and promoting the moral behaviors in our society.
Furthermore, when decisions and important issues are being discussed, we reserve the unalienable right to acknowledge the influence of a higher power that we as people have not the capacity to create ourselves.
Freedom of religion is the very reason this country was created. If we are not willing to pray as a school board, do we even agree with the way our freedoms have been originally structured?
Please consider this, and bring prayer back into these meetings, so, like Washington said, we may “rightly govern” our schools and preserve faith for the welfare of this nation’s youth.