by Laurel MacLeod

About the author: Laurel MacLeod is director of legislation and public policy for Concerned Women for America, a conservative public policy organization.

In 1962, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state of New York to allow the recitation of prayer in its public schools. The prayer that had been read daily said: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”

Since that ruling, many facets of American cultural life have changed dramatically. Concerned Women for America (CWA) recognizes that the issue of school prayer has continued to arise because, in too many instances, religious expression has been denied to students. Prayer does, of necessity, carry religious connotations. The prayer issue...