Jeff Archer

In the early 1960s a series of Supreme Court rulings banned the practice of prayers and Bible readings in public school classrooms. Many have decried these rulings and have argued that reintroducing prayer in public schools would foster unity and morality among students. In the following viewpoint, Jeff Archer recalls that when he was in school, the practice of school prayer divided students on religious grounds and stigmatized Jews and other members of religious minorities. Archer is president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego, California.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does the author respond to the contention that reintroducing school prayer would reduce lawlessness?
2. What religious differences were revealed by school recitations of the Lord’s Prayer, according to Archer?
3. What happened to Archer and...