Being a Christian, and all, I see a big difference between praying in private and having public prayer, led by someone. I don't have any trouble with either one. If someone who is praying is a sinner, welcome to the club. I'm one of the Charter Members, sorry to say. I've heard all the arguments that once they took prayer out of the schools, this country went to Hell in a handbasket. If children need their teachers and principals to save them from damnation, what is going on at home? I don't have problem with eliminating prayer in public, although I LIKE the idea of a moment of silence for prayer, meditation, or a quick nap. Whatever you need at the moment. I find power in group prayer in church, but it gets pretty watered down in a public gathering, because there is no consensus being lifted up. If people want to speak out about prayer, better to spend a couple of minutes several times a day in the privacy of your own head. And, if your attitude is, "Oh, yeah, we're praying in public, whether you like it or not" I think you'd better check your attitude of humility and love.

"Oh, how I love Jesus." But, that's between me and Jesus, and other believers or seekers. In our home, we say grace before meals... my wife and I offer up prayers to God, and our sons from her first marriage add their prayers to Allah. We share each other's prayers. And my Agnostic son doesn't join in, but doesn't feel left out. Public address system prayers are a different story...

Turn up the reverb a little.

That said, I'm a strong believer in prayer in the heart..

Jerry