Church and State-Combined...Really?!

I want to tell you everything I experience and everything I see in this class and school-but there is not enough time in the day to type everything out...as there is just so much going on.

The biggest and most glaring piece at this school is that these families are Muslim. That, in and of itself, is a gynormous challenge to deal with...and I didn't think, legally, that I would necessarily being seeing their religion taught and practiced in a public charter school.

I love my God. I worship him and I serve Him. I want nothing more to live for Him and be a shining example for those in my path. When I was wee and was attending public school, I held the same, albeit weaker, beliefs. I did not use my class time to get up, leave the class and pray. Rather I quietly talked to the Lord throughout the day, even during my lessons. What am I getting at? My colleague's homeroom students (therefore my students for 3 subjects during the day) are taking time out of the school day (a school day that is funded by the state) to leave the class and pray. And they refuse to do anything unless allowed to pray.

Muslims are not required to pray to Allah until they are 15. These children are 9, 10, and 11 years old. However, what are we dealing with? The children throwing temper tantrums over not being able to leave class to pray, because remarkably, prayer time always falls at the time that class period begins. The children then saying that we are being offensive and unsympathetic towards their beliefs because we don't want them to always be leaving our class whenever it is time to start a new subject.

Why am I telling you this and taking up space in cyber world to discuss this? Well, I was thinking, as Christians we are persecuted. We are told we are not allowed to spout off or share our beliefs when in certain public arenas-especially school-as there is to be a separation of Church and State. So then, why are others allowed to openly worship in public places? We are allowed to openly pray at a public school before hours and after hours as well-but we are not allowed to leave class to pray. It is such a grey area to me and it is a frustrating issue to some other staff members at my school, because they are ardent supporters of a definitive separation of Church and State.

So how do I deal with this? The students refusal to do the assigned work at the designated time is a blatant disregard for authority. Yet when they are sent out of the room because of their defiance, those in charge of the school allow them to go and pray before coming back to the room. What?! Not fair.

I am loving on these kids as best I am able. I am trying to do the Lord's work in a dark place. I am not sharing my beliefs (but I do have an exciting story about this I will try to compose in a later piece) and I am acknowledging the beliefs of my students. But should the school be allowing this? Should the school be promoting this, if the money that is keeping our school open is coming from the state? I would LOVE your thoughts, opinions, comments, whatever you got regarding this interesting issue...