Free Essays on School Prayer

Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com... Free Essays on School Prayer Free Essays on School Prayer For many years, American public school students have been denied the right of religious freedom that the Constitution's First Ammendment established. A section of the First Ammendment reads, "Congress shall make no law restricting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof," but yet, court rulings have, in many cases, prohibited students to take part in certain religious activities. As a result, prayer has been banned from many public schools throughout the country. Those who are pro-separation of church and state argue that prayer should be banned from public schools, but I, being a religious person, believe prayer should be allowed. The doctrine of the separation of church and state, as it has been articulated in the past years by our courts, is an inaccurate misinterpretation of the Constitution that actually provides the framework for immense violations of our First Ammendment rights. The First Ammendment was never meant to eliminate all references to God and religion from our public life or government. The most certain sign of the craziness of this doctrine is the fact that the Declaration of Independence itself can only be taught as a historical artifact rather than as a living expression of our moral identity as people. Starting a school day off with a prayer will not harm society. Prayer may be a way of allowing students to clear their minds. It gives students a peaceful way to start the day, instead of a teacher having to quiet an annoying group of students. Prayer does not only help make the transition into learning smooth, it also helps students resolve personal issues. It gives students a time every morning when they can think about values and faith to help them through life. Many students have problems, and prayer gives them time to think about their issues. Many ask, "What is... Free Essays on School Prayer Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com...

Italian Definite Articles

Italian Definite Articles In English, the definite article (larticolo determinativo) has only one form: the. In Italian, on the other hand, l’articolo determinativo has different forms according to the gender, number, and even the first letter of the noun or adjective it precedes. It’s meant to indicate a precise, quantifiable object or person. This makes learning definite articles a bit more complicated, but once you know the structure, it’s relatively simple to get used to. il quaderno e la penna - the notebook and pen: In this example, the definite articles are â€Å"il† and â€Å"la.†i ragazzi e le ragazze - the boys and girls: In this example, the definite articles are â€Å"i† and â€Å"le.† Heres a table with the definite articles. Singular Plural Masculine il, lo, l i, gli Feminine la, l le Sometimes the articles can be tricky to pronounce (especially â€Å"gli†). When To Use  Definite Articles Here is a list of general rules for when to use definite articles. 1. Lo (pl. gli) is used before masculine nouns beginning with s consonant or z, like â€Å"lo zaino - the backpack† or â€Å"gli scoiattoli - the squirrels†. You will also see â€Å"lo† being used with masculine nouns that begin with â€Å"gn,† like â€Å"lo gnomo.† Here are some examples. lorologio- gli orologi watch- watcheslamico- gli amici friend- friends lo yoga   yogalo yogurt yogurtlo specchio- gli specchi mirror- mirrorslo stadio- gli stadi stadium- stadiumslo psicologo- gli psicologi psychologist- psychologistslo zero- gli zeri zero- zeros NOTE: there are a few exceptions: il dio- gli dà ¨i god- godsper lo meno at leastper lo pià ¹Ã‚  Ã‚  mostly 2. Il (pl. i) is used before masculine nouns beginning with all other consonants, like â€Å"il cibo - the food† or â€Å"i vestiti - the clothes.† 3. L’ (pl. gli) is used before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel, like â€Å"l’aeroporto - the airport,† 4. La (pl. le) is used before feminine nouns beginning with any consonant, like â€Å"la borsa - the purse† or â€Å"le scarpe - the shoes.† Here are some examples: la stazione- le stazioni train station- train stationsla zia- le zie aunt- auntslamica her friendlautomobile the car 5. L’ (pl. le) is used before feminine nouns beginning with a vowel, like â€Å"l’amica - the friend† or â€Å"le donne - the women.† The article agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies and is repeated before each noun. la Coca–Cola e l’aranciata - the Coke and orangeadegli italiani e i giapponesi - the Italians and the Japanesele zie e gli zii - the aunts and unclesle zie e il nonno - the aunts and the grandfather The first letter of the word immediately following the article determines the article’s form. Compare the following: il giorno (the day) → l’altro giorno (the other day)lo zio (the uncle) → il vecchio zio (the old uncle)i ragazzi (the boys) → gli stessi ragazzi (the same boys)l’amica (the girl  friend) → la nuova amica (the new girl friend) Tips When Using Definite Articles In Italian, the definite article must always be used before the name of a language, except when the verbs parlare (to speak) or studiare (to study) come before the name of the language; in those cases, its up to you whether you want to use it or not. Studio l’italiano. - I study Italian.Studio italiano e arabo. - I study Italian and Arabic.Parlo italiano. - I speak Italian.Parlo l’italiano e il russo. - I speak Italian and Russian.Parlo bene l’italiano. - I speak Italian well. The definite article is also used before the days of the week  to indicate a repeated, habitual activity. Domenica studio. - I’m studying on Sunday. → Marco non studia mai la domenica. - Marco never studies on Sundays.Il lunedà ¬ vado al cinema (ogni lunedà ¬). - On Mondays, I go to the movies.On Monday I go to the movies. (Every Monday)Cosa fai di solito il giovedà ¬? - What do you usually do on thursday evenings?Di solito vado a giocare a carte con i miei nonni -   On thursday, usually I go and play cards with my grandparents. Finally, another common situation where the definite article is used is with telling the time. Notice here though that the article is combined with a preposition making something called an articulated preposition. Mi sono svegliato all’una. - I woke up at one.Vado a scuola alle dieci. - I’m going to school at ten. You can use it to indicate a category or a species in a generic sense: Il cane à ¨ il miglior amico delluomo (tutti i cani). - Dog is mans best friend (all dogs).Luomo à ¨ dotato di ragione. - Man is endowed with reason. (To talk about â€Å"every man†) Or to indicate a particular thing or an object: Hai visto il film? (quel film) - Have you seen the movie? (that movie)Hai visto il professore? - Have you seen the professor?Mi hanno rubato il portafogli. - They stole my wallet.Non trovo pià ¹ le scarpe. - I can’t find my shoes. You’ll also want to use it when preceding possessive pronouns: Lauto di Carlo à ¨ nuova, la mia no. - Charless car is new, but mine isnt. Or with geographical destinations, like: continents: lEuropacountries: lItaliaregions: la Toscanalarge islands: la Siciliaoceans: il Mediterraneolakes: il Gardarivers: il Pomountains: il Cervino (the Matterhorn) And finally, with parts of the body: Mi fa male la testa.- My head hurts. Definite Articles with Names Use definite articles with the last names of famous female celebrities: la Garbola Loren With all surnames in the plural: i Verrigli Strozzi With nicknames and pseudonyms: il Barbarossail Grisoil Canalettoil Caravaggio With proper names used without any specification: Mario but: il signor Mario With the last names of famous or well-known male characters, if not preceded by an adjective or title: Mozart but: il grande Mozart NOTE: There are instances in which the definite article is used, especially when referring to Italian writers: il Petrarcail Manzoni