Praying at a graduation ceremony: What's the fuss about?

So what’s all the fuss about prayers at graduation ceremonies? I bet thousands of prayers were uttered earlier this month at the University of Michigan commencement in the Big House: Parents were giving thanks that their sons and daughters had finally graduated—and they wouldn’t be writing tuition checks anymore.

Of course, the issue isn’t about private prayer. It’s about public prayer. Spring is the season for graduation—and along with it the continuing controversy over prayers at public ceremonies.

For example, students at Greenwood High School in Indiana planned to recite a prayer at commencement later this month. The senior class valedictorian objected, filing a suit with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), according to newspaper accounts. The suit claims that the public prayer would violate the separation of church and state.

Read more about this case and join the conversation at Our Values.