There are many people in the world, in fact right now there are 6,877,185,416 of them with a newborn taking their first breath every ten seconds. That said, many may follow a religion or worship a higher power. Not everyone follows the same religion as there are twelve major religions and over 1,200 worldwide (Wilson, 2006, p.11). The inclusion of religion in the public school system is one of the most difficult issues to discuss. When should the separation of church and state come into play? The fact that not everyone has the same religious faith raises the question of whether religion should be public or privatized in schools. This essay will explain the history and background of religion in public schools, the views of conservative and liberal elites on religion, and whether the issue of religion in the education system will increase or decrease in the years to come. Section II. – History and Background of Religion in School There are many public schools in the United States that are guilty of including religious activities in their curriculum at a certain time of the day, whether it be a morning prayer or even the Pledge of Allegiance, as some have supported. But where should the line be drawn on what is too much? How can there be an impartial decision about what should be limited and what should be allowed in the public education system? There are many private schools in the United States that hold a class prayer or group prayer broadcast throughout the school. The question is: should the same school prayer also be held in public school systems? In this case the problem arises when you have a classroom full of students of different religious faiths and you broadcast throughout the sc...... middle of paper ......what shouldn't. A line needs to be drawn between what is acceptable and what is not; the only problem is where to place it. For many, including myself, keeping religion out of the public eye is best to maintain peace and avoid future conflicts caused by religious clashes. Works Cited Hennessey, J. & McConnell, A. (2008). First Amendment. The Constitution of the United States: A graphic adaptation (pp. 23-24). New York: Hill and Wang. Holm, J. L. (1975). Teaching religion at school: a practical approach. London: Oxford University Press. The Holy Bible (pp. 6.5-6). (2008). Matthew 6,5-6. Chicago: North American Publisher. Marshall, P. (2001, January 12). Religion in schools. CQ Researcher, 11, 1-24. Retrieved from http://0-library.cqpress.com.library.svsu.edu/cqresearcher/Wilson, M. (2006). World religion. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.