Do we really need this legislation?

As some conservative (perhaps George Will, if memory serves) once put it: As long as there are math tests, there will be prayer in public schools.

Indeed, there's prayer every day in every public school, but almost all of it is silent. That's only as it should be. Consider this admonition in the gospel of Matthew: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."

But that's not good enough for the theocratic crowd. They don't want kids deciding for themselves when to pray or doing so without a conspicuous designation of piety. They love public piety. They want government agents (which is what public school teachers are) to tell your children when to pray. If they could get away with it, they'd also like for these government agents to tell your kids how to pray. Oh, how they long to hear choruses of young voices singing the praises of God in public school classrooms.

But, of course, most of these theocrats recognize that open prayer in public school is a tough sell in the courts, what with all the heathen judges we have these days. So, their fall-back position is to promote moments of silence in the classroom during which students can ponder whatever they please, whether it's God (nudge-nudge) or not.

Here in Illinois, we already have a law allowing for moments of silence in public schools. But now, there's a proposal to make such moments mandatory.

Shouldn't it be up to parents, not school officials, to advise children on when, how and where to pray (or to have moments of silence during which prayers might be offered)? Why do the zealots insist on getting government involved in religion?