GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe that prayer does not belong in schools, regardless of who initiates and leads it. The case involved the constitutionality of student-led prayer broadcast over the public address system before high school football games. In general, the public disagrees with the court regarding this issue. When asked about allowing students to say prayers as part of the official program at graduation ceremonies, 83% of Americans favor the idea and just 17% are opposed.
Survey Methods
The results below are based on telephone interviews with a randomly
selected national sample of 1,016 adults, 18 years and older,
conducted June 25-27, 1999. For results based on this sample, one
can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error
attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus
3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can
introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.
Next I'm going to read a variety of proposals concerning religion and public schools. For each one, please tell me whether you would generally favor or oppose it. First, ... . Next, ... . [RANDOM ORDER]
| A. Making public school facilities available after school hours for use by student religious groups | |
| Favor | 78% |
| Oppose | 21 |
| No opinion | 1 100% |
| B. Allowing public schools to display the Ten Commandments | |
| Favor | 74% |
| Oppose | 24 |
| No opinion | 2 100% |
| C. Allowing students to say prayers at graduation ceremonies as part of the official program | |
| Favor | 83% |
| Oppose | 17 |
| No opinion | * 100% |
| D. Using the Bible in literature, history, and social studies classes | |
| Favor | 71% |
| Oppose | 28 |
| No opinion | 1 100% |
| E. Allowing daily prayer to be spoken in the classroom | |
| Favor | 70% |
| Oppose | 28 |
| No opinion | 2 100% |
| F. Teaching creationism ALONG WITH evolution in public schools | |
| Favor | 68% |
| Oppose | 29 |
| No opinion | 3 100% |
| G. Teaching creationism INSTEAD OF evolution in public schools | |
| Favor | 40% |
| Oppose | 55 |
| No opinion | 5 100% |
The Gallup World Poll gives you the power to know - and act on - what the world is thinking.