Jack Hibbs revives debate over 'The New School Prayer'

Pastor Jack Hibbs has brought new attention to “The New School Prayer,” a poem long circulated with disputed authorship and a history that stretches back more than 60 years. The discussion is now less about who wrote it and more about how its message fits current arguments over prayer and religious expression in schools.

Why it matters: - The poem has become a proxy for broader fights over prayer in public schools and the limits of religious expression. - Its uncertain origin matters because the poem has been shared for years as if it came from a real student, which can shape how readers interpret its message. - Jack Hibbs uses the poem to argue that students may speak more freely than adults when traditional Christian beliefs are under pressure.

What happened: - Pastor Jack Hibbs, senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, included “The New School Prayer” in his book, Living in the Daze of Deception. - Hibbs places the poem in a chapter section titled “The New Tolerance Decides What Is Tolerated.” - Hibbs frames the poem in the context of what he sees as a growing hostility to openly expressing traditional Christian beliefs. - The poem begins: “Now I sit me down in school, where praying is against the rule.” - The poem and its reported history are available in a Lead Stories fact check.

The details: - Hibbs writes that mentioning Jesus can lead to accusations of intolerance because of Christian claims about Jesus being “the way, the truth, and the life.” - Hibbs also writes that bowing one’s head and praying “in Jesus’ name” can be treated as offensive and divisive. - Hibbs says the poem had been credited to an anonymous student. - The poem’s history has been discussed in earlier coverage from Lead Stories and Snopes. - The media reference list also cites Engel v. Vitale, the U.S. Department of Education guidance on prayer and religious expression in public schools, and Hibbs’ book. - WCNi News Service says it does not take a position on the poem’s truth or meaning.

Between the lines: - The authorship dispute is part of the story, but the larger point is the poem’s reuse as a political and religious message. - By spotlighting an unattributed student voice, Hibbs can present the poem as evidence of cultural conflict without needing to prove who wrote it. - The poem’s longevity suggests it continues to resonate because it can be read as both a prayer argument and a commentary on free expression.

What's next: - The poem may continue circulating as a rhetorical tool in debates over school prayer. - Any new evidence about the poem’s origin would likely shift the discussion from symbolism back to authorship. - For now, the controversy is likely to remain focused on interpretation rather than resolution.

The bottom line: - “The New School Prayer” is less a settled historical artifact than an enduring argument about religion, schools and who gets to speak first.