Consider a debate over whether prayer should be allowed in public schools. Explain what logic can and cannot do in this debate.

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Logic can do very little for us in this debate.  This is because most of the major issues in this debate have to do with things that cannot be proven right or wrong through logic.

This debate centers largely on two issues.  First, it centers on whether the United States was created as a Christian nation.  This is a matter of opinion and not a matter of logic.  Second, it centers on whether prayer in public schools will lead to better morals and other positive results for students.  This, too, is something that cannot be proven.  This argument would go something like this: "prayer makes people more moral, therefore having students pray will make them better people."  But we cannot prove that prayer makes people more moral.  Therefore, logic cannot tell us if this is a good argument.

In this debate, logic can do very little for us because the main points of the debate do not rest on logic but on opinion.

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