why do christians in the U.S. always say they are not allowed to pray in public?

Persecution complex.

The prohibition is against government entities, such as schools, forcing prayer upon people. Otherwise, people may pray anytime they want as long as they are not disrupting the rights of other people.

And, contrary what @no1home2day said, the ACLU has frequently fought for the rights of the religious to say prayers and engage in other religious activities in the proper venue. The problem is that Christians seem to think that they have the right to force their prayers upon others.

When i attended Sunday school when i was Catholic, i was told that it was not the laws of the state that prevented us from praying in public. It was just a matter of the religion that was supposed to try to be as discreet as possible about praying and not display it to the whole world by YELLING your prayers.

That is very true because the constition gives us freedom of speech, however you forget how corrupt the government has become. Christians still do pray in public but some places are trying to prohibit it. We also arent suppose to have to pay all these damn taxes but They threaten us if we dont we go to jail.

Well they want to do it in schools and other places that are funded by the government which means they should have no religious bend. Most christians who want public prayer only want their own prayers; bring up things like muslim or hindu prayers and they'll be against that like a evangelical on a picket line in front of an abortion clinic.

There are public Church groups, pray privately is written for God knows those that are His and your reward will be in accordance with what was Done for He that Does The Will enter The Kingdom and no one goes to Heaven except The One who came from Heaven who Speaks concerning what He has Seen and Heard for The Will of God is The Resurrection Life Light of peoples.

Matthew 6:5

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

No, its the location that varies. For example, prayer can't be led by faculty or teachers. Students can however. THat is bulls@it in my opinion, because its a strip of freedom of speech.

Well the ones that complain really want the right to make other people pray.

When I was a Christian and i faced a test,i could always talk quietly to my God and ask for help.I did not see a problem.

What is meant by that is prayer in public schools is banned.