WAG Teams Praying before/during meets

[SurpriseGymMom]

Bachflyer. Agree 100% on that! I respect people who have faith, any faith, I just fail to see why some feel the need to constantly broadcast it...

 

[LindyHopper]

Religion has no place in politics, sports or school. With the exception of learning about ALL religions around the world, equally.

I believe that there is a huge difference between people oppresively pushing their religion on others (not acceptable) and quietly evangelizing in a one on one conversation with someone who one feels may be open to such a discussion. To me, as a Christian, I am called to live my life as a Christian to the best of my ability, and be willing to answer questions or clear up misconceptions about my faith. That is the best form of evangilzation in my mind. I'm not some sort of recruiter who goes out and talks about it all the time. The more someone loudly broadcasts how incredibly Christian they are, the more I start to wonder about the veracity of those claims.

That said, although I don't think it would bug me if a few teammates (of any faith) who were close chose to quietly pray together before a meet, any sort of mandated team prayer would bother me a little (and if that's the case, it should be in the team contract so everyone knows up front.) And it would bother me, knowing how many faiths, including having no faith, could be represented, if a meet was an open invitational and there was a prayer the whole crowd was tacitly expected to participate in. Not the time or place.

But yet one more point I would like to make that I first made when a Buddhist friend was being treated very unfairly because of his faith by two athiests (and by no means do these two represent athiests to me. Most athiests would never say what these two were saying). We have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. A person's faith (whatever it may be) is part of who they are, and it is as unfair to ask them to deny and hide it in public (unless of course they are being boorish and oppressive--ie mandating prayer) as it is to force an unknowing someone into a situation where they will be expected to participate in something religious. I think personal expressions of faith (of any faith)--even in public-- that are sincere, rather than pandering are acceptable.

But then, I'm a rare bird.

 

[BachFlyer]

I believe that there is a huge difference between people oppresively pushing their religion on others (not acceptable) and quietly evangelizing in a one on one conversation with someone who one feels may be open to such a discussion. To me, as a Christian, I am called to live my life as a Christian to the best of my ability, and be willing to answer questions or clear up misconceptions about my faith. That is the best form of evangilzation in my mind. I'm not some sort of recruiter who goes out and talks about it all the time. The more someone loudly broadcasts how incredibly Christian they are, the more I start to wonder about the veracity of those claims.

That said, although I don't think it would bug me if a few teammates (of any faith) who were close chose to quietly pray together before a meet, any sort of mandated team prayer would bother me a little (and if that's the case, it should be in the team contract so everyone knows up front.) And it would bother me, knowing how many faiths, including having no faith, could be represented, if a meet was an open invitational and there was a prayer the whole crowd was tacitly expected to participate in. Not the time or place.

But yet one more point I would like to make that I first made when a Buddhist friend was being treated very unfairly because of his faith by two athiests (and by no means do these two represent athiests to me. Most athiests would never say what these two were saying). We have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. A person's faith (whatever it may be) is part of who they are, and it is as unfair to ask them to deny and hide it in public (unless of course they are being boorish and oppressive--ie mandating prayer) as it is to force an unknowing someone into a situation where they will be expected to participate in something religious. I think personal expressions of faith (of any faith)--even in public-- that are sincere, rather than pandering are acceptable.

But then, I'm a rare bird.

I like everything you said.

 

[Gymmommy71]

Was at meet yesterday where they literally did a prayer over the announcements like before the national anthem for all to pay attention to - was a very Christian prayer w/ multiple mentions of Jesus. First time I’ve ever had that happen in all the kids activity events I’ve attended... So maybe this is a new trend.