Should prayer be allowed at school sports events??

[I am a huge CUNT]

This was something that was an issue at my high school this football season. We are a non-catholic/whatever religion school. Just regular public school. I have no idea how I never posted this before. Anyways....

We would hold prayers in our locker room before our games (event happened with Varsity parent since I played JV too and nothing was said). Well, one kids dad didn't approve. The guy is the biggest jackass in the universe. Kind of like the guy who didn't want his daughter saying the pledge because it said "Under God".

Anyways, he contacted the school board and said it was inappropriate for us to be praying before the games. We were no longer allowed to do it.

Me, being a pretty religious guy on my own, I don't really go to church, but I pray all the time, was pretty pissed. I asked if the people who were okay with praying could still do it. It was denied.

So, on our homecoming night with a packed house of about 10,000, I ran 78 yards with no one close to me, and when I got to the endzone, I dropped the ball and went to a knee, prayed, and pointed to the sky afterwards. I got flagged for it, but as it turns out, the ref was a friend of the guy who tried to ban all of our religious displays.

Our coach wasn't mad at all, but he got right in that refs face for the penalty. He was proud that I stood up for something and I did it in a tasteful way.

The following Monday I got pulled into the office and the principal was actually pissed at me. Said I embarrassed the entire district and went against rules. Was out for 2 quarters of the next game by her ruling. Called her gay and got suspended for the day. Obviously the parents weren't upset and a lot of people actually complained and it made headlines locally. Prayer was allowed back for this basketball season.

So, do you think prayer should be allowed at high school sporting events?

I think it should no matter what. Some people call some ways distasteful but I think everyone has their own way of showing their faith. I mean I call myself a religious guy, but I hate going to church. I don't see a need. But I still pray.

What do you guys think? And was my act inappropriate?

[Just Blaze]

a lot of high school teams (hell, even college teams) pray before games. that's just apart of the game now I guess. I knew people who werent very religious that played high school football and before every game they'd pray alongside their teammates.

I'm glad to see you stand up for something like this and LOL'd when you called your principal gay. But i think you got flagged probably just for doin some form of celebration. When I watch high school ball, I dont see players do things in the endzone when they score- they just hand the ball to the ref and celebrate on the sidelines.

[I am a huge CUNT]

I didn't think it was really a celebration, but I guess it could have been taken that way.

I really did it to show support for the cause. Got a loud cheer from the fans.

[JacktheRipper]

As long as it isn't lead by a school official (like a coach in this case) I have no problem with it at all. I wouldn't care if it was by a school official but that would be against the whole seperation of Church and State thing. Yeah though, I'm assuming the prayer was lead by the students and that is completely fine.

Oh and your celebration of sorts was in good taste man.

[Buzz Killington]

Religious schools, fine. Public schools, individually, by your own volition, fine. Public schools where a coach or a person representing the school is leading the prayer, no.

And you kick ass for the celebration. So in a way, I could have copied Bama's post. But I'm too lazy to do that .

[Sportsbuck]

We pray before each and every game, led by one player. It's a sign of unity and your asking God to watch over you and protect your teammates. But then again it's optional. If you don't want your son to do it he can sit off to the side and be an outcast while the rest of us pray.

Damn Spartan, I give you a lot of props for doing the celebration and for having the balls to call the principal gay.

[ChisAto]

lol called the Principal gay.


But anyways we do it every game before it, at halftime, and after the game. We're just a regular public school, but we also do the Haka too, it's hella tight.

[Claytons Crew]

When I played we always prayed. Right before practice every day and every night of the game in the endzone...we were just a public school.

Now I coach an we still pray every day before practice and pray at the 50 yard line after they stretch before the game. We pray after the games as well.

Saying you can't pray is stupid.

[I am a huge CUNT]

Lets just say the principal and I do not get along. She was the one who suspended me for five days for talking about the hot teacher on myspace.

I really hadn't planned the celebration either. It kinda just popped into my head as I was about 5 yards from the endzone. There wasn't a ref around so I just dropped the ball. Knelt down, bowed the head, and did what I had to do, and pointed to the sky.

I also do the up, down, left, right thing that resembles a cross in front of my face after the national anthem and point to the sky. Then I get away from my teammates in the minutes before kickoff, and recite the lord's prayer in my head. Sometimes a teammate or to join me to say it out loud, but usually i go around 40-50 yards away on our sideline.

Parents give me props for doing it. If a teammate joins, I let them go and stay and do it once more for just me. Kind of a ritual.

[Keeper]

I understand why there's apprehension. Some kids, like me, wouldn't find it right to pray, and while we don't have a problem with other students doing it, it paints us as outcasts. My preference would be that people do it individually, or in small groups, it's just that when the whole team is doing it, and one player doesn't believe in that, it makes him an outsider for no real reason.

I think you're celebration was really classy, though calling a principal "gay" is entirely immature.

[Freak93]

Keeper put it very well. It is outrageous for anyone to be an outcast because they do not pray.

Also, I respect you Spartan for standing up for you beliefs, but calling your principal gay just brought it right back. You wanted to make a statement but then go and cross the line. On a smaller scale like this, it sort of gets by. However, if you have to deal with something larger, nobody will take you seriously when you do stuff like that. Hopefully your parents supported your celebration but not that outrageous comment.

[cooljayhu]

I think it should be allowed but not forced. If you want to go ahead, if you don't want to then don't do it.

[D-Mac]

We always pray before the game in the locker room, I got on my knees and prayed in mid game when my friend got hit so hard that i seriously thought he was paralyzed. However after I see the other team celebrating over my friend I went right over to their sideline and called their coach a fuckin faggot.

But still prayers should be allowed its not like its bad.

However wat u did Spartan I could see how it was penalty, I mean it was basically celebrating. I mean I think its tight that u did it, but i see why the refs called it.

[Sportsbuck]

I think referees are way too strict about celebration penalties. A player at Butler (Local Power) was suspended for a game earlier this season for pointing his finger to the sky after he scored a touchdown.

[Keeper]

kcswagga816 said:

We always pray before the game in the locker room, I got on my knees and prayed in mid game when my friend got hit so hard that i seriously thought he was paralyzed. However after I see the other team celebrating over my friend I went right over to their sideline and called their coach a fuckin faggot.

But still prayers should be allowed its not like its bad.

However wat u did Spartan I could see how it was penalty, I mean it was basically celebrating. I mean I think its tight that u did it, but i see why the refs called it.

Word choice.

[I am a huge CUNT]

keepereusc said:

I understand why there's apprehension. Some kids, like me, wouldn't find it right to pray, and while we don't have a problem with other students doing it, it paints us as outcasts. My preference would be that people do it individually, or in small groups, it's just that when the whole team is doing it, and one player doesn't believe in that, it makes him an outsider for no real reason.

I think you're celebration was really classy, though calling a principal "gay" is entirely immature.

Okay, yeah, maybe the principal comment was a little over the top, but it was kind of like an impulse and just sort of happened. I was pissed that I actually got in trouble for it and was going to have to sit out part of an important game for it. Normally I wouldn't have but, yeah I was still kind of pissed about the hot teacher thing.

But I think the outsider thing is ridiculous. I respect your opinion, but they choose to be an outsider. No one rejects them from our prayer even if we know they aren't religious. In fact, we feel more united when they actually join. No one wants to make them an outcast, they just choose to be. So I don't see the problem with that.

[jct32]

I think it should. People have the right to practice thier own religion, just as long as they don't force it upon other people to join them.

Props on the Celebration Spartan. I usually do a point towards the sky or something after I touch home in a baseball game.

[Freak93]

msuspartan2 said:

keepereusc said:

I understand why there's apprehension. Some kids, like me, wouldn't find it right to pray, and while we don't have a problem with other students doing it, it paints us as outcasts. My preference would be that people do it individually, or in small groups, it's just that when the whole team is doing it, and one player doesn't believe in that, it makes him an outsider for no real reason.

I think you're celebration was really classy, though calling a principal "gay" is entirely immature.

Okay, yeah, maybe the principal comment was a little over the top, but it was kind of like an impulse and just sort of happened. I was pissed that I actually got in trouble for it and was going to have to sit out part of an important game for it. Normally I wouldn't have but, yeah I was still kind of pissed about the hot teacher thing.

But I think the outsider thing is ridiculous. I respect your opinion, but they choose to be an outsider. No one rejects them from our prayer even if we know they aren't religious. In fact, we feel more united when they actually join. No one wants to make them an outcast, they just choose to be. So I don't see the problem with that.

So because one chooses not to pray they are the outsider by choice? If someone chooses not to do something they feel is stupid or outrageous, they are an outsider? By everyone praying except a few people, you are making outsiders. I am interpreting your statement as if you don't pray, you are an outsider, even if you think prayer is outrageous. Nobody should have to conform to something like prayer just to lose the outsider label.

[I am a huge CUNT]

I'm not saying that they should be an outsider because they don't stand for it, that's fine.

But isn't it their own choice to stay out of the prayer? No one is forcing them out of the prayer.

[Freak93]

msuspartan2 said:

I'm not saying that they should be an outsider because they don't stand for it, that's fine.

But isn't it their own choice to stay out of the prayer? No one is forcing them out of the prayer.

That is the thing though, they are not there to pray. They are there to be part of a team, play the sport. By engaging in prayer, you are keeping him outside. The only way for him to lose that label is to join in prayer. I don't pray at all, don't believe in God, and I would not join in the prayer, but yet still feel like an outsider. If this was the Roman Catholic Popes football team and then I didn't pray, I would understand. The point is, you are a non-religious school and prayer should not be there. If you want to do it with yourself or a teammate or to, then fine. However, the whole team doing it just isn't fair to those who don't believe in God.