- 01:46 AM
- 11/22/24
For the most part, this seems like overzealous parents superemposing there issues onto them, while most of them could care less one way or the other...... I was not speaking of myself....I meant the board at large, especially the extreme stuff, and I should have said projecting their issues onto their children. Meaning, ask most kids and they could care less, they don't have a well formed religous or non-religious stance and even when they do, it's obviously a reflection of the parents. I just remember as a child athlete appreciating that moment in which the coach(es) wished us well and wished us safe and so forth. It made me feel good, genuinely. O.K., maybe a little bit I am speaking of myself in the projecting statement, but, what other reference do I have, I cannot speak for children, noone knows what they are thinking. :-) You get my point though, we care a lot more than most kids/young adults. Most ridiculing I witnessed in sports was against kids that had inferior talent, not kids that acted different. If your the best kid on the team you can pray to satan and noone would care.
posted by inhimitrust at 12:47 AM on October 13, 2005
"Subjecting to" is such a painful sounding thing....It must be terrible for a child to hear an adult praying for there safety and well being to a God they do not believe in. They could just as well be saying I sure hope noone gets hurt. I played football growing up and can never remember not praying before a game, but, that's just me.....also, coach never said repeat after me or else, it was always him praying outloud. We said amen when he finished!!! I would counter that it is naive to think/assume that it's a hyper real danger and every time we pray it's a chance for someone to be hurt by such activity. Kids are subjected to all sorts of real world terrible things, I just don't see how this is one of them. That all being said....I would agree that people (children especially) should not be made to feel isolated and or singled out, although I have never seen this in practical application. The best idea I heard on this board was for a minute of silence. During which one may ponder, pray, focus, whatever. This seems fairly reasonable. For the most part, this seems like overzealous parents superemposing there issues onto them, while most of them could care less one way or the other......
posted by inhimitrust at 11:37 PM on October 12, 2005
How do you think any players who avoided the prayer would be treated by the coach and the other majority of players who participated in the prayer? This is not realistic. I think if a player went and told a coach that he was uncomfortable with the prayer and wanted to be excluded, the coach would go out of his way to accomodate him/her, especially in todays society. It's not like we (secular society) are lynching people for not bowing there heads or anything. Coaches play kids based on ability and attitude (grades, etc) and sometimes they let bad attitudes go, but mistreating or not playing them because they are not praying, come on.......I grew up playing organized sports and I coach today, this is not realistic....how can someone call themselves christians if they do not promote acceptance and understanding.......
posted by inhimitrust at 10:59 PM on October 12, 2005
o.k. - allow me one shame on you! If you give/receive presents on Christmas (Christ Birthday celebration) and then come out to sites like this and blast prayer, religion, etc., then SHAME ON YOU!!!! You have no dignity and no right to have such an opinion until you stand behind it!!!
posted by inhimitrust at 10:39 PM on October 12, 2005
If you get vouchers, you're not privatizing it. You're appropriating my tax dollars to pay for your kids' private schooling. Opt in, or opt out. Nope, I would be appropriating "my" tax dollars to pay for my kids private schooling. As it is, everyone keeps saying go private if you want prayer in school. Well, I did. I am not infringing on anyone and no one is infringing on me. However, the way I see it, because I pay for my kids school, I am subsidizing your kid's education with my tax dollars when all I want is to have that grow up in a god filled world, rather than godless, the people are much happier and hopeful (less bitter). Funny thing is aslo, some parents send there non-catholic kids to my kid's catholic school and subject them to theology/religion, etc. because it's the cheapest of the nearby private schools. I will say this. I want God in my life(and my childrens) and in all I do. However, I do not want to hurt/isolate, etc. other people in the process (that would of course be against who I strive to be), so, some solution must be had to suit all parties, it cannot be all one way or the other. Can anyone see how that is unfair???
posted by inhimitrust at 10:28 PM on October 12, 2005
May God Bless each of you non-believers that you may see the error of your ways! I truely mean that! The coach is no quitter, he held the job for 23 years. He was the constant in that football program. I am sure students, teachers, and even principles came and went in that time. You know, it's only been in the last few years that this has become such a huge issue. It makes me all the happier that I have sent my kids to Catholic School. We should get vouchers for school and privatize it so that I can go my way and embrace God in all that I do and those who do not believe may go on non-believing without me distracting or isolating them. Yes, of course prayer is for safety, strength, discipline, etc, not for victory (at least not primarily for victory). One parting thought related to the statements regarding how bad religion is. It is like the saying that guns don't kill people, people kill people. Religion does not kill people, fanatical idiots (likely insane) whom claim to be religious or driven by God, kill people. Noone has ever been stabbed, shot, beaten, frozen, poisoned, strangled, or otherwise physically injured by religion. I know a lot of wonderful people and they are all true men and woman of God (although none of them perfect and none thinhk they are). Some of you just need to expand your circle of associates.
posted by inhimitrust at 09:30 PM on October 12, 2005
Coach resigns after high school bans pregame prayer
One last thought.....If I coach for 23 years, and during that time I pray before all games over my team, after 23 years you better believe it's my team, and then some know it all decides that what I have been doing for 23 years is suddenly unacceptable by todays PC standards and I want to quit over it. The people who want to call me a quitter or ridicule me for standing up not just for what I believe, but, for "my way", could kiss my ass I would have to say! Also, what the heck are we talking about, it's prayer before FOOTBALL!!!!! Each year, kid's die at practices preparing to play football and kid's die in games. Adults die in games. Simple changes could save some lives, but, we spend our time debating the malice of prayer, which, as of yet has not killed anyone. You don't even have to wear pads and a helmet for protection to do it. It's generally pain free. What we are really debating here is the existence of God and the perception of atheist that my vocal, public belief in God is an infringement on their right not to believe.