This got me thinking a little about the places we hear prayers and some of the places we don't hear them. In the places we do hear them are they offensive? Are they badgering a non-believer to change? I don't think so. If I'm missing something then go ahead and leave me a comment.
Living in the "Bible belt" of America I have come to expect a prayer at most events. Every high school football game is preceded by a student on the field asking a prayer. Every city council meeting is started with a prayer (in my town). Anytime there is a group of people together for some event I would not be surprised if someone wanted to ask a prayer or a blessing before getting started. That's how we do things around here.
As I'm writing this I keep wondering if I wasn't a Christian would I be offended at these prayers? If the leaders of a group were all Jewish or Hindu and wanted to ask a prayer would I see this differently? I don't think I would. What we are talking about are simple "May God watch over the participants of this activity" type of prayers. This isn't a fifteen minute sermon ending in a call to the altar. Is it offensive to ask (a) God to watch over our activity?
NASCAR is getting ready to start up again in the next few weeks and if you turn on the coverage just before they announce, "Gentlemen! Start your engines!" you'll get to hear the invocation prayer given to the entire crowd and broadcast on television. I watched the Superbowl a few weeks ago and didn't hear anything like that. Does that make one better than another or one more right than the other?
No. It just shows that they have the right to choose if they want that in their event or not.
I know the school board is not NASCAR. I believe that the leaders of a group can choose to include a basic prayer if they choose too. I realize that NASCAR is not the school board. My point is that if a prayer was so offensive then would NASCAR continue the practice?
There are still a lot of places I hear prayers and I hope that the lawyers don't remove the school board meetings as one of those places.
I know the school board is not NASCAR. I believe that the leaders of a group can choose to include a basic prayer if they choose too. I realize that NASCAR is not the school board. My point is that if a prayer was so offensive then would NASCAR continue the practice?
There are still a lot of places I hear prayers and I hope that the lawyers don't remove the school board meetings as one of those places.
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