Trying To Ban Prayer
Don’t ban post-game prayers...teach tolerance and humanity and character instead...COMPROMISE
High School football coach draws criticism over post-game prayer
I read an article in the paper about people up in arms because a coach says prayers after practices and games. The people in this article talked about separation of church and state and how it puts those children not of the same religion as the coach in a bad position. On and on it talks about rights and freedom and how the kids are affected and can't speak out, however, some of the kids were talked to and found the prayers to be a time of bonding and good for the team spirit.
Where am I going with this? What am I thinking? I am only trying to stress that people should use their energy to fight those things that truly affect us in a bad way...like what, you ask? Just look all around you and on the news and you will no longer need to ask.
After reading the article about a coach receiving criticism for post-game prayer I was very disheartened. Yes, there should be a separation of church and state, however, our young people need good role models.
I, as have many of you, have watched for many years as religion has been a foundation for wars all over the world. 9/11, for instance, was because of extreme religious beliefs. I have read in history books about how this country was founded on the freedom of religion that we all have today. Where are the coach's rights in all of this? We can stand up and speak out against anything due to the Constitution and "Freedom of Speech". Is this not the coach's right, also? Does he lose this right because he is a coach? A teacher?
Good character, good men, good women, are all of the things we want for our children, are they not? How about a suggestion, instead of banning prayer from games can we have a rabbi come or someone from the Hindu religion stand up and pray with the team after a game, or have a "non-believer" speak after a game? Have some games with just a moment of silence? Would that make it politically correct? Why make something (Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist) founded on the basis of good humanity and good character just go away because you do not believe in the way that someone is praying or you believe that prayer should not be a part of an event? In doing this you, yourself, are pushing your beliefs on others. Where is your separation of church and state? Stop fighting things that portray goodness and kindness and open your minds and think of ways that you can bring everyone together and teach them that all religions and no religion is alright. Only people of high character can compromise and come to a middle ground. We can teach our kids through all religions, let's take the opportunity and do so. Why criticize those individuals that are teaching our children through being examples of good character and humanity in all that they do everyday? This, as it seems to me, is what this coach and all of the coaches like him are doing.
