Prayer before a nascar race

[mrveggieman]

I was flipping through the channels yesterday and stopped at a nascar race. They said a prayer before the race for the safety of the drivers and everyone involved. Since this is not a gov't sanctioned event I don't have a problem with this on a legal basis but I wonder if someone who wasn't a christian who was at the race would have a problem with this. Or better yet would you have a problem with this being show on tv? Hell I would rather have a prayer before a sporting event than the national athem if I had to chose. However if it were up to me I would scrap the prayer and national athem and just have a few minutes of silence before any sporting event. That way one can do whatever they need to do to get their mind right without offending anyone else. Your thoughts.

[JustAlex]

Well, firstly, I don't have a problem with it since as you said, it's not a government sponsored event and they can do as they please.

But honestly Veggie, I would rather not have a prayer or national anthem at sporting events.

I just don't see the point to it.

BTW did you know that they DON'T sing national anthems in Europe before soccer games?

They only do it in international events such as world cup games or the finals of a certain tournament.

I think they realize that it's simply not necessary, and also, many of their players are not from the country they are playing in.

Honestly, it just seems like a waste of time to me, I just want to see the game already.

[mrveggieman]

Well, firstly, I don't have a problem with it since as you said, it's not a government sponsored event and they can do as they please.

But honestly Veggie, I would rather not have a prayer or national anthem at sporting events.

I just don't see the point to it.

BTW did you know that they DON'T sing national anthems in Europe before soccer games?

They only do it in international events such as world cup games or the finals of a certain tournament.

I think they realize that it's simply not necessary, and also, many of their players are not from the country they are playing in.

Honestly, it just seems like a waste of time to me, I just want to see the game already.

I agree 100% with you. However some people may need a couple of moments before an event to get their mind right so a moment of silence would be perfect without endorsing Christanity such as what occured in the prayer before the nascar race or promoting US propaganda as with signing the national anthem. Keep the anthem for international events and not in domestic sports.

[MadMan1978]

Would that mean you are not in favor of the morning Prayer in the US House and Senate?

[mrveggieman]

Would that mean you are not in favor of the morning Prayer in the US House and Senate?

They can pray in private. If the want to do something in public a moment of silence would be more suitable. Politicians seem to forget that they represent all of us not just the people who share their same religious views.

[MadMan1978]

They can pray in private. If the want to do something in public a moment of silence would be more suitable. Politicians seem to forget that they represent all of us not just the people who share their same religious views.

I guess you dont watch C-Span- The prayer is an open prayer and is given at the mic so all in the chamber can hear.

[mrveggieman]

I guess you dont watch C-Span- The prayer is an open prayer and is given at the mic so all in the chamber can hear.

Not as much as I should lol. Nice gesture but I'm sure that somebody still gets their feathers ruffled over it. A moment of silence is much better because even if you allow mutiple styles of prayer someone will still be left out and find something to complain about.

[Wickabee]

How about they just drop the flag / kick the ball / drop the puck / tip the ball / whatever and get the game started to save us all a couple of precious minutes that could be better spent in anthem singing, prayer or any other form of controlling a mass.

[ajcorleone]

OR if it bothers everyone just take those extra 2 minutes and use the bathroom or make your popcorn then you can miss prayer and the national anthem.

[xpucksx]

I don't mind the national anthem - either because I am used to it, or because during that time when everybody else is waxing patriotic, I wax nostalgic about the game/or event, and how it spans all of these differences to bring large groups of people together. It has been a VERY long time since I have been able to say that I am proud to be American - I definitely feel lucky that I am - but I don't participate in the blind patriotism cause right now I am unsure whether I want to be part of the "Red, White and Brainwashed" masses. I am very proud and humbled by the Generations before me, and I throw my repsect out to that era, but the recent generations - including mine - have made it hard for me to feel the same kind of "warm fuzzies"

I think what it is is a time where the people all remember that:
1. we are lucky to live in a place where we have the luxury time to enjoy these events
2. that, while the game/event at hand is big, it is not bigger than most other things in life
3. since these events are places where large groups of people who are different can find a common bond, it is a good time to realize that fact

It might be cool instead to have fan interviews saying what makes the event special to them, or if the teams have a "team song" to sing that then?

i guess in the end, I don't ever get my pants in a bunch about this stuff because it is a waste of my time to go around and wave the "offended" flag every time something happens that I don't agree with. To each his own I guess.