Religion & American Law

Blood, Sweat and...Prayers?

In many areas across the United States, high school football is what brings people together to celebrate an awesome tradition. For years, families have attended these events and cheered for their teams as these young athletes compete against their rivals in a game filled with struggle and passion. Although many of us are devoted to the point that it seems to be a religious occasion, few of us actually associate football to Christianity. Kentucky is a part of the Bible belt which is also a football dominated region in America. In Lexington, Kentucky in the Bell County public school district, it was tradition that the Lord’s Prayer be read aloud before each football game. A local minister would ask that everyone in attendance bow their heads and say the lords prayer with him. This tradition was brought to question, and eventually put to an end by the Freedom from Religion Foundation (letter of complaint) who was wholeheartedly against this practice. It should come as no surprise that many dedicated High School football fans are outraged by this new development. In DeSoto County, Mississippi parents and students stood up after the National Anthem and chanted the Lord’s Prayer while wearing T-shirts that read, “DeSoto County for Prayer” in order to promote their right to pray wherever they please. Obviously, the Lord’s Prayer is a demonstration of Christianity making several references to Jesus and “the Lord”, and it is quite clear in our constitution that no public school “can organize, sponsor, [or] lead prayers.” We have removed prayer from school and taken away “under God” in the pledge of allegiance; I am shocked that this tradition was not eliminated sooner. It is a blatant endorsement of religion, “which violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”

Although I do agree that it is a violation of the First Amendment, and I find it inappropriate to say a prayer (affiliated with a specific Church) at a public event sponsored by a government funded public school; I think it is unfortunate that a tradition such as this, which unites a community in such a powerful way, has to be eliminated because of one group’s displeasure. I find myself asking, is this the only example of religious display at public sporting events in our great country?

At the Baltimore Ravens home opener this season on Sunday September 11, Proud to be an American will be sung and nearly every one of the 71,000 fans in attendance will proudly sing along, “and I gladly STAND UP next to you...God Bless the USA!” Who’s God? Does every fan believe in the same God? The United States of America still holds a National Day of Prayer as a national holiday where the President signs a proclamation encouraging Americans to pray on that day. Pray for what, pray to whom? What are the atheists supposed to do?

How can a small town in Kentucky not be allowed to pray at a High School football game, but at a sporting event observed by hundreds of thousands people be allowed to sing the words “God Bless the USA”. How can the President of the United States sign a document encouraging every American citizen to go and pray to their respective deity?

The Baltimore Ravens and the NFL are both privately funded organizations that play host to public events, and are not government funded. It is therefore not a violation of the First Amendment for them to play such religious lyrics at their events. The United States’ National Day of Prayer is not directed toward any one religion but to all religions, and there is no law forcing anyone to pray. The Bell County high school is a government funded organization, however, and the Lord’s Prayer is a central text in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Reading this over the p.a. system and asking others to join in at a public high school football game is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

About : Raja CRN

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