Tennessee: Pregame prayer unconstitutional?

Tennessee officials defended the pregame prayer ritual at Neyland Stadium, which has drawn protests from one group.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, in response to a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation urging Tennessee to stop its ritual of pregame prayer, University of Tennessee officials ruled there is no violation of the U.S. Constitution with the invocation.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation argues that it should be discontinued on the principle of separation of state and church.

"This is a public university, not a Christian club. It's open to all comers and should be welcoming," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the foundation and author of the letter sent to Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, according to the News Sentinel. "When you're not religious or are of another faith and you get prayed at during events, it's really very grating. It's a sock in the gut for you to go for a sporting event and then be told to conform to someone else's religion."

Tennessee-Chattanooga replaced its pregame prayer with a moment of silence earlier this year.

According to the News Sentinel, university officials declined to elaborate on their stance until a formal response to the Freedom From Religion Foundation is completed.

Tennessee: Pregame prayer isn

 

A couple of things about this, then my feelings.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

I'm not an expert on the law, but wasn't the purpose of this statement to prevent the gov't from declaring a state religion i.e. the Church of England? There really isn't any prohibition on religion in public places, is there? and "separation of church and state" appears nowhere in the Constitution.

Secondly, I don't really understand why it's a "sock in the gut" or "grating" or how they're being forced to "conform to someone else's religion". Maybe I am just the possessor of an extremely laid-back personality, but it just isn't that hard for me to chill quietly or patiently ignore something going on that's not my thing. And oftentimes the prayer has been delivered on behalf of groups that I may have theological differences with, sometimes major ones. And it's also possible to just wait in the concourse I guess.

Thirdly, no one is forced to attend the football game.

Now, how do I really feel about it? Honestly, I'm probably going rogue on this a little bit. If UT decided to drop the prayer and adopt a moment of silence I won't raise hell about it. The truth is Christians (who I'd guess are going to be the biggest group freaking out about this) should be more passionate about their own prayer lives rather than a public one like this that (as I said before) I sometimes have theological differences with. I wouldn't be offended should they switch to a moment of silence, or just discontinue it altogether.

An interesting side discussion: I imagine a large percentage of the people who raise hell about the FRFF letter will be the same ones who freak out the first time the Muslim student group leads the prayer.

Further interesting side discussion: would the FRFF submit this letter following an Islamic prayer, and would the reaction be different?

 

Meh. Playing for the safety of the players. Sheesh. Just be considerate and let it go.

 

Not a fan of the prayers, but not for the same reasons as these folks. My issue is that generic, all-inclusive prayers to a generic 'god' are really no prayers at all.

 

agree with hallowed

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I am with most of you. Public posturing is not faith at all. Christ admonished us to not be like those that would do that stuff - to go into our closet to pray in private. I do not see this prayer as that big of deal or that effective. It would not offend me if a Muslim, Hindu, etc. prayed because it would not be effective either. You don't have to listen if you want to ignore it.

 

Road Trip, you are in my top 10 of best posters on here after 54 posts, keep it up.

 

He does take a very level headed view on the issues. RoadTrip, keep up the good work!!

 

Resolved.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/sep/19/ut-we-will-keep-offering-prayers-home-football-gam/

 

"We gots to pray jus ta make it today" - MC Hammer

 

In all honesty, I really can't think of a prayer in a long time that mentioned Jesus. I was surprised Saturday when someone actually said the Lord's Prayer as part of it.

 

at company where my wife works during a safety:

Boss: Guys what can we do to make things safer here
Worker: ask God to help keep us safe
Boss: ok, that's good. But how can we help him out?


as for the OP, man i am not religious/spiritual at all. But dang, seems like a small thing to worry over especially since it isn't really hurting anyone. When I am around people praying I just shut my mouth while they pray. Doesn't bother me one bit, doesn't hurt, doesn't need to be made into a problem. if some people couldn't whine and [itch bay] they'd have nothing to say

 

Getting philosophical and a bit metaphysical on your quest for 50. So proud.

 

3 more to go!

 

Wonder what this thread would be like if a muslim or wiccan led the prayer. What's that, it would never happen? Oh. Isn't that interesting.

 

You seem to not understand the word "interesting".

 

Just can't muster a bit of give a damn about this issue.

 

Oh, it is fascinating. We even have people in this thread who feel the prayer should be even more specific as to which god and under what understanding of him he is being approached by. Like the partially federally funded and state funded University of Tennessee should become Lutheran, Methodist, or Catholic. It isn't funny, it is horrific.

 

Who is saying the prayer "should" be more specific?

I have yet to see that in this thread. You're grasping at make believe straws IP.