When is "voluntary" prayer not so voluntary?

[theHandpuppet]

This is an issue that really irks me -- prosthelytizing in sports. When the mantra of "team" is drilled into the heads of young men and women (and especially men), at what point does any individual player feel free not to participate in a team activity, even if it's described as "voluntary"? Where does the non-Christian or atheist or GLBT player fit within this "team" concept, one that extends way beyond what's happening on the playing field? Isn't it difficult enough for these young people to feel as if they fit in?

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/university-of-cincinnati/2014/08/21/uc-football-prayer-valued-voluntary/14386737/
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Who says UC Bearcats don't have a prayer?
August 22, 2014

(excerpt)
Dantonio, for example, had Bible verses in his "Winner's Manual" that he distributed to players but said they weren't required to read them. When he was hired at Michigan State in November 2006, Dantonio declared at his first press conference that his relationship with God was more important to him than winning games.

Those kinds of things sometimes get public school coaches in hot water.

One such case occurred last April, when the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit, sent a letter of complaint to Clemson University regarding head football coach Dabo Swinney.

The complaint charged that Swinney and his staff had pushed too much Christian indoctrination into his program, and called it "unconstitutional behavior." The complaint urged the school to cease Swinney's emphasis on prayers, Bible studies and other religious activities, including busing players to local churches for Sunday services.... MORE at link above.

[onager]

1. Thanks! Yep, really inclusive...

"We don't push any type of religion," Tuberville said. "It's voluntary. We give them an option of on Sundays, we have something for guys that want to be involved.

"I think it's a really good way to bring a lot of people closer together, bring the whole team together as a family," Cogswell said.

Totally ignoring all the Off-Brand Religions who DON'T worship on Sundays, let alone the non-believers.

There really is no religious privilege like Xian privilege, especially here in One Nation Under Jebus. So privileged, they're totally blind to anything other than their own...uh..."whole team."

Here's an article about the Clemson story, which interested me because I grew up not far from Clemson. The article is from the local TV station in Spartanburg, SC. This is Upstate SC, redder than a baboon's ass and more religious than Jerusalem.

And once again, EVERYBODY is "voluntarily" forced to attend these shindigs. FCA is Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which sort of gives the whole thing away (again):

The FFRF also says that Swinney confirmed that the entire team would attend an FCA breakfast in December where three players would “testify,” and the team and coaches attended a church together in August 2011 and that Swinney regularly holds team devotionals that are organized by the chaplain and led by coaches.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/clemson-coach-dabo-swinney-responds-to-antireligion-groups-complaint/25617048#!bIbJlR

[AlbertCat]

2. Professional sports....

.... it's simply not a game any more. Too much money involved.
Money money money.... no wonder religion is also involved!


And the assumption that everyone wants to pray or believes is part of that religious privilege thing.


Look at AA and NA programs. They are religious ceremonies....even if it says "as you know him" after every mention of god. They don't mean it. Just like the coach doesn't mean "you don't have to read it" (or that thing about his relationship with god...he'd rather win)

Tacking on a lame and insincere disclaimer seems to take care of it all in their minds.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. I don't even lower my head when some group prayer is going on.

Not my circus, not my monkey.

[mr blur]

4. Good Lord!

Such disrespect

Just...wow!

[Warren Stupidity]

5. I don't participate in any group chanting activities.

I don't care if it is the pledge of allegiance, god bless America, or any of the other religious and/or nationalistic public loyalty demonstrations, I hate all of them. It is all crap designed to program group behavior.

[Cartoonist]

6. Show me an instance

of an atheist pulling this shit. My non-relationship with a being no one has proven to exist is more important to me than evangelizing about it. Why can't the religious respect anyone else's rights?

[Curmudgeoness]

7. I think that it would be a real problem

for players who are not doing the "team player" thing with his religion pushing.

But it isn't just in sports where voluntary prayer is not voluntary. If I go to our county Democratic meetings, they pray. When I get up and leave prior to the prayer and stay out until they are done, I get hostile looks from the whole room and lots of little remarks. I have suggested that a Christian prayer is not appropriate, and have been told that I am "the only person who has any problem with it" and I should just show some respect and just stand quietly and think of whatever I want to think about. I should show some respect for everyone else. Voluntary.