In my opinion, praying in the center of a school stadium is a political act, not an act of faith; it pressures students to pretend to agree with a religion to be sure they get maximum playing time.
For a Christian, our prayer should be guided by the words of our Lord Jesus (Matthew, Chapter 6, verses 1,5, and 6) “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. … when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
As a religious act, personal prayer should occur in private not even in the synagogue or church! Certainly not in the middle of a football field full of people whose beliefs we do not know and may not share, or whom we are trying to convert. Praying on the football field is exactly like praying on the street corner. It is about being the center of attention, not about honoring the Lord. Surely a Christian would follow Jesus’ words about when and where to pray.
Steve Condit
Everett
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