Some guy is saying a public prayer at the Army Navy game.

[pangaia]

Is that legal????

Fuck that shit...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. It ought not to be legal, in my opinion.

And even if legal, this sort of public praying shouldn't be happening.

[malchickiwick]

2. They love to ignore what Jesus actually said, i.e.:

"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 ... When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray ... in secret." Matthew 6: 5-6.

[mountain grammy]

3. Thought I read somewhere trump would be there

Let us pray with chik fil a....

[yeoman6987]

4. It's legal

The military says prayers at a lot of events.

[pangaia]

7. humm.. i find it hard to believe that it is legal,, but...

Is it always a christian prayer?

[yeoman6987]

8. Typically a Christian chaplain says the prayers

I'm sure rabbis and Iman do to but there are so few of them in the military.

[pangaia]

9. I mean at the game..

[yeoman6987]

12. I've been to many home games in Annapolis and I never saw a prayer said

However, I never attended an army navy game so not sure if this unique to just this annual game.

[Kingofalldems]

21. Too bad there is a traitor attending the game.

His name is Trump.

[BigDemVoter]

26. ALWAYS. Have you ever heard any public prayer WITHOUT Jesus's name included?

I certainly haven't.

[pangaia]

5. Army had a gaggle of helicopters fly over.

Navy had some jets. I though the navy had ships.
Why didn't they have an air craft carrier?

[ret5hd]

10. Because there's more airplanes in the ocean than ships in the sky.

Just sayin'.

[pangaia]

24. :)) Wise guy..

[Travis_0004]

14. logistics.

I also imagine the logistics of an aircraft carrier flyover would be very difficult.

[stopbush]

6. Being a Xian in this country has devolved into

an "in your face!" expression of the position of unwarranted privilege that sorry belief system is afforded in this country.

[11 Bravo]

27. I'm a Christian. Let me know if any of my posts have ...

caused you to suffer unnecessary angst.

[stopbush]

29. Religious belief is a conceit the world can no longer afford.

[rug]

30. Then it is your duty to eliminate it.

Go ahead.

[stopbush]

31. It's on its way out. It's the natural course of things.

Stupidities get harder to hold onto the longer they're recognized as stupidities

[rug]

32. Actually, its numbers are bigger than ever globally.

If you indeed believe the world can no longer afford religious belief, assuming you're not simply posturing on the internet, you are assuming the duty to step up. Calling religious beliefs, anonymously, "stupidities" doesn't really do it.

[11 Bravo]

34. In your amazingly-less-than-humble opinion?

You've got several billions of people to convince. Get to work.

[stopbush]

35. I am getting to work, starting right here at DU.

People want to post their religious shit here, I'm going to push back, here.

You have a right to believe whatever religious bullshit you want. I have every right to call it bullshit. I have no problem with your right to believe bullshit, but it is bullshit.

[11 Bravo]

37. And if you think that shitting on the beliefs of left-leaning ...

people of faith is going to straighten things out, I say, "Go for it!"

Merry Christmas.

[onenote]

38. so I take it you will never vote for someone who professes to a religious belief?

Hell, Trump's probably less of a Christian, both in practice and in his beliefs, than Clinton.

[stopbush]

39. Oh, Trump is a real Xian, just like Hillary is a real Xian.

Hillary is a better person than Trump. Has nothing to do with religion.

[libtodeath]

11. It should not be legal

If on our airwaves then it is a violation of the first amendment.

[onenote]

20. So anytime a prayer is on television or radio it's a violation of the First Amendment?

I don't think you can find any support for that in any case law.

I guess the televised funerals of JFK and RFK were unconstitutional then.

[WillowTree]

28. How would that possibly violate the First Amendment?

Because, according to you, people whose beliefs are different than yours don't have First Amendment rights?

Hint: Your First Amendment rights are not violated by someone else exercising theirs, even if you find their thoughts or beliefs offensive. We are granted no right, express or implied, to never be offended.

[brooklynite]

13. Are football games Government events?

Is the game occurring on Government property?

[pstokely]

36. most stadiums are public property supported by taxpayers

nt

[TrekLuver]

15. The separation of Church and State is a joke.

[Drahthaardogs]

16. Really with everything else going on

Who cares?

[pangaia]

17. I know. I was just trying to change the topic for a bit.

[Drahthaardogs]

18. For me, I don't really care if folks say a prayer

Be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish... whatever. Saying kind words hoping for good things and protection from harm just does not offend me. Now, I may not join in, but well wishes are welcome in Drahthaardogs world, no matter what form they take.

[UTUSN]

19. If not now, soon, it will be DRUMPF's name being addressed in the prayers. n/t

[jalan48]

22. He's praying the already bloated Defense budget gets increased.

All that money for weapons contractors. Yee Haw!

[Brother Buzz]

23. Was it, perhaps, a Navy Chaplain?

Army has a ton of them, too, but Navy was the home team so I would would assume they would choose one

[pangaia]

25. YIKES THAT IS BIG !!!!!!!!!!

[rug]

33. Here's some law on the subject.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43188.pdf

Jump to page 13.

What's peculiar about the Army-Navy game is that it's considered a military activity. Attendance of cadets is mandatory, subject to requests to be excused. Therefore, the practice invokes not only the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause but, believe it or not, the War Powers Clause.

Consequently, “when a matter provided for by Congress in the exercise of its war power and implemented by the Army appears reasonably relevant and necessary to furtherance of our national defense it should be treated as presumptively valid and any doubt as to its constitutionality should be resolved ... in favor of deference to the military’s exercise of discretion.” Katcoff v. Marsh, 755 F.2d 223 (2d Cir. 1985).

So, make attendance voluntary and it's once again a football game on government property, in which government-led prayer violates the Establishment Clause, and is no longer the frontline of defense against terrorism.