Just Sue Me!?

Question

From the TIMES RECORD NEWS, Wichita Falls, Texas:
By: NICK GHOLSON
Some people, it seems, get offended way too easily. I mean, isn't that what all this prayer hullabaloo is all about - people getting offended? Those of us in the majority are always tippy-toeing around, trying to make sure we don't step on the toes or hurt the feelings of the humorless. And you can bet there's a lawyer standing on every corner making sure we don't.

Take this prayer deal. It's absolutely ridiculous. Some atheist goes to a high school football game, hears a kid say a short prayer before the game and gets offended.

So he hires a lawyer and goes to court and asks somebody to pay him a whole bunch of money for all the damage done to him. You would have thought the kid kicked him in the crotch. Damaged for life by a 30-second prayer? Am I missing something here?

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. And we are in the Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.

If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. .. Call your lawyer.

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Nor do I believe that not praying will result in more serious injuries on the field or more fatal car crashes after the game. In fact, I'm not so sure God would even be at all these games if he didn't have to be. That's just one of the downsides of omnipresence. If God really liked sports, the Russians would never have won a single gold medal, New York would never play in a World Series and Deion Sanders' toe would be healed by now.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights.

Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us just to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us.

And if that last sentence offends you, well--just sue me.

Answer 1

OK

MO

Answer 2

There is a HUGE responsibility. Responsibility for our thoughts. Any thoughts is a "prayer" no matter how we call it. It works in any sense. The more you repeat a thought the sooner it reflects from the Universe. That's the point. Christians pray, atheists say " i will make it, I will make it, ... " The efect is still and everytime the same. Everybody has his own way of prayer or mantra or ... If someone is not able to understand it and to respect it, is not your blame. That's the reason I gave up any commentary and just ignore ignorance. Instead I speak with God. I saved plenty of time for God for example right this way. Guess it is more sensible activity. Be sure that some people critisise me even for this. There is no help for them. Bless You for Your care. I know plenty of atheist which believe in spirit of nature which is Holy Spirit for us and are respectable and tolerant. Think better of them if a may suggest and you will avoid "plain" sadness and wasting of time. Have a nice day !

Answer 3

There is alot about this article that is wrong.

Atheists don't care less if or who you kneel before. We do object to being coerced into taking part in religion.

Let me give you an example:

If you went to school and got selected to play in a sports team. But before each game you were told to give praise to Satan. And if you don't, you can't play. Why? Because your sports coach has this daft idea that Satan is lord of the universe, and deserves your love.

That is no different to what happened in the article above. The Christian fundamentalist reporter (evidenced by his young earth creationist beliefs) has played fast and loose with the facts so that he can play the righteous indignation card pretending that the kid just overheard a prayer.

He didn't overhear a prayer, he was forced to take part or not play. Exactly the opposite to the live and let live attitude the reporter is saying we should all have.

He speaks of "If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome... Just humor us for 30 seconds. "

The thing is, that isn't what happened. The kid didn't just overhear a prayer, he was forced to take part. A human rights offense no different to the Satanist example I gave above.

You would be right to be offended if he sued because he overheard a prayer, but he was right to sue in this case.
It would be wrong to force a Christian to give praise to Satan, and you would be right to be offended and to sue.

If you really want to find examples of people taking offense when none is intended, have a look at these:

Answer 4

Like most such rants, this one completely misses the point by shooting at a different target.

No one is suing anyone because they heard a student say a prayer at a football game. That's ridiculous.

People can and do sue public schools for leading students in prayer. The school, as a government agency, cannot promote any particular religious viewpoint. The students, on the other hand, are free to pray any way they wish.

There are a lot of assumptions in this essay that either intentionally obscure the real issues or are just plain factually wrong. The only accurate information we can draw from it is that Mr. Gholson is apparently ignorant of the facts.

Answer 5

I am Jewish and went to 24 different public schools, my father was in the US Air Force and we moved an awful lot. I spent more time in the "Bible Belt" then anywhere else. I am old enough to remember prayer in school. Every morning the PA system would announce that it was time to pray and everyone would stand, bow their heads, put their hands in the proper position and pray along with the PA system. All that is, but me. The reason for that was every prayer I heard at school ended with "in Jesus' name Amen". Well that is not what I believe. From 1st to about 4th grade, at every new school I would go to and not participate in the prayer I would be sent to the Principal's office, told to pray, refuse, and be expelled. Each time I would call my father to pick me up. He would explain to the principal that my education was not paid for by local taxpayers, it was paid by the Department of Defense. Either say a non-denominational prayer or stop the prayer completely. The principal would refuse. My dad would call the base commander. He would go to the local school board and threaten to pull all military dependents out of the local schools and open schools on the base. This would strip the local schools of more than half their funding. Then I was allowed back in school and allowed to stand in the hall while the same prayers were said. By standing in the hall I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Then prayer was banned in school. I would go to the football, baseball and track meets. Each time before the program would begin again I heard the prayer with "in Jesus' name Amen". I was really hurt by this. When I was 13 and was Bar Mitzvahed not one student from my school showed up. Their parents were afraid their kids would become Jews I guess.

My Bible, the one you call the Old Testament, tells me to accept all people as friends. Jews do not go out and seek converts, in fact we make it very difficult to convert. It is not the courts that telling you to cease praying, it is you who are forcing your prayer down the throats of those non believers in Christianity. And if that last sentence offends you, well-learn to live with disapointment.

EDIT: I just spent 45 minutes trying to find that column in the Times Record News. I discovered that Nick Gholson is the Sports Editor there. I searched and searched but could not find that article anywhere in the paper. I used the paper's own search engine and nothing came up. Would you please add the link to the article? If you can't then I guess the last sentence offends you.

Answer 6

Not sue, call or write the candy manufacturer to let them know you purchased expired candy from a store. I have had this happen and simply called the company who made the candy. They were more than happy to replace it with a another bag of candy. If you do sue a company they will just pass the cost onto the consumer; you and I.

Answer 7

I'm sure he wasn't offended by the prayer so much by the fact that he was at his high school and had to witness a prayer. We atheists pay taxes, too you know. Why does your religion get to be paraded around in government constantly?

Oh, and I agree 100% with the statement above--I expect to see football at a football game. If I want to avoid prayer I'll happily not go into your church.

Answer 8

I read it all and there are always two sides to the coin.

I do not get offended by prayer, I was brought up on it.
But I do become offended when I am on a massage table and the women leans over and whispers in my ear that I need to be saved. That's when I have a problem with it!

Answer 9

The atheist in the first place does not believe in God.

He should just take it that the kid was talking aloud to no one in particular especially someone 'non-existant'. And if he wishes to waste his own time and that of his lawyer's, i am quite sure that he will lose his case and costs as well.

Answer 10

Amen sister! You said it and I totally agree with you. Most people are stupid to think that they can just hire their lawyer over a prayer. Haven't they heard of the free speech amendment? Apparantly not, or else they wouldn't go through all this trouble.

Answer 11

Actually, I read all that. What's wrong with a moment of silence before games and events, rather than formal prayer? In this way, everyone could pray as they wish, or not at all.