Posted on 12/19/2015 9:18:14 PM PST by TBP
So what are well-intentioned people of faith supposed to do? How does one respond to the incessant onslaught of negativity, criticism and legal action aimed at those who choose to make their religious convictions known in the public square?
Perhaps a good place to start would be the example set by the young men of the Naperville Central High School football team in suburban Chicago.
After representatives from The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a complaint against Coach Mike Stine’s voluntary practice of allowing players who want to to gather on the field and pray before games, senior player Daniel Bumpus released a statement on behalf of his teammates.
“We, as a football team and a family, give Coach Stine our full support. He is the best coach in the state and cares about each and every one of us more than any other coach cares about his players. We are proud that he is willing to stand up for his faith and for the example he sets for us. He is a role model for every one of us in a world where true male role models are becoming few and far between. The players will continue this tradition of praying before our games and would like to extend an invitation to all members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation to come out next fall and watch us pray and play the game we love. Go Redhawks.â€
Bumpus’ statement is an excellent blueprint for how the rest of us should respond to prayer shaming: with polite resoluteness in the face of anti-religious bigotry. Maybe Bumpus should consider running for office in the future. He would have my vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at acculturated.com ...
The comeback seems kind of obvious. Hey, we’ll make a point of praying for the shamers. Either they relent, or they go away.
Being the kind of digger that I am, I would still like to see some effort to dig into what these bitter folks are about. Like the Westboro Baptists, we never really see an inside story. We only see a face, and it’s a hateful face all right. But somewhere under all this cruft there has to be a story. Yes, someone might just take it on himself ab initio to be evil, but maybe there is a story of reacting the wrong way to another evil that Christians would rightfully deplore. In the latter case, there is an opportunity, if guided by an infallible Holy Spirit, to turn an enemy according to the flesh into a friend.
We must combat religion; this is the ABC of all materialism, and consequently Marxism.Just a few quotes from and about Lenin, lest anyone gets mixed up about what the FFRF is about.
The fight against religion must not be limited nor reduced to abstract, ideological preaching. This struggle must be linked up with the concrete practical class movement; its aim must be to eliminate the social roots of religion.
Marxism cannot be conceived without atheism. […] (A)theism without Marxism is incomplete and inconsistent.
No response deserved or required.
No one is entitled to question your faith or how you practice it. We still, barely, have freedom of religion.
It’s easy .. just start praying in tongues .. and they shut up and leave you alone. Works every time.
They can only shame you if take it in and shame yourself. Otherwise, they just make nonsense of themselves.
Say, “I’m sorry if you are offended” and continue on as if they do not have the authority nor mental stability to boss normal people around. Because they don’t.
>> No one is entitled to question your faith or how you practice it.
Exactly
>> We still, barely, have freedom of religion.
Despite the tenuous structure tyranny, no one has the freedom to deny freedom.
the tenuous structure of tyranny
We used to have a great phrase of this kind of thing: Mind Your Own Business. As in, I’m sorry if you’re offended, please mind your own business.
I won't carp about "prayer shaming" because I feel no shame when I pray - no matter who takes umbrage.
If someone gets really twisted out of shape, I'll offer to pray for them.
Oh, really?
"Thank you, Lord, that I am not like those other men"?
A hearty “FU, mind your own bizness” should suffice.
well, I see it almost every day on Free Republic
bump
Ok Jim, lets take this slow, shall we?
“Prayer is ALWAYS appropriate.”
The meaning of these words is that “in all situations, all cases, all conditions, prayer is appropriate”
Itdoes NOT convey the meaning that ALL PRAYERS are appropriate.
See the difference?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.