Eradicating Christian customs equivalent to pre-match prayer will enable for equity to all teammates whereas permitting spiritual gamers to apply their religion in their very own time. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Rising up taking part in sports activities in a small, predominantly white Christian city in Texas, prayer was typically a prelude to sport day. Despite the fact that I wasn't notably spiritual, I didn't take note of it and thought of it the norm.
Even in main league sports activities just like the Nationwide Soccer League and the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation, prayer within the locker room is a pregame ritual for some groups.
Nevertheless, in contrast to small city Texas, main league sports activities are a various group of athletes. So in a locker room filled with athletes of different religions, a one-size-fits-all kind doesn't at all times work, and that's the issue.
The one manner sports activities and faith can co-exist is that if we be aware of all religions, and even then there are gamers who merely don’t apply any faith. Due to this fact, there must be a separation of sports activities and faith, as a result of concern for the inclusion of all isn’t a matter of political correctness, however a matter of respect.
If the gamers need to collect themselves and say a prayer earlier than the sport, they need to be free to take action, but it surely shouldn’t be a group obligation. Permitting faith to have a spot in group capabilities and sports activities is just too difficult.
Again when Tim Tebow was nonetheless the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, he celebrated a landing by kneeling and bowing his head. Across the similar time, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs security Husain Abdullah, who’s Muslim, was disciplined for celebrating a maintain by kneeling and bowing his head.
The NFL later got here out and mentioned Abdullah shouldn't have been flagged, however the harm was already completed, and whether or not that was true, it made the NFL look hypocritical and bigoted.
And right here's the factor: It's not that these organizations are keen to let solely Christianity into their midst as a result of they need to be dangerous or malicious; most likely a lack of awareness.
When Doc Rivers was the coach of the Orlando Magic, his group prayed earlier than each sport till he observed one thing unsuitable: He noticed that one in all his gamers, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, was uncomfortable with the behavior. Rivers ended his prayer.
Eliminating team-based spiritual actions would be the fairest solution to embrace everybody. Those that want to apply their religion will proceed to have the ability to achieve this at their leisure and it’ll not have an effect on others who don’t want to take part.
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