To this I offer an appreciative, admiring, heartfelt, and completely non-religious "Amen!"

I am not a religious person. It makes me somewhat uncomfortable to be in a situation where there is public prayer - I feel somewhat dishonest to sit quietly and listen to something that goes completely against my beliefs. But though the game was a school-sponsored event, the message the speaker gave was of her own choice; she was not instructed to give a prayer - it was the message she felt most appropriate for the situation. To paraphrase someone speaking of Voltaire, I may disagree with what she has to say, but I would defend to the death her right to say it.

There is nothing unconstitutional about an individual offering a spontaneous prayer in public. All of the people in that audience had the right to leave if offended - the same way they would have the right to leave if they didn't like the referee's calls, or the viewpoint of the loud fans behind them. It was an individual expression - *not* the official position of the school. Those who did not believe in the existence of a deity or those whose worship took a different form were able to participate just as fully in the experience of being members of that crowd. They were not forced to sit in the back of the section - nor were they forced to pray. (I do think, however, that if anyone was offended enough to leave the crowd while the prayer was given, s/he should have been able to without having to pay admission again; I don't know enough about this particular case to know what would've been done.)

No, not everyone there was going to agree with the implicit statement of the speaker's belief in a deity. (Then again, not everyone there was going to agree with the cheerleaders of the opposing team, either, and they're allowed to shout "we're number one!" publicly even if no one believes in that. :-P) But that doesn't mean she had no right to say it. The students chose her to speak without any conditions on what she could or could not say. It is natural and appropriate for someone whose religion is a significant part of her life to offer a prayer at a public gathering. I would rather not listen to it. But there are a lot of things I would rather not listen to (and given my views, I talk about a lot of things that I believe in that others would rather not hear). There's almost nothing one can say that won't offend *someone*. Free speech is having the right to speak one's beliefs knowing that others have the right not to listen, not to believe, and to speak their own opposing views.

In the same vein, a friend of mine, valedictorian of his high school class, gave a speech at Baccalaureate - which is traditionally a religious-spirited event. It may even have been held in a church; I don't recall. (My graduation ceremonies were, as well - for the lack of another auditorium large enough rather than for any religious purpose.) He is an agnostic, and part of his speech was about beliefs and their place in culture. He stated outright that he was not a religious person, and that one could be so while still respecting the beliefs and their expression in others. There was nothing unconstitutional about that, either, though I'm sure *someone* was offended.

However, if the school alma mater (traditonally sung after games, around here) had a reference to God, I *would* be offended. And I am opposed to the stamping of "In God We Trust" on US currency. (That doesn't stop me from wishing to acquire said currency, of course.) That's the motto of a nation that wishes to be known as the melting pot? Sheesh. But in my literature class, we are required to study books that require some knowledge of the Bible (or on rare occasion other holy books) to interpret. We play the works of J.S. Bach in orchestra - and just about everything he wrote was religious in nature. In assigning these works, the teachers have exposed students to messages that imply the belief in a deity in one form or another. There have been books I wanted to toss out the window because of my complete disagreement with the author's religious convictions. Is this unconstitutional? No - it's a part of the culture, even if not of one's personal belief. But if I had been truly offended, requested an alternate assignement, and my request was then denied? That *would* be a violation of my rights. It would be the equivalent to not having been allowed to leave the stadium.

I believe that church and state should be completely separate - but out of the same desire to preserve my own freedom and that of others, believe that others have the right to express their religions just as I have the right to express my lack of one. It is only if a particular viewpoint were forced upon me without my having the option of refusing to listen or with negative consequences imposed for my differing belief that my rights would be violated.

Another long ramble, and not as good, I'm afraid. I too feel strongly about this, though - and not just one applau, but a whole round of them to Arthur for an excellent post.

-Fob"reached her rambling quota for the day"ulis