Drop The Prayer
'm for getting rid of the prayer before races because it is not the dignified private communication I assume it started out to be. It has become part of the pre-race pageantry, like the fly-over, pace lap and balloon release.
Prayer in front of several hundred or a few thousand is one thing, but prayer said in front of 100,000 or more people is disrespectful and inconsiderate of other religions, which are not represented.
The prayer before races has also become a means for TV cameras to get drivers and crews in a captive setting and to intrude upon what should be a private moment. Anyone who watches races has seen the cameras zoom in on drivers' and crews' expressions during the prayer.
I feel that the private religious services by Motor Racing Outreach and others at each track for the drivers and families are enough. Anyone who views a motor race understands the danger and wishes the best for the participants.
As NASCAR moves out of the South, it will move into a world that is largely not Protestant, and to continue the prayer before races is to ignore and disrespect those of us who have different beliefs.
If NASCAR hopes to embrace the world, it needs to be more considerate of the feelings of those of us who worship differently.
