Prayer At A Nascar Race?

[Danny99]

I'm not a big religious person, nor am I a Nascar fan (my girlfriend's parents are), but I was surprised to see a prayer before the National Anthem of tonight's race.

Is this a recurring event? And if it is, how is there not a huge uproar over it? Is the demographic so decidedly Christian that it doesn't really ruffle feathers?

I'm not against it, it was just something rare to see at a sporting event.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

They always pray for the drivers' safety before a race. It's nothing new. NASCAR isn't exactly a northeastern, elite, liberal, atheist type of sport. Why would it ruffle feathers even if it were? If you don't want to pray, just be quiet for 20 seconds for those that do, then life goes on.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

And NASCAR is a business enterprise, not a government entity. They can run their business however they see fit.

 

[Avon]

i always pray at the start of a nascar race that i can find the remote and watch something good instead.

 

[Danny99]

They always pray for the drivers' safety before a race. It's nothing new. NASCAR isn't exactly a northeastern, elite, liberal, atheist type of sport. Why would it ruffle feathers even if it were? If you don't want to pray, just be quiet for 20 seconds for those that do, then life goes on.

I'll just say for the record again, that I really don't care that they are praying. I was just commenting I had never seen it before.

I'm no liberal elitist either.

And I'm Canadian, so I'm northern, not northeastern.

 

[Thestral]

i always pray at the start of a nascar race that i can find the remote and watch something good instead.

 

[Starbreaker]

Go Dale?

 

[Gil T.Azell]

They do an Invocation before every race even in the Canadian Tire series.
Being centered in the 'Bible Belt' it is just one of their traditions,
in fact The Rev. Hal Marchman, who delivered the opening prayer for the Daytona 500 for 46 years until retiring in 2004, used to conclude his invocations at the track with “shalom and amen”.
He retired in 2004, and passed away in 2009 at age 89.

 

[SmoothieX]

i always pray at the start of a nascar race that i can find the remote and watch something good instead.

Awesome.

 

[sidious618]

i always pray at the start of a nascar race that i can find the remote and watch something good instead.

Amen.

 

[handfore]

However tough we may look deep inside we know science cannot give us a soul. It's good that NASCAR keep games on one side and some good values on the other.

 

[TheMurph]

i always pray at the start of a nascar race that i can find the remote and watch something good instead.

 

[scotpens]

. . . The Rev. Hal Marchman, who delivered the opening prayer for the Daytona 500 for 46 years until retiring in 2004, used to conclude his invocations at the track with “shalom and amen”.

It was nice of him to include both faiths, but are there any Jewish NASCAR drivers?

However tough we may look deep inside we know science cannot give us a soul.

That's okay, I don't need one.

 

[Gil T.Azell]

. . . The Rev. Hal Marchman, who delivered the opening prayer for the Daytona 500 for 46 years until retiring in 2004, used to conclude his invocations at the track with “shalom and amen”.

It was nice of him to include both faiths, but are there any Jewish NASCAR drivers?
.

Not that I'm aware of in the Sprint Cup Series, but there is a Jon Denning who runs in a regional series.

They were probably trying to include any Jewish fans in the crowd?

 

[scotpens]

They were probably trying to include any Jewish fans in the crowd?

They're probably rarer than Jewish NASCAR drivers!

 

[SmoothieX]

They were probably trying to include any Jewish fans in the crowd?

They're probably rarer than Jewish NASCAR drivers!

Murray Finklestein has just just won the Daytona 500!!!

Doesn't have the same ring to it does it?

I'm only half Jew, but all of me can't stand NASCAR.

 

[arch101]

I'm a racing fan, but I'm also an atheist. I have NO problem whatsoever with a prayer before a race. This is the only sport where your chances of being killed in an event are 50/50. If they want to pray before competing, let 'em. Why should that bother me.
Now, the Libertarian in me just LOVES that they pray and recite the pledge and salute the soldiers before every race because I know just how INSANE that stuff drives Liberals.
NASCAR's a private business and the fans attend and watch by choice. Let them do what they want.

 

[Trekker4747]

Why would someone give something like this even a second thought?