Prayophobia in California- Catholic Youth Organization Dares to Pray At Basketball Games

Wow just wow at this article . See Call for prayer at games irks some San Geronimo Valley residents

This is so foreign to me. Parts of California indeed seem to be on another planet. Here are just a few of the ultimate "fail" quotes.

"I understand that if we rent to one religious group, we have to rent to them all. But I still don't like it," said Richard Sloan, a trustee of the Lagunitas School District, which co-owns the San Geronimo Valley Gym. "I'm going to put up a sign in front of the gym: 'If you don't pray in my school, I won't think in your church,""

This man is the adult in the story?

Cort recognizes that the CYO, as a religious organization, has every right to ask its participants to pray before a game — an opinion confirmed by School and College Legal Services of California, which outlined that position at the request of Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke.

Well thank goodness someone sees the obvious.

Yet he worries that the group's decision will upset what has been a long-standing balance between the San Geronimo Valley's various religious and spiritual organizations, including St. Cecilia's Church, the Gan Halev Jewish congregation, the San Geronimo Valley Presbyterian Church, the Seven Circles Foundation and the Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Really? Notice no one from there is quoted. Presbyterians and meditation folks against prayer? I doubt it.

"People appreciate having their kids be part of local teams, and they appreciate the partnership that exists between our local church, St. Cecilia's, and the CYO," Cort said. "I think throwing in the prayer, however ... it's definitely sparked something."

Good Grief it's not like they are having a Mass at Halftime. This person has PRAYOPHOBIA.

Johnson Clendinen noted that the CYO's pregame prayer had been developed by a committee that included religious leaders, athletic directors and school principals — and that the group had actually unveiled the prayer last fall, during the CYO's volleyball season. (The San Geronimo Valley does not participate in CYO volleyball.).

A committee had to get together?

"As with everything, when there's change, there's a reaction," Johnson Clendinen said. "Some people said this was great. Others said there is no place for prayer in sports. Some even took their child out of the program because they didn't think it was appropriate. We want to be respectful of their opinion, but we also think it's important for us to continue to live out our mission with athletics."

Not appropriate? It's a CATHOLIC YOUTH ORGANIZATION. These people must spend their lives being annoying about how offended they are. You know the type.

Trustee Sloan, however, argued that many parents — even longtime participants in the CYO athletic program — were not aware of its religious affiliation, and have been taken aback by the group's decision.
"These parents should have known what they were signing up for, but they didn't," Sloan said. "I think we need to start a discussion about the increase of religion in our public discourse, and decide if we want to continue to rent our facilities to those who would use them to advance their religious views."

They did not know what they were signing up for? CYO means Catholic Youth Organization. Also why are no parents quoted? This man is not only Prayophobic but Religionphobic In fact his stellar quote at the beginning of the article shows his hostility toward different views . That is "'If you don't pray in my school, I won't think in your church.'".

Even the Rev. Cyril O'Sullivan, pastor at St. Cecilia's Church, is worried about the consequences of the organization's decision.
"I'm told that the prayer is not being pushed on any families, that people have a choice," said O'Sullivan, who added that he had only learned of the CYO's decision on Friday. "But I don't like anything that causes division. Prayer, if it becomes divisive, would be a very poor form of prayer."

Lord have mercy even the Priest is an idiot. Thank God I live in Louisiana.

In a way this sort of mirrors the larger story we see playing out in the nation. Catholic Charities is being told that its great you help kids but keep all that Catholic mumbo jumbo and dark ages ideas out of it. This story in some ways tells us a lot about the direction we are going in.