I have no issues with it, and I'm an extremist Pastafarian living in the Bible belt. I just don't care what a RD does at his or her event. Some blessings are awesome.

Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J74y88YuSJ8

Exactly. Couldn't any triathlete get behind a blessing that ended with "boogity boogity boogity"???

Nor will I be better off.

And thanking some deity for a well run race ignores all the work that the RD and everyone else put into it. If you want to thank someone, thank them. //

Keep in mind that it is the RD who is thanking God for the help to " Him and his crew", for the race, and the safe running of it and the safety of all those involved.If you choose not to participate, no problem, but he needs to do his thing. So as the owner and producer of the race he has every right to do this, and he feels it is his obligation to what he believes to do so. Let me ask all the haters here, if you go to a friends house for a meal and someone says grace, do you also get up and just leave? Boycott the meal? This is no different, this is Terry's house and you are a guest, treat him the same way you would your friends at their house for dinner.

Now if you are such a douche that you would indeed get up and walk out of a meal with friends because of grace, then by all means do not come to Wildflower. You would be more of a pain in the ass than those you decry, and probably a hippocrit to boot.

I think the distinction is that I am paying for the race. Like my example above, I would find it odd if the owner of a restaurant came to my table before my food arrived and asked me to join them in the blessing. Pre-race prayer is no big deal to me, but your comparison is off.

It's a private race, so they can hand out finisher's medals shaped like crosses if they want. At that point I'd vote with my $$$ and not do the race.

IMO they can have a moment of prayer, but don't expect me to stop what I'm doing to acknowledge/support it.

In the same way, I wouldn't expect a foreign national to put their hand on their heart during the US national anthem.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

I never stop whatever I am doing because someone, even someone with a microphone, is praying. However, in my experience, the act of ignoring public prayer tends to piss off religious people.

I think the distinction is that I am paying for the race. //

Exactly!!! You chose to go to and pay for an event that has had prayer as its opening for at least 20 years. If a restaurant owner came by the table and thanked you for coming to his restaurant, and left you with a god bless, you're telling me you would just up and walk out? Sounds like you would not, as you said it was no big deal to you, but my response was really to the nimrods who would walk out. If it offends so much, just don't go. If you didn't know, suck it up just that one time and then don't go back. We all have to endure unpleasant things quietly in our life, on a daily basis sometimes, this should not be at or near the top of anyones list. All your internet fence courage in this thread just makes you look silly, and does not impress.(not you in particular, the nimrods)

Saying "God bless" is very different than them asking me to join them in the blessing. I get what you're saying, but the practice still fascinates me. I live and was raised in the South, so this is very ingrained around here. And, yes, I definitely stop what I'm doing during prayers. I think it's polite. Similarly, I would stand still during a foreign national anthem if racing in another country, assuming that was local custom. But, it is sort of selfish. As you pointed out, the RD has to do "his thing." That's fine with me, but don't doubt that there is at least a tacit expectation that the people in attendance stop and join them or stand silently. If there wasn't a communal expectation, why wouldn't the RD simply say a silent prayer the morning of the race? This is what I don't understand - what makes a prayer over the loudspeaker more effective than a silent prayer? If anything, it provides comfort to those people praying by doing so in the company of like-minded believers. Again, that's fine with me because I'm just so used to it. However, it is a little presumptuous to do so when you know that you aren't, to some degree, in the company of like-minded believers.

Hah, was it Wildflower.

I figure it's their prerogative. If it was too annoying and/or they put on a shitty race, then people would stop going. Complain, let them know, but they probably aren't going to change now, right?

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kelly dunleavy o'mara
@kellydomara

So essentially you're saying that if someone doesn't agree with your perspective on this particular issue, they should leave.

That's intolerant, belligerent, and pretty ignorant.

And pretty much the antithesis of everything that that "sacrifice" represents.

Is it? Why?

It's just a song. You're not pledging to anything. No one puts their hand over their heart for any other songs. What's the point of putting your hand over your heart ? How is that proper etiquette? (genuine question)

I seriously doubt Terry Davis gives a rat's ass that some people wouldn't come to his race because of this (and probably would prefer that they don't if they get so easily offended).

More boobies and beer for me!!!!!! (and naked college dudes as well for the ladies, but I'd never admit that I saw that....)

Come again?

All I did was relay a particular fact concerning an area of the US.

And from that you think I'm an uneducated (nope), untraveled (50+ countries and years of being an expat) bigot (not hardly)?

You're not really one for reading what's written, are you?

it's actually a law (although it's a "should" not a must)
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301


U.S. Code › Title 36 › Subtitle I › Part A › Chapter 3 › § 301
[/url]36 U.S. Code § 301 - National anthem
Current through Pub. L. 113-100. (See Public Laws for the current Congress.)

• US Code
• Notes
• Updates

prev | next
[/url](a) Designation.— The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.
[/url](b) Conduct During Playing.— During a rendition of the national anthem—
[/url](1) when the flag is displayed—
[/url](A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
[/url](B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
[/url](C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
[/url](2) when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed.

And such a silly term to begin with.

I don't consider myself an athiest so much as an antitheist. I refuse to label myself for having a naturally default (no god) position. Do we need labels for everything we don't believe in? Ghosts? Monsters? The yeti? It'd get redundant after a while.

Wow, not what I meant in the least. I was referencing those who had issue with playing the national anthem at an event. I simply said we are free and everyone in this country has options. If one has a problem with anthem of the country they inhabit, maybe they should exercise those options. That's all I meant...

OMG, someone criticized prayer!!! Stand and fight! Wait, no, don't stand in fight, just resort to internet snark!

Too bad. Isn't that was the religious people say when someone is pissed off about prayers? So, too bad for everyone. Move on.

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info.

Yet most of the time there's no flag displayed. And people are still standing with their hands over their heart.

+2! At least there were some bikini tops, but I wish they'd bring back the legendary aid station.

Of course the RD has the right to inject religion into the event, but that's not the point. Sure, I'm not going to skip it because of the religious messages he's pushing, but I'd like it better without, especially if it puts a damper on the fun.

I remember the prayer last time I did the race -- no big deal. What "offended" me more, and the reason I haven't returned, was the ridiculously crowded bike course and the overpriced camping.

Do you get flustered everytime you have to use cash? That In God We Trust can be pretty abusive.

You say that's not what you meant but you keep repeating it?

People have the right to have problems with it. That's the entire point. Getting pissed off about the pledge or the flag or the anthem and defiantly ignoring appropriate ceremony is also a result of the "sacrifice" that you keep going on about.

You seem to not understand that.