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Penalty for Prayer... Wait, What?

In Tacoma, Washington on Monday night, it wasn't just the score on the football field that was getting the fans hot and bothered. It was the score in the fight for freedom of religious expression that had spectators across the nation on their feet.

In the 2A State Semifinal between Tumwater and East Valley, the 63-27 Tumwater victory was expected. What as unexpected was a post-touchdown penalty called by the referee. Running back Ronnie Hastie sprinted into the endzone, took a knee, and in a momentary, prayer-like gesture to the heavens, gave thanks for the achievement before popping back up. That's when the flag flew. The call? Unsportsmanlike conduct.

A confused Hastie questioned the call, and was informed that he was "not supposed to draw attention to himself." Having completed a similar gesture after every touchdown of his career, Hastie hadn't even contemplated that his brief moment of thanks would cost his team 15 yards.

The team won, and the referee is now being reviewed by the state, but the battle is far from over for much of the public. Being characterized as a victim of Christian persecution, Hastie has found himself in the eye of the storm. The blogosphere, print media, 24 hour news stations and talk radio have emphasized the instance as another attack on Christian freedoms, but to what extent do these complaints have merit?

The thing is, reports have come out showing that the referee considers himself a Christian, and has no problem with prayer, but threw the flag because of the prayer's timing. A closer analysis of the ref's calls from the past show he's really just a penalty-happy official in general. Perhaps this penalty isn't so much indicative of a war on Christianity as it is demonstrative of the way our lives so often limit expressions of faith in general.

Whether you're Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or a practicing member of any other faith, getting to regular worship services can be a challenge. Let's be real. Even trying to find time during your day for personal worship in the form of prayer elicits a mental penalty flag for delay of game. It's hard to finger the beads of the Rosary while scrubbing the shower or kneel toward Mecca when you're late- again- for an early afternoon meeting.

However, perhaps it is not the lack of time that is inhibiting our prayer habits, but our habits that are limiting our prayers. Adhering to only structured prayers and habits forces us to only pray under certain circumstances. It locks us into prayers that we may or may not relate to, solely because it's a matter of tradition. Perhaps it's time to break the proverbial mold and look at new ways to pray.

One website that can help is Prayables.com. A multi-faith prayer website developed for women, it houses a wide variety of easy to relate to prayers that cover topics ranging from men to menopause. Their services are free, and their goal is to help women of all faiths find time for introspection and reflection in a manner that matters to them. Offering radio programs, prayers sent daily to your inbox, a faith based blog and an interfaith women's community, it's an excellent way for you to recharge throughout your day.

Prayables is also proud to offer their new book, entitled Personal Peace: Prayers for Women of All Faiths. This prayer collection is best described as prayers for the modern woman, tempered by reality and reinforced with a healthy dose of humor. An excellent bedside companion or gift for the women in your life, it is available online for purchase!

Maybe we should take a lesson from Hastie. He finds ways to give thanks at random moments during his day… like in the end zone. Sure, it's caused a bit of a stir now, but it's the principle that counts. And really, let the flags fly. Recharging yourself with prayer will have you making up those penalty yards in no time.

About the Author

Lauren Nelson is a freelance writer, business consultant, and social media specialist. She currently serves as the Director of Public Relations for Prayables.com.

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