It’s the fall and that can mean only one thing in Alabama: Football. In fact more people will regularly attend high school football games this fall than attend church on Sunday. Almost all high school football game festivities used to begin with a time of prayer. As we all know these prayers have become less frequent due to threats of lawsuits from groups representing students or parents who are bothered by these prayers. Most recently Arab City Schools in north Alabama backed down from praying before games- overruling a policy of student-led prayer that has been in place for a decade. Arab superintendent John Mullins received a letter from the Wisconsin based Freedom from Religion Foundation who represents an anonymous Arab city parent. In order to avoid costly legal bills to fight this battle, Mullins banned the broadcast of prayer over the PA system before games.

This type action infuriates most of the readers of my monthly column and listeners to my daily Christian radio talk show, but what should really infuriate us is the loss of prayer in our homes. Most who complain about prayer not being allowed in public places may spend very little time in private family prayer. In my opinion the loss of these important public expressions of prayer are very constitutional and historically the type of nation our founders desired to establish. I am all for public prayer. But to only be upset at the loss of public prayer is missing the real heart of the issue. When we gave up prayer in the home, it was only a matter of time until we raised a generation who did not know God or care about recognizing Him publically. We shouldn’t be surprised that these are the results we are seeing. Let’s get back to the heart of the matter and make prayer a daily part of our family life.

Greg Davis

President

First Priority Greater Birmingham