Praying football team told to stop as it was 'a disgrace'

'It's a putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism and exceptionalism and it has to stop.'

When Air Force Academy football prayers kneeled to pray before a game, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) stepped in to call the practice .

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Michael Weinstein, president and founder of the MRFF, believes public prayers seen on football fields before games are "a scandalous outrage" that could be used in anti-American messages by ISIS.

Weinstein claims members of the Air Force Academy football players had approached his foundation with claims of being forced to join in prayers. The alleged claims also report no player has ever spoken up about their discomfort with the practice as they all feared "punishment."

Though no details on exactly what kind of punishment would be in store for any player unwilling to participate in the "forced" pregame prayer, Weinstein claimed it was a "disgrace," adding, "It's a putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism and exceptionalism and it has to stop.

"Those individuals that are dressed in the Air Force uniform; that's their uniform of the day. They're members of the military and they are under different rules that the civilian counterparts they're playing on the field."

MRFF claims players and their family members have approached them to complain about the prayers.

"We have families of players, we have players, we have girlfriends of players, we have staff and faculty 144 strong at the Academy," Weinstein said. "They're terrified to go forward and go up the chain of command or to file an official complaint for fear of facing reprisal or retribution. 

"They should not be coerced in any way, shape or form to publicly sit there and engage in a massive team prayer for one particular version of Christianity."

The Air Force announced they would launch a formal investigation and released a statement attesting to it: The United States Air Force Academy is attentive to all religious freedom concerns, and we are conducting an inquiry into the complaint.

"The Air Force is dedicated to maintaining an environment in which people can realize their highest potential, regardless of personal, religious or other beliefs."

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