https://www.armytimes.com/articles/army-west-point-football-prayer-jeff-monken-mikey-weinstein.
Are you serious. A coach asking the team to pray is a violation of there constructional rights? Listen with respect and move on if you object to the message.
See now, you're just speaking common sense. We don't apply that here.
Semi-sarcastic replies aside (despite fully supporting this reply in particular), I understand the need for a chain of command to demonstrate respect for all subordinates' beliefs. That includes those that are made uncomfortable if they are not clearly given an "out" to not participate in events that may not be belong to their beliefs. The flip side though, of course, is that every individual has the right to their own beliefs and practicing them. You should not be insulted because the person next to you decided to pray (well unless they're praying for you to go to hell or something) because it does not fall into your beliefs. You're showing as much lack of open mindness and respect for their rights as you are claiming they are showing for yours. If there's a group that will perform better because they can adhere to their beliefs through something like prayer or long standing traditional words at formal events, and it impacts you by nothing more than a few minutes of your time standing patiently, why not allow it to happen?
The issue comes when people do not believe they have or are not given the ability to opt out (i.e. peer pressure, direct command, etc.). Unfortunately this has happened in our military in the last decade, even if it just was out of perception, that has made instances like this an immediate red flag for organizations such as MRFF, in all of its glory, to seize on to bring attention to their views (which in some cases have not been met well in our military's history - compulsory chapel attendance until 1972 at USMA as an example). When this happens, prayer becomes divisive and exemplifies undue command pressure that has overstepped its bounds. That's a very real concern that military leaders need to be aware of and be careful not to cross.
Knowing the Monkens personally, I feel pretty comfortable saying that this is not the case in the culture he has been building with the team. I have full faith that USMA and the Army will take the appropriate action to ensure all members of the West Point and Army community rights are not infringed upon. There's a real conversation to have here about cultural awareness for young leaders I appreciate. Do I respect the way that this has been brought about and the main proponent in the MRFF? Google MRFF, Weinstein, and Blake Paige, and maybe most people would understand my dislike for this particular organization and its methods.