Should prayer during non-religious ceremonies be banned when it comes to mandatory events?

I respect and am grateful for your view on Religious expression. Unfortunately it is not universally held by some atheists and agnostic theists. Every year my wife's employer hosts a winter holiday party. Every year he wishes me "Happy Holidays". Every year I wish him "Merry Christmas". Every year he says that he runs an inclusive workplace, and that wishing people a "Merry Christmas" is exclusionary. And every year, I tell him that I was extending best wishes of me and hopefully of my God. I additionally tell him that his inclusive policy just made me feel uncomfortable and excluded because he just told me that my faith was unwelcome. Just to put icing on my efforts to be an ass, I tell him the etymology of the word "holidays" is "Holy Days". Then we don't talk again for the rest of the night. I admit I do not always behave like a good Christian.

Religion should not be a formal part of compulsory ceremonies. It should never be compulsory to listen to someone's religious expression. But, that does not mean that religion should be banned from the public square or hidden from non-compulsory sight. There is plenty of room for religious expression in uniform at voluntary events where a service member's personal story is part of the event. For instance it would be inappropriate for the government to ban or censor the prayer of a Chaplain at a military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery if the service member or their family requested it. If a service member were asked what contributed to their success in the military or what got them through a combat crap sandwich a brief expression of their faith would not be inappropriate as long as it was not a set up to guarantee that they could proselytize.

I personally find it humorous when someone is outraged by an expression of religious faith in the public square, or they go beyond their legitimate right to hold and express their own belief and feel obligated to attack the beliefs of people of faith. They feel that their attack to discredit is an expression of their faith. It isn't. Its just being a contrarian ass.

Should the rights and religious beliefs of the majority be stifled for the sensibilities of the minority? Particularly when no one is forcing anyone to pray, nor are judgements passed against those who consider themselves atheists or non-Christian. No where in the first amendment to the constitution was there a mention of a "wall of separation" between church and state. It proposed that the state shall not endorse any particular religion. I doubt that a prayer given at a military function constitutes the state endorsing any particular denomination or religion. This has been abused by many in the secular realm to abscond with the rights of th religious majority. This is frightening to me, particularly since there has been no threat to he irreligious minority from the religious majority.

This seems like another case of an individual thinking they're bigger than the whole/organization.

If you complain loud/long enough, A1C (Join to see), sadly this will get changed.

I'm not an overly religious person (meaning I don't talk much about it or push my beliefs on anyone), but while I serve, I believe stronger in traditions than personal faith...prayer is a military tradition and if you do not like/agree with it, you don't have to serve.

It should neither be banned nor mandatory.

Prayer has been a tradition for many years. If you're not religious, then just stop and take a quite break while other observe. Is it such a big deal? I once had a General say to me, "Drill Sergeant, you're pole vaulting over fly shit". And that's my feeling on the subject, making mountains out of mole hills.

I would love for prayer to be out of mandatory events, but doubt I will ever see it.

There are two clauses to the first line of the 1st Amendment. Unfortunately, many try to enforce the first clause and ignore the second one:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..."

The first clause was placed in the Bill of Rights so that the State (i.e. Federal Govt) could NOT establish a "State Religion" as was done in 18th century England (and many other countries to this day). The second clause permits us to worship our conscious as we see fit without interference from the Government.

I am not a "Church-goer" and I am not an atheist. I think it is great that folks worship as they please. Faith gives us a moral code; something that is sorely lacking in today's "popped up culture". If I am sitting at a table and someone wants to say a prayer before a meal; I say have at it. I am honored to be included and it is a right so many have fought and died for----- over and over again. We all took an oath to "support and defend the Constitution". Well guess what? The second clause of the 1st Amendment is part of the Constitution.

The author of the Declaration said it best:
"...it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
-Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

I can't say that I know exactly what your experiences have been, but I am very comfortable with prayer at functions, even though I don't practice religion. Most chaplains I've seen are careful to say things like "Please join me in prayer if you are willing" It's not forcing anyone to do anything. If people choose not to pray, then they simply observe a moment of silence while those who choose to pray, do. I don't see why anyone should or would be offended by people exercising their faith. Seriously, is it that much of an inconvenience that you might have to wait a minute or two while some people exercise one of the key rights of this country?

After reading some comments below, I will reiterate what I stated in my first comment: the 1st Amendment to the Constitution never made mention of a separation of church and state. That has been a misnomer for decades now and used to ban prayers and public displays of faith. And to what end? No one is rounding up children and forcing them to go to Jesus Camp. The government does tax Protestants and Catholics any differently than Atheists. But a narrative has been formed that apparently there is a threat from the religious Americans in our society (80% of the population by the way).

I voted you down because there are moments when I think public prayer is the right thing to do. Perhaps you have not lost a comrade or attended a ramp ceremony. Perhaps, on this Memorial Day weekend, you may consider how many soldiers (including this one) have been comforted by public spiritual expressions. Religion does not, nor should it, fit into a tiny and unobtrusive box that is so dilute as it unable to offend anyones view of anything. Give it a think, Airman Santy. I appreciate the question, and your view, I just wholeheartedly disagree.