Football Coach Praying will Probably go to The Supreme Court

www.nbcnews.com...

“I was just doing the free exercise of my religion and wasn’t going to go hide it because I work for the government,” he said in an NBC News interview. “No one in America should have to hide who they are or that they have faith.”


The school district said his prayer was anything but private. He announced his plans to continue praying and invited journalists and a state legislator to watch.

This is an interesting case. I do think people should be able to pray where they want on a personal level. The problem with this case is the coach invited others...
He also said no one should have to hide who they are. I don't think he really means that. When I say "he" I mean conservatives.
People have challenged this by trying to start Satanist clubs after school and they were rejected. I'll post one that did go through. MIND YOU I am not a proponent of satan worshipping, but they do have a point. If you REALLY believe people should be able to worship anyone they want, you better be certain of it because that might be a slippery slope you don't want to deal with.

a reply to: JAGStorm

nypost.com...

An Illinois school district is defending an elementary school offering “After School Satan Club,” an extracurricular educational program sponsored by the Satanic Temple of the United States.

“Proselytization is not our goal, and we’re not interested in converting children to Satanism,” the temple says about the program on its website. “After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Listen, Jesus really cares about football. It's a very high priority activity for him and if people want to invoke his blessing on long field goals I totally get the rationale.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I go to a lot of my local high schools football games. After every home game, players and coaches from both teams take a knee on the fifty and pray.

Not every player participates.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: JAGStorm

I go to a lot of my local high schools football games. After every home game, players and coaches from both teams take a knee on the fifty and pray.

Not every player participates.

Same here, but I actually don't remember a coach inviting others, or enough for the crowd to hear. There has to be something different about this case, or maybe this will be example being set.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Same here, but I actually don't remember a coach inviting others, or enough for the crowd to hear. There has to be something different about this case, or maybe this will be example being set.

This guy is another 'hey look at me' religious kook who needs to validate his beliefs by making a public scene with them. Legal? Probably. Tacky? Hell yes.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It's sad that we have to take prayer to the Supreme Court.

It just shows how far we have gone as a country.

For someone to have to actually fight the government for the right to pray is sad.

"After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us." They better take care they follow the science as interpreted by the progressives...or they will also be censored and banished.
Imagine a country that was so invested in the teaching of children that they would give every child a stipend for education, a sum of money that they could use at any school, provided that school maintains a certain standard as are set by the individual states (as do private and religious-based schools do at the present), allowing for competition in order to create the finest educational outcomes.
Hey...I can dream

a reply to: DBCowboy

For someone to have to actually fight the government for the right to pray is sad.

I think this is where the hairs are being split. Had he just gone to the side and said his prayer, NO PROBLEM.
The problem is telling the journalist, telling the politicians, and making a scene. By doing it in such a public manner,
there might be kids that felt peer pressure to join...
That's a problem.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: DBCowboy

For someone to have to actually fight the government for the right to pray is sad.

I think this is where the hairs are being split. Had he just gone to the side and said his prayer, NO PROBLEM.
The problem is telling the journalist, telling the politicians, and making a scene.

Journalists, politicians have no obligation to watch or join.

He could have just been ignored and done his thing.

But nooOOOoooo. . . . . .

a reply to: DBCowboy

Journalists, politicians have no obligation to watch or join.

He could have just been ignored and done his thing.

But nooOOOoooo. . . . . .

He was on the schools time, wearing school uniform being paid to do a job, not being paid to be religious or show his beliefs. By allowing this very open showing the school could have issues.

OR if do you think that any coach should be able to garner attention, champion Gay Pride, or Hail Satan, and others can just ignore it? Is that what you are saying?

a reply to: JAGStorm

So schools should force Muslim teachers to not wear head coverings?

Seems to be a double standard here me thinks. . . .

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: JAGStorm

So schools should force Muslim teachers to not wear head coverings?

Seems to be a double standard here me thinks. . . .

Completely different. I don't see schools preventing anyone from wearing a cross necklace, or a head covering.
BUT..........................

If that Muslim coach asked journalist, reporters and other to join in a call to prayers... What do you think?

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: JAGStorm

So schools should force Muslim teachers to not wear head coverings?

Seems to be a double standard here me thinks. . . .

Completely different. I don't see schools preventing anyone from wearing a cross necklace, or a head covering.
BUT..........................

If that Muslim coach asked journalist, reporters and other to join in a call to prayers... What do you think?

So schools don't have that? I thought schools set aside places for Muslims to pray.

Maybe I was wrong.. . . . .

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: DBCowboy

Journalists, politicians have no obligation to watch or join.

He could have just been ignored and done his thing.

But nooOOOoooo. . . . . .

He was on the schools time, wearing school uniform being paid to do a job, not being paid to be religious or show his beliefs. By allowing this very open showing the school could have issues.

OR if do you think that any coach should be able to garner attention, champion Gay Pride, or Hail Satan, and others can just ignore it? Is that what you are saying?

Muslim head coverings. . .

a reply to: DBCowboy

www.washingtonpost.com...

Schools are forbidden from initiating or sponsoring religious activities, including prayer, but religious groups are permitted to meet on school grounds after school, and students can pray to whatever or whomever they want at any time of day, as long as they do it privately and don't try to force others to do the same

I quickly got that from the post, but I do believe it's correct.

It's a slippery slope like I said, and the key word and interpretation will be *initiating*
What constitutes initiating?

a reply to: JAGStorm

The coach was religious.

If you can find anywhere where he forced anyone to pray to his god, if you can find anywhere where he forced people to take a knee in prayer, then you might have a point.

I just see double standards with the allowances given to some religions abut not to others.

Are lunches Kosher? Halal? Do they serve fish on Fridays?

a reply to: DBCowboy

It’s not up to me to decide, looks like the SC will.

They will determine if his actions are enough to show that the players or other would have felt pressured to
Join even if they didn’t want to.

Again, this isn’t about a coach just stepping aside to say HIS prayer. This is absolutely about him calling upon others in the stand etc. Now there are so many videos on cell phones, there shouldn’t be any question at all to the extent.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: JAGStorm

The coach was religious.

If you can find anywhere where he forced anyone to pray to his god, if you can find anywhere where he forced people to take a knee in prayer, then you might have a point.

I just see double standards with the allowances given to some religions abut not to others.

Are lunches Kosher? Halal? Do they serve fish on Fridays?

From the bit I’ve read on this, I don’t know any public schools doing this. In fact schools in California are basically saying they are NOT required to serve halal food even though in some areas there are huge population of student that practice.
calmatters.org...

While the state is the first to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, California schools aren’t required to provide meals that adhere to students’ religious or cultural beliefs. This has an especially big impact on Muslim students.

Coaches work for the government?

a reply to: JAGStorm