Boy does it seem like this happens once a week lately. A public school football team engages in public prayer, even after they're asked to cease and desist, and the god-warriors at the Liberty Institute come, only sort of, to the rescue.
Bremerton High School assistant football coach, Joe Kennedy, insists that his trip to the fifty yard line after each game was his decision, except that the entire team slowly joined him. It spread from their high school to the other team, and then everyone who plays in each game (he calls it the league) is now engaging in this practice. The only problem is, the school district officials have told him to stop.
This is the story published in Patheos:
Washington State’s Bremerton High School has been in the news for the past month because assistant football coach Joe Kennedy was leading his team in prayer after games until he finally got called out on it.
A couple of weeks ago, the District investigated the issue. While nobody was punished for any wrongdoing, officials reminded the public that “neither Kennedy nor any other staff member interacting with students may engage in religious expression, including prayer.”
The assistant football coach explains to Steve Doocy why he won't stop this public display of his 'faith:'
'I made an agreement with my personal faith and with god that this is something I'm going to do, I was going to give him the glory, and do it on the fifty.
Those who have brought this issue to light believe that Hiram Sasser, the deputy council from the Liberty Institute, will not be around when he likely loses his job. The coach is strangely confident that he will keep his job because he believes everyone worships his god. Assistant Coach Kennedy previously said,
“I’m not a guy who hides in a corner and does a secret prayer to God, I’m very open about my faith everywhere I go.”
I agree with the Atheist publication.
Well, that’s fine by me. Let him pray. The District will have no choice but to fire him. They’re already on notice and not taking action will mean inviting a lawsuit. (Liberty Institute sure as hell won’t pay the other side’s legal bills when that happens.) And then this whole problem will be over.
Whether this man has a higher power that he answers to, imaginary or not, he is violating the law. His lawyer claims he is well within his right. The Supreme Court says no, he isn't. I smell another Kim Davis martyr situation brewing.
I believe that the Bible say something about forbidding public prayer?
Matthew 6:5-6: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men....when thou prayest, enter into thy closet and when thou has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret...."
Update: Friday, October 16th came and went, and Kennedy continues his public prayer. I guess the school doesn't want to get into a pissing contest with the Liberty Institute.
