Coach suspended for praying at HS football games

http://abcnews.go.com/US/coach-susp...all-games-attends-spectator/story?id=34862187

Bremerton High School announced Wednesday that football coach Joe Kennedy was placed on paid administrative leave for continuing post-game prayers despite being warned to stop. Though Kennedy was barred from participating in the football program's activities, he may attend events on the same terms as any community member, the school said in a statement.

Kennedy attended Thursday's football game and prayed, but this time in the stands instead of on the field.

There are several reason why Coach Kennedy is wrong.

One, the Coach making a public spectacle of prayer makes it appear that the public school endorses one particular religion.

Two, the students under the Coach's authority joining him in prayer cannot be making a free choice since gaining the Coach's approval means probably more playing time in the game.

Three, the Coach's right to pray was never in question, it was merely the public nature of the prayer.

 

Who the (*)(*)(*)(*) do these tyrants believe they are dictating behavior?

If these people want to pray then let them pray...

Funny these (*)(*)(*)(*)ing tyrant clowns would have no problem with stopping a game so some Muslim player could pray...

It's this coaches RIGHT to pray...

 

Nobody was ever trying to stop him from PRAYING. It is the where and the public show of it that is in question.

 

Knock it off.

I understand your position - there will be consequences for embracing the First Amendment when progressives are offended.

 

What's the difference between this man praying in public, and others wearing specific clothing to show their beliefs. Should we ban people carrying their Bibles or Qurans. We can ignore them if we don't want to do it.
The people we should be worried about are those religious fanatics who plan us harm in private.

Me? I'm agnostic.

 

he was forcing the kids to pray with him via his position of atorith, a big no no and he knew it

he could pray in private all he wanted, even in public as long as he is not leading the children in prayer

if he wants to push religion on children he should of got a job at a private religious school

.

 

Suspended? I would have the bastard executed.

 

this is because of Christian infighting, they agreed that any school that pushed religion on their students would lose gov funding as it violated separation of church and state

the coach is the Government, on the clock as a government employee

.

 

We, as adults, can ignore them if we don't want to participate. Students, especially those of a coach, who seek the good will of the coach so that they get playing time in the game, can feel pressure to participate. Then there is the peer pressure which is much more important to young people. Seeking the authorities' good will and peers' good will adds up to coercion. Students should not be subjected to it.

 

Good. It is imperative we destroy religion and move towards secularism. Public employees have no right to use religion on tax payer time.

 

Posts like this make me wonder if the religious right truly understand what separation of church and state is about.

 

The First Amendment is supposed to guarantee freedom of religion. When students feel pressured to conform to the majority religion or that expressed by the authority, they no longer have freedom of religion. Neither do their parents have the freedom to instruct their own children in their choice of religious practices. OTOH, the Coach still has all the right to pray as he wishes, he is just no longer guaranteed an audience for his performance.

 

I think they understand it and want it destroyed. I understand the Coach in question was going to comply with the no prayer dictate, but he was contacted by Liberty defense counsel (the same firm that defended Kim Davis) and they convinced him to fight the directive.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25/republicans-christian-america_n_6754032.html

Republican Party candidates like to say that America is a Christian nation. It turns out most Republicans are willing to make that official.

Fifty-seven percent of Republicans support establishing Christianity as the national religion of the United States, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey. Thirty percent oppose the idea while 13 percent are not sure.

 

And if coach was a practitioner of satanism?

 

You mean like the American flag shirt in Cali that got a 5th grader sent home because it was " Gang-Affiliated".

 

Ummm... If they are not being forced then they do have freedom of religion, they have the freedom to decline participation. Hateful dicks, that's all this is about. "Oh I feel pressured because he's kneeling". Do you feel pressured to jump off a bridge because someone else did it? No? What is the difference?

 

Freedom of speech is a misnomer as we have at best free/ish speech. There are limits to free speech. Free speech does not include an employee going against their employers wishes by praying in such a public way. The employer sets the rules not the employee. The coach could have said a prayer to himself on the sideline but chose to make it a public spectacle which broke the rules of his employment. I see the coach as the tyrant as he wants to force his will upon his employer and all those in attendance at the game. Is the High School run and or funded by the city, county, state, or feds? If so then its employees are subject to the laws of the government period!

 

Would you feel the same if the coach was a satanist?

 

Praying at a football game is not establishing a State Church....Even if the coach and all the players throw out prayer rugs and bow to Mecca.

 

If they feel pressured to do it, then they do not have full freedom of conscience or religion. If they feel pressured to do it in order to be a part of the team, to get more playing time, to be liked by the coach, that's not freedom of religion. If they are doing something to please someone else, it's not their own choices, and therefore not freedom. This is not interfering with the Coach's right to pray, he can pray in that same place in a manner that no one can tell he is praying, or he can pray loudly and in an attention-drawing manner elsewhere. Since this is so, it is obvious that Coach is praying in that manner in that place in order to get attention or influence others. His unwillingness to compromise his performance ("performance" is an accurate description) makes him appear to be a religious nut.

 

It is "RESPECTING" an establishment of religion. And perhaps it is establishing a "football field church." The solution for those who truly want their prayers to be a communication with God is to do it in an unobstrusive manner so that no one can even tell they are praying.

 

If a man wants to pray to a non-existent being let them.

A satanist is an offshoot of Christian doctrine. Judaism tells us that HaSatan (The Satan) is a servant of God. Christianity has turned him into an enemy of God.

 

He was in a position of authority, and effectively imposing his religious beliefs on minors. That's absolutely not on.

 

While I wouldn't quite go that far, there's no doubt that doing this to kids is disturbing and sinister. I can just imagine what would happen if an occultist faculty member imposed a satanic ritual on the same kids - and that's where the sinister comes in.

 

Who is pushing what on students?

You do realize people have the RIGHT to pray wherever and whenever they like?

You just don't like this concept...

I wish I was in this guys position...