Sports Illustrated didn’t wait for the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending opinion to blast a high school football coach Joe Kennedy who sued after being suspended and later fired for praying for 15 seconds on the football field after a game.
Joe Kennedy had served for years as an assistant coach for the Bremerton High School (BHS) varsity football team in the state of Washington. He had taken a knee and prayed briefly after every game since 2008; after several games, students asked if they could join him and even asked if players from the opposing teams could join them.
“This is a free country. … You can do what you want,” Kennedy told them, as First Liberty, which represents Kennedy, noted.
In 2015, after an employee from another high school mentioned Kennedy praying to the BHS principal, an administrator mentioned their disapproval to Kennedy, prompting him to write on Facebook “I think I just might have been fired for praying.”
In September 2015, the district set new guidelines for Kennedy, saying he could “engage in religious activity, including prayer, so long as it does not interfere with job responsibilities,” the activity was ““physically separate from any student activity, and students (are) not … allowed to join such activity.”
What a damn shame that our country has sunk this low!!! More prayer and less fighting at these games would be nice! This is where the problem lies…………….one person can whine because they are “offended” or don’t like something, and the whole world is supposed to change to keep from hurting their little feelings. They need to be told to ‘sit the hell down and shut up’!!! We bend and cater too easily to the few whiners. Put prayer back in schools and you might see less shootings.
public schools are no place for school-sanctioned or sport-sanctioned prayer. if individuals want to pray while at school that’s fine as long as those students who don’t share the same faith or any faith at all aren’t pressured to participate. as a jew growing up I felt thoroughly screwed when a coach or teacher invoked christian prayer. it’s just not right in a public school setting. private schools can be whatever they want, as long as they comply with educational requirements. but don’t make me or people of other religions feel pressured and unwanted and illegitimate because we don’t believe the same fairy tale as you. if you’re a football coach and you want to lead christian prayer during games, find a private christian school to work at.
11:20 such a hater, may Jesus Christ bless you soul
12:52 – you’re the hater. Why can’t you just mind your own business? How dare you invoke JC on me. You can lie to yourself about any fairy tale you choose, but trying to force it on me in a public school is evil. Or, as you might say, “Luciferian.” How would you feel if you or your kids were forced to pray to Allah or to stand silently while all the other students in your classroom did? Why don’t you keep your “god” to yourself, where “he” belongs?
12:52 I feel sorry for you…but the good news is you can still be forgiven. God loves you even though you don’t love him. convert to being a Christian and your life will be filled with love.
BINGO Baby!
Hence the reason all homes have a door. Once its shut – do as you shall please. Come out and force your views on another and expect what you say is 100% correct. Uhhhh nope!
Do remember Freedom of Speech comes into play when a GOVERNMENT entity infringes your right of speech. Many forget that very very small detail.
You just verified 12:52’s observation. May you find peace someday.
Hi there Beelzebub. Hiding in plain view once again!
The writer against prayer must be one of the liberal bunch running for school board in Wicomico County.
I’m not against your prayers. I’m against having your prayers imposed on people of different faiths (or atheists) during s public event funded by the broader citizenry through government taxes paid by us all. Pray all you want at home or in your church. Just not in public schools, not in government meetings, etc. You would want the very same consideration if a Muslim majority were elected to a controlling number of local government positions.
There is no prayer in “public” school and never will. We are in the 21st century, 1/5th into it.
Past is the Past – majority of church goers are 50+ and decreasing by the day.
Our beliefs are just that “ours”. Take them, use them but don’t preach.
WHY? Cuz in today’s society feelings get hurt easily and we can’t have that anymore!!!!!
Time to move on and worry about A number 1 (as well a family members) cuz no one else is!
Burn all Sports Illustrated issues and quit buying them and put them out of business is the answer.