A high school football coach in Washington state who won his job back after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he could pray on the field resigned Wednesday after just one game.
A high school football coach in Washington state who won his job back after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he could pray on the field resigned Wednesday after just one game back.
Assistant Bremerton High School coach Joe Kennedy made the announcement on his website, citing several reasons, including that he needed to care for an ailing family member out of state. He had been living full-time in Florida, and before the first game last Friday he said he didn’t know if he’d continue coaching.
“I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system so that is what I will do,” Kennedy wrote. “I will continue to work to help people understand and embrace the historic ruling at the heart of our case.”
This dude is obviously showboating as the scripture describes. There’s no reason to go out on the middle of the field and kneel other than “look at me!”
It also doesn’t help that he peer pressured his students into doing the same.
It may not be a prohibition against public prayer (though Jesus goes on to say that when you pray you should do so in an inner room of your own home), but it is absolutely an admonition about exactly the behavior of this coach, who would go kneel in the middle of the field and pray for show.
I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system so that is what I will do
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
"can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by" ostracizing other religious beliefs and making those students feel uncomfortable
It wasn't him just going out and saying a little, quiet prayer to himself. I wouldn't give a shit about that, I don't think anybody would. You do you.
He was bringing a ton of students into the fold. The whole team was praying with him.
He claimed that it wasn't required or expected but come on. You know damn well if you were a player on the team and you're the only guy not praying, you're gonna have a bad time.
Just Like the lady who recently claimed an LGBTQ couple wanted her business to serve them against her religious beliefs and then we all found out there was no such real customers? She had made up the situation to go to the courts and they still sided with her!!?
What he is not free to do is require (or pressure) players on his team to take part in the prayer, or make it seem as though it is an officially endorsed action by the public school system. But he absolutely has the freedom to pray whenever he wants for whatever he wants.