public prayer at school, take 2
12 - 07/22 /13:10
April 2022 I blogged an edited version of Joe Kennedy’s opinion piece explaining his habit of public prayer. Mr. Kennedy, a former US Marine, explained how public prayer resulted in his dismissal as football coach at a public high school.
“The Bremerton High School athletic director seemed sure that my experience training Marines to work as a team was all the qualification I needed to be a football coach. As I weighed the opportunity, I caught the movie Facing the Giants. It seemed an answer from God. I committed to coaching football and promised God that I would take a knee by myself in quiet prayer at the 50-yard line following every game, win or lose.”
“The Bremerton High School athletic director seemed sure that my experience training Marines to work as a team was all the qualification I needed to be a football coach. As I weighed the opportunity, I caught the movie Facing the Giants. It seemed an answer from God. I committed to coaching football and promised God that I would take a knee by myself in quiet prayer at the 50-yard line following every game, win or lose.”
Because he insisted on praying on the football field, Bremerton High School eventually dismissed Mr. Kennedy as JV football coach. He sued, claiming the school had violated his First Amendment right to freely express his religious belief.
Court after court ruled Bremerton High School was within their rights to fire Coach Kennedy. After every courtroom defeat his lawyers from First Liberty Institute filed an appeal to the next higher court. After years of appeals, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear his case. June 2022 the high court ruled the public high school violated Joe Kennedy’s religious liberty.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the 6-3 majority explained, “Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy's. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment's Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike.”
Beware legal advice from pastors. I have opinions, but my legal training consists of one semester of business law. Remember, three Supreme Court justices rejected the Constitutionality of Mr. Kennedy’s claim.
Regardless, come autumn Coach Kennedy will be taking a knee on the 50-yard line for a brief prayer; his act of public prayer inspired by a Hollywood movie.
What would Jesus do?
A few Hope Community participants pointed out Jesus’ instruction to pray in secret. It may seem strange to celebrate a Christian who overlooks Christ’s teachings, but let us judge not that we be not judged.
Instead, let’s examine ourselves. Are we living by the teachings of Christ? Or are we sliding into consumer Christianity, influenced more by our culture—even our Christian sub-culture—than by Scripture?
Blessings,
Dan Nygaard