Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 Yards for Public Prayer!

On August 23, 2017, the 9th US District Court of Appeals unanimously supported Bremerton High School’s decision to fire football coach Joe Kennedy. The coach’s appeal came after he was fired for leading athletes in prayer on the field after football games. The school claimed the coach’s public prayer violated the US Constitutionally-required separation of church and state – and the 9th District agreed. The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution states in part that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” which have become the basis of numerous US Supreme Court decisions regarding separation of church and state. Therefore, the 9th District stated coach Kennedy, as a public employee, “influenced” students by praying in public and leading students in prayer, thereby violating the mandated separation.

Ok – let’s put a pin in that for a second.

Coach Kennedy started praying alone at the center of the field after games more than 10 years ago. Over the last decade, according to court documents, students, parents, teachers, coaches and even the opposing team joined him in increasing numbers and Coach Kennedy’s private, personal prayer morphed into motivational leadership moments that included spiritual overtones. By his own admission, Coach Kennedy said the post-game sessions likely constituted prayers.

The school district warned Kennedy in 2015 that he may continue leading motivational leadership sessions, but that those sessions must “remain entirely secular in nature, so as to avoid alienation of any team member” and that “[s]tudent religious activity must be entirely and genuinely student-initiated, and may not be suggested, encouraged (or discouraged), or supervised by any District staff.” The district reminded Kennedy that he was “free to engage in religious activity, including prayer, so long as it does not interfere with job responsibilities [and is] physically separate from any student activity, and students may not be allowed to join such activity…[religious] activity should either be non-demonstrative (i.e., not outwardly discernible as religious activity)…or it should occur while students are not engaging in such conduct.”

Ok – now pull the pin.

The school district ordered Coach Kennedy whom they hired knowing he was a practicing Christian not to display publicly any form of religious practice. Such display was influential on the minds of students and violated the separation of church and state clause. Following that logic, Sikhs should not wear headdresses, Muslim women should not wear scarves and cover their bodies, Christians should not wear crucifix necklaces or show religious tattoos, Wiccans should not display a Pentacle or Athame…no stars, no crosses, no crescents, no calligraphy, no sigils – nothing. Any outward symbol by a public employee can influence a student and be deemed by the 9th US District Court of Appeals as a violation of the separation of church and state.

That’s a long lead-in to say this – the 9th District has relegated Christians to praying only in Jerusalem, but like Paul, I believe we should worship Christ everywhere. However, I draw a line at praying to be seen – or heard – as did Christ in Matthew 6 admonishing hypocrites for praying “that they may be seen by men.” As long as Coach Kennedy, and any other public person for that matter, is praying for the glory of God, then I support public prayer. Public prayer is influential (as cautioned by the school district and the Court) but it is also not discriminatory (a flawed argument by the district and the Court). Sure prayer seeks inclusion, but the love of man refuses to intimidate anyone into believing.

Christ calls us to “worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24) and as long as the Coach Kennedy’s of the world pray publicly with an honest heart, I’ll support them. I won’t cover my cross tattoo. I won’t retire to an office to pray over my meal. And if I have the chance, I’ll join Coach Kennedy at the 50-yard line in his post-game prayer. I’ll pray on the mountain and in the valley. I’ll pray in the classroom and on the field. I’ll pray ceaselessly not because I want you to see me, but because He is worthy.

And if it costs me my livelihood – so be it. I count it all as loss. (Phil 3:7)