Public Faith Makes the News
I would like to thank Tim Hill, a deacon at Lebanon Road, for showing me this story. He mentioned it in our Bible class Sunday morning, then sent me the information when I said I’d like to share it through the blog. Thanks, brother!
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One of the changes that many people have seen in our society over the past several years is the removal of Christianity from public areas. Many reminisce about days when someone led a prayer over the public address system to start the days of school, and prayer was also publicly practiced in many other areas of life.
When I was a teenager, I still remember someone leading a prayer before the football games over the P.A. system. Often, my dad was the one leading those prayers for the safety of the players and for the fans to remember their sportsmanship. Slowly and methodically, though, that has been taken away from many (in fact, most) public schools.
Recently a school in East Tennessee was forced to stop having public prayers before their football games. Soddy Daisy High School was told to stop having these prayers by The Freedom from Religion group, based in Madison, Wisconsin. If you have never heard of FfR (as they call themselves), the group, according to their own website, “works to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state.” The group has a grand total of 15,500 members, but is able, through that small membership of self-described “free thinkers,” able to get religion out of many public arenas.
So, that group decided to get involved with a school from East Tennessee and its decision to continue praying over the public address system before football games. After that involvement, the school backed down. CBS affiliate WDEF-TV ran the following story to share the reaction to the decision:
A challenge to public prayer at Soddy Daisy High School Football games leads to the end of the tradition.
Superintendent Jim Scales gave the order.
There can be no more prayer over the loudspeaker at athletic events or graduation ceremonies in the district.
It doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.
The next time the Soddy Daisy Trojans hit the field at home, there will be no prayer over the P.A. system.
Rose Secrest is a local member of Freedom From Religion Foundation. She says, “People shouldn’t be doing it so stop doing it.”
The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation challenged the tradition after it says students brought the practice to its attention.
The group calls it a breach of the Frist Amendment.
Michael Peralta is also a local member of Freedom From Religion Foundation. He says, “There have been many Supreme Court decisions that have established firmly that these are blatant violations.”
Katelyn Melton, a student at nearby ,Sequoyah High School says, “It really sickens me.”
But even with prayer over the loudspeaker silenced, students like Katelyn Melton expect even more outspoken communication with God.
Melton says “I think at the next football game, if they ban prayer, I think there will be a loud uproar of kids trying and praying in front of people and that will definitely grab someone’s attention.”
The issue has captured a lot of attention since coming to light. Katelyn’s Pastor Jeff McKnight even got a call from Fox News.
He takes issue with an-out-of-town group complaining about a local practice.
Pastor Jeff McKnight, Family Pastor at First Baptist Church in Soddy Daisy says, “If we do believe that God is part of our schools, part of our lives, we take that prayer to a public event, we’re not trying to put other people’s beliefs down, but it does feel that they’re trying to put our beliefs down and keep our mouths shut.”
A couple of local school board members were open about their beliefs on praying at games.
Jeffrey Wilson, School Board Member, “We’ve got children playing sports and certainly the concern is for the safety of the young people. I think as long again as we’re not trying to convert people to any particular belief we just want our kids to be safe. I don’t have any problem with it.”
Joe Galloway, School Board Member, “The first amendment’s only valid if it’s freedom of speech for everyone and there are people that consider praying at public events a part of that. I happen to be one of those. I hear offensive language every day and because people live in America I have to listen to that.”
A student-led rally is planned at Soddy Daisy Veterans Park next Wednesday from 5 to 7p.m.
The website thechattanoogan.com ran a shorter summary of the events:
After the Freedom From Religion group of Madison, Wis., protested, County School Supt. Dr. Jim Scales instructed Soddy Daisy High School Principal John Maynard to no longer have prayers over the loudspeaker prior to football games.
Mr. Maynard said he would comply.
However, last Friday night, Soddy Daisy High School was playing a road game at Rhea County High School, and the host school had heard of the decision. A fan was asked to describe what happened. Here is what he stated:
The stadium announcer made a respectful remark that everyone should be aware of what had taken place in the Hamilton County School system this week and to honor Dr. Jim Scales’ wishes they were asking anyone who wished to participate that they could meet on the field with the players of both teams for prayer.
So, you can imagine how few people took the inconvenience to walk down to the field from their seats “just” to say a prayer, right? Well, thankfully, one fan recorded it and has uploaded the video to YouTube. A young lady led the prayer (yes, that’s another blog post) while almost no one remained in the stands!
Unless you are a member of the Freedom From Religion group, you will probably enjoy this video:
I think there are several things to take away from this story, but I want to share just one and you and ask you to provide other reactions and lessons in the comments.
My takeaway is that there are still plenty of people out there who are proud to be Christians and who will stand for what they believe. I wish the Soddy Daisy principal would have just said, “That’s what we do, and that’s what we will continue to do.” I am tired of seeing people cave under pressure from law suits or other threats.
While it is not “necessary” to pray before any sporting event, it is still a good practice. I’m thankful that, for one night, two schools remembered that and reminded us all to continue to be open and public with our faith in Christ.
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What are your thoughts on this story?
10 Comments
Scott McCown
Wonderful,
This gives me an idea for our school . . .
Amber
Yay!
Joey Sparks
Great story.
And it is a good idea to consider, Scott.
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Clay Boggess
Being allowed to pray at school should be a fundamental right. If those who oppose it don’t wish to participate then that is also their right. The first amendment guarantees everyone the right to free speech. According to the beginning of the 1st amendment wording it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…”
Michael Peralta
Since I am named in this discussion (and found this post by accident) I thought I would add my two cents.
Individuals should have as much freedom of religious expression as possible, as long as it does not interfere with the rights of others.
Government agencies, and government officials acting in their capacities as representatives of these agencies, should not express religious opinions of any kind.
Do you see the important difference?
Official school prayer is wrong, just as official school atheism would be wrong.
The Ten Commandments on private property is fine; the Ten Commandments on government property is not fine (just as a sign reading “There are no gods” would not be fine on government property.)
It really is that simple, and it’s the law.
quote: I wish the Soddy Daisy principal would have just said, “That’s what we do, and that’s what we will continue to do.” I am tired of seeing people cave under pressure from law suits or other threats.
So you encourage lawbreakers?
Adam Faughn
I know exactly what you are saying, but what you are pushing for is exactly what you are fighting against. Because you are pushing atheistic/secular “religion” to the exclusion of all others, which is exactly what you are trying to say is wrong with Christian expression.
Also, if governments “should not express religious opinions of any kind,” we have a lot of documents of our Founding Fathers that you will have to spend more time fighting against. They founded the country on religious principles, one of which was the right for you and I to disagree on this matter. Take that foundation away, and one of us can speak…while the other cannot. I think it would be a good thing for the FfR to have an office that speaks this openly in Saudi Arabia…just see how that goes over.
Michael Peralta
Allow me to clarify some of my positions.
I am extremely opposed to an officially atheist government of any kind. This was one of the great evils of the Communist dictatorships. (Surely you and I agree on that.)
Atheist and secular are not the same. “Atheist” = not professing a belief in deities. “Secular” = not relating to religious matters one way or the other.
No government should be atheist. All governments should be secular.
Government should be neutral on all matters of religion.
The United States was not founded on religious principles. Yes, there were persons of faith among them, and that’s fine. The various references to “the Creator” in the founding documents are so vague as to be nearly meaningless. Certainly, in the official, legal documents (not the personal opinions of the Founders, who you and I could quote all day at each other) creating the United States, there is nothing making it a Christian nation.
” . . . the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion . . .”
— “The Treaty of Tripoli” (1797) — unanimously ratified by the Senate, signed by President John Adams
I would love to have an office of the FFRF (note the slight correction, by the way) in one of the officially Muslim nations. Unfortunately, that is not possible.
That’s one of the many, many bad effects of having any government with any official stance on religion.
Amber
I think Mr. Peralta is trying to defend an indefensible position. By the government becoming involved in any way to define marriage, just as an example, they are no longer neutral to my religion as that is based on the Bible, where marriage was invented and defined. Same for issues such as abortion, alcohol, gambling … Completely neutral is impossible with regard to polarizing topics. Freedom to choose individually, however, is the original, and defensible, position.
Adam Faughn
Mr. Peralta,
Of course the US was not founded “on the Christian religion,” per the Treaty of Tripoli. But to say that it was not founded upon Christian *principles* is utterly false. I know the Founding Father’s writings quite well (I read history quite extensively, especially Revolutionary-era books). While I am fully aware that I would disagree with the actual beliefs of many of these men and women, there is no way to deny that the underlying foundation of their documents–both public and private–included a faith in the Bible. When they wrote of “the Creator” and other similar references, they were not vague, as you propose. There was no other “Creator” they would have had in mind.
As for having an office for FFRF in a Muslim country, that is not a problem of “any” official stance on religion, as you say. It is a problem with the Muslim religion. A nation based upon Christian beliefs allows for disagreements, even on matters of faith. You would, likely, not enjoy your time in Saudi as much ss you enjoy it here. And you can thank the principles of the Christian faith for that.
“Secular” is also a religion, sir, and you know it. When a government takes NO stance on religion, they are taking a stand for no religion…which is a religious stance in itself.
I appreciate your willingness to comment on the post. It is a good, open discussion that I greatly appreciate.