Deion Sanders is the new head coach at the University of Colorado. He’s also a Christian man.
He praised and glorified God when he was introduced to fans as the new head coach. Meetings with players and coaches always started with a word of prayer.
Lord, we thank You for this day, Father, for this opportunity as a group. Father, we thank You for the movement that God has put us in place to be in charge of. We thank You for each player here, each coach, each family. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation heard about the prayers and fired off a threatening letter to the university.
They accused the coach of proselytizing and warned that he was using his position as a coach to advance religion.
They said the coach’s prayer was against the law — religious coercion.
The University of Colorado dispatched their equity and compliance office to the football stadium.
They reminded the coach of their nondiscrimination policies and warned him not to engage in religious expression.
“Last Friday, the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance personally met with Coach Sanders to provide guidance on the nondiscrimination policies, including guidance on the boundaries in which players and coaches may and may not engage in religious expression,” University of Colorado Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Patrick T. O’Rourke recently responded to FFRF. “Coach Sanders was very receptive to this training and came away from it with a better understanding of the University of Colorado’s policies and the requirements of the Establishment Clause.”
The out-of-town atheists praised the University of Colorado and their commitment to secularism.
“We can’t coach Deion Sanders on sports-related matters, but we can certainly offer him corrective lessons on the Constitution,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We trust that our communication to the University of Colorado has been conveyed to him and that he understands students should not have to pray to play.”
Let’s hope the Buffaloes never need to throw a Hail Mary.
I’m taking a group of 100 listeners to the Holy Land in November. And I want you to join our effort to Stand with Israel. Information is on my website at ToddStarnes.com.