The following is a transcript of Todd’s morning commentary – heard daily on hundreds of radio stations around the nation. Click here to get Todd’s free newsletter for America First conservatives.
A group of atheists is threatening to sue a Florida school district after a group of teenage football players got baptized.
Over the summer 30 football players and coaches at Port Charlotte High School converted to Christianity. As a sign of brotherhood and their new-found faith the young men were baptized in the ocean.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation said the school district broke the law. They say coaches are not allowed to engage in religious events or prayers. And they ordered the school to cease and desist.
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“Charlotte County Public Schools must ensure that this school-sponsored religious coercion ends immediately,” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line writes. “The team’s coaches must immediately cease infusing the football program with religion.”
They also took issue with the football team’s chaplain – who was accused of telling the kids about Jesus.
“It is illegal for public school athletic coaches to lead their teams in prayer or instruct others to lead their team in prayer or religious activities, FFRF reminds the school district. The Supreme Court has continually struck down school-sponsored prayer in public schools. It is additionally unconstitutional for public school employees to direct students to partake in religious activities or even participate in the religious activities of their students,” FFRF said in a statement. “At Port Charlotte High School, however, the team coaches have permeated the football program with religion, allowing Parker to preach to the team and engage in religious worship and activities with the students.”
And one of the assistant coaches happens to be a pastor at New Day Christian Church – which really angered the godless heathens who run the Wisconsin-based, anti-Christian organization.
“No student athletes should be expected to pray to play, much less be subjected to full-body baptisms,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Student athletes look to their coaches for leadership, and these two are abusing their trust.”
I know this may trigger the out-of-town atheists, but the Supreme Court has already ruled that football coaches have a right to pray and engage in other religious activities on and off the gridiron.
God bless the coaches at Port Charlotte High School and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and New Day Christian Church. They understand that scoring a touchdown is not the most important life decision.
And God bless those young football players – buried with Him through baptism, raised to walk in newness of life.