A high school football coach in Washington state who won his job back after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled he could pray on the field resigned Wednesday after just one game back.
Assistant Bremerton High School coach Joe Kennedy made the announcement on his website, citing several reasons, including that he needed to care for an ailing family member out of state. He had been living full-time in Florida, and before the first game last Friday he said he didn’t know if he’d continue coaching.
“I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system so that is what I will do,” Kennedy wrote. “I will continue to work to help people understand and embrace the historic ruling at the heart of our case.”
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.”
This is not a prohibition for public prayer, despite~~ reddit’s~~lemmy’s inclination to always quote this whenever public prayer is mentioned
It may not be a prohibition against public prayer (though Jesus goes on to say that when you pray you should do so in an inner room of your own home), but it is absolutely an admonition about exactly the behavior of this coach, who would go kneel in the middle of the field and pray for show.
It’s not a sin. It won’t land you in hell. But I would say it’s a prohibition, if you take into account that it’s said by literally god.
It was never about his job. It was always about putting Christianity back on a pedestal and the rest of us back in the shadows.
Fuck him.
I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system so that is what I will do
Damnit, he’s going to run for Congress.
Fucking exactly… These chucklefucks are like influencers for right wing media obsessed morons.
God I hate this timeline.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
That’s from the Bible though Matthew 6:5. All churches were called synagogues back then. It’s not anti-Semitic. The commenter above is quoting this to show that the Bible frowns upon performative praying as this coach is doing.
“can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by” ostracizing other religious beliefs and making those students feel uncomfortable
This is the part that gets skipped.
It wasn’t him just going out and saying a little, quiet prayer to himself. I wouldn’t give a shit about that, I don’t think anybody would. You do you.
He was bringing a ton of students into the fold. The whole team was praying with him.
He claimed that it wasn’t required or expected but come on. You know damn well if you were a player on the team and you’re the only guy not praying, you’re gonna have a bad time.
