Written by Don Byrd
When high school football season gets started, church-state collisions are never far behind. Sometimes, the dispute is over pre-game prayers broadcast over the loudspeaker. Other times, it is the coach who is at the center of a controversy by leading the team in prayer. All players should be able to participate fully in the team without being either coerced into religious activities because of a desire to please the coach, or alienated from the team for refusing to kneel and pray with the others.
At the Villa Rica High School in Carroll County, Georgia, let’s just say things escalated beyond the all-too-common locker room prayer. There, a coach and players were baptized on the football field.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
A letter sent to the school district by the Freedom from Religion Foundation said First Baptist Church of Villa Rica posted a video of the event online, and that it shows “several players and a coach being baptized, presumably by a church representative, before football practice on school property.”
The video, which has since been removed from the church’s YouTube channel, was reportedly accompanied by the following message: ““We had the privilege of baptizing a bunch of football players and a coach on the field of Villa Rica High School! We did this right before practice! Take a look and see how God is STILL in our schools!”
The School District is investigating to ensure that school officials are following the law.
Meanwhile, Laurens County, Georgia’s West Laurens High School is under fire over the marching band’s tradition of playing “Amazing Grace” at football games. The band’s director remains defiant despite a letter from Americans United arguing the practice is unlawful.
Here’s the question: do we want high school football games at public school facilities to become revival meetings? Should participation in school athletics mean a student is signing up to be evangelized? Should signing up for marching band require a young person to be the vehicle for band director’s expression of faith?
Public school events should be welcoming to all members of the community, regardless of their faith. And 15-year-olds should not have to choose between participating in extracurricular activities and being true to their religious beliefs.
