Religious beliefs force Houston school from state tournament

[rug]

FS SOUTHWEST STAFF
February 28, 2012

Dallas Covenant will face a new opponent in the semifinals of the TAPPS state basketball tournament on Friday.

The Beren Academy (23-5) boys basketball team has forfeited their spot in the tournament due to their religious beliefs, according to a report by The Houston Chronicle.

The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) on Monday denied a request by Beren Academy, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Houston, to move the start time of their scheduled game from 9 p.m. on Friday.

The start time of the game conflicts with the school's observation of the Jewish Sabbath.

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/02/28/12/Religious-beliefs-force-Houston-school-f/landing_uil.html?blockID=675980&feedID=3742

I remember Sandy Koufax wouldn't pitch in the first game of the World Series because it was Yom Kippur.

[DocMac]

1. Is this the end of their year then? nt

[rug]

2. As far as I can tell, yes.

Had a great record too.

[DocMac]

3. What a shame.

I suppose the young players have no say.

I played football for 7 years in a row before joining the Marines. I can't imagine grownups making a decision that would keep me from such an event.

I would have to say something. I'm not a person of godly faith, so maybe I don't really get it.

[rug]

5. It looks like the school decided but the team knew of it.

"It's never happened where we've played during Shabbat, and it will never happen. The kids know that, and the kids are fantastic at understanding."

What's odd is that this is a league of private and religious schools. You'd think there would be some flexibility.

[cbayer]

6. If it's anything like New Orleans, they are badly outnumbered.

There is a similar organization and they have their own sports leagues.

Their composition is overwhelmingly Catholic, followed by protestant, but they have only one Jewish school.

As far as I know, they have never refused to accommodate the Jewish school. Of course, they would never schedule a game on Christmas.

This seems really discriminatory to me.

[rug]

9. Our Lady of the Hills isn't complaining.

"Dallas Covenant will now face Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills, who was defeated by Beren Academy 69-42 last week."

[DocMac]

10. Knowing that, I agree.

I went to a public school. I graduated from a State University (California University of PA).

I don't even know what Shabbat is. I would like to ask the players what they think.

It's not the end of the world. Perhaps it will just pass for these young people.

[rug]

13. Heh, my oldest daughter goes to Bloomsburg.

She's going to Indiana University (of Pennsylvania) Saturday for an orientation for a trip to Oxford this summer which includes two students from each state university. I think she'd go even if it left at midnight on Christmas Eve.

[DocMac]

16. Good for her and best wishes.

IUP is known for their music program, unless times have changed.

I don't think there is a thing as charming as a young mind that seeks all with such spirit. I miss those days.

[saras]

4. It's a good argument for religious diversity among sports teams.

The team could do without Koufax for a game. They can't do without the whole team.

[MarkCharles]

7. It's a better argument as to why religions force people to ...

deny their potential, curtail their talent, impose restrictions upon free will.

I want that team to play their game, I want them to enjoy every minute of it.

The ONE AND ONLY thing prohibiting this: let's be clear, let's report accurately.

What is that ONE AND ONLY "thing"?

Could we accurately say, "some people's desire to keep their non-scientific, non-rational, religiously-based fantasies and irrational religious laws above their desire for their children to succeed"?

Catholics irrationally deny the women in their faith the right to modern medicine and birth control, Jewish folks irrationally deny their kids the chance to play a sport. What's the difference? Both are based upon irrational faith-based mythologies denying people certain freedoms for no scientific nor any logical reason at all

[cbayer]

8. That's hard to do when you are the Jewish day school.

While others may attend, the vast majority are generally Jewish, in my experience.

[DocMac]

11. Are they not removing themselves from society?

[cbayer]

12. Not sure what you are asking here.

In New Orleans, for example, there are the public schools (almost all pretty bad), the Catholic schools, a smattering of protestant schools and one Jewish school.

Most unfortunately, the public schools are so bad, that pretty much any parent who can, will choose one of the others.

The Jewish school has a longstanding history in the community. It allows the Jewish population to have their children educated in an environment that respects, honors and teaches their traditions. They have a very active community center as well, that serves more than just the Jewish community. They don't disallow anyone into either their school or community center just because they aren't Jewish.

The sports program is particularly important for giving the kids a chance to socialize with kids from outside the Jewish community.

So, no, I don't think they have removed themselves from society at all.

[DocMac]

14. Seems to me that their religious beliefs

are the only thing stopping them from playing. I don't doubt that the school is a good one. And I don't doubt that they care about all in their community.

As I said, i'm not religious, so I don't get it. At the end of the day, those kids are denied their day.

Sometimes the adult in the room is the teenager.

[cbayer]

15. Shabbat is a very important thing to a lot of people in the Jewish community.

I'm not going to go into the specifics, but it is a private thing and doesn't generally impose on others.

It would have been very easy to accommodate this team by having the game before sunset or on any other night of the week.

If the kids generally observe the Sabbath, they most likely support the school's decision. In the end, they may think that Shabbat is more important than a game.

And in the end, it probably is.

[DocMac]

17. Ok. I've no problem with that.

So why can't the school district move the date? I have no horse in this race. My goal would be to see that these kids get to finish their season.

I'm no fan of Texas, but it's sounding like you're saying that this school district has a problem with Jewish people.

Again, the adults are in the way. Both sides.

[cbayer]

18. They play in a league that is composed of the religiously based schools and not in the

general school district.

As I said above, it is most likely dominated by the Catholic and protestant schools.

So my conclusion is that they are discriminating against the Jewish school and it's students by refusing to change the time or date.

[DocMac]

19. Given that statement, I agree.

I'm thinking that these games are played at night. Why on Earth would the community not adjust to make things amicable.

Everyone loses in this scenario. Everyone.

[cbayer]

20. We agree. It's been nice talking with you.

[rug]

21. Update: Beren Academy wins TAPPS boys basketball playoff game following lawsuit

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/west_university/sports/beren-academy-wins-tapps-boys-basketball-playoff-game-following-lawsuit/article_9d972850-64b5-11e1-bd5c-0019bb2963f4.html

[cbayer]

22. That is really cool.

Good for them for standing up for themselves. The game was played on Saturday after sundown. Shame on the members of TAPPS for not making this accommodation without a lawsuit.