Coach Sues Over Right to Pray With Team

[Thom Little]

By Michael S. Schmidt
New York Times
Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005



The East Brunswick High School football coach who was barred by his school district in New Jersey from praying alongside his players has filed a lawsuit alleging that the district's action infringed on his constitutional rights.

Marcus Borden, who quit as head coach in October when the school district threatened to fire him if he continued to pray with his team, is asking the state Superior Court in Middlesex County to allow him to bow his head in prayer over pregame meals and to kneel in the locker room with the team before games.

A week after quitting his post, Borden agreed to stop praying with the team and returned to coaching. He then hired Ronald Riccio, a constitutional lawyer to represent him.

.......

The lawyer representing the school district, Martin Pachman, said the school district was enforcing the rulings of the federal courts on the issue of student prayer. The courts have ruled that staff members may not participate, encourage or lead student prayer, Pachman said. Student-led and initiated prayer is permitted, he said, as long as no faculty members are involved.




http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/23/sports/23prayer.html

[Ian David]

1. Matthew 6:5-6 ...when thou prayest, enter into thy closet

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.

Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father in secret shall reward thee openly."

More:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/6.html#5

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Oh yeah? Well, a SOCIALIST wrote that!

Nyah!

--p!

[shawn703]

6. Also - 1Thess 16-18 "pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances"

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Now if the fundies would just do what THE BIBLE COMMANDS, TO THE LETTER, by locking themselves in their closet and praying continually until they are Raptured, it might solve some problems in this country.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Sounds like this is part of that Christmas campaign that a group of

24,000 were going to ram down our throats.

[Mend]

4. Outrageous...we all know how much God cares about football...

He wants those prayers before each and every game. He will be very angry if He doesn't hear from the coach and the wrong team just might win.

[Judi Lynn]

8. You'd think they'd want to save those prayers for the big stuff.

Frittering away their prayers like that's similar to the boy who cried wolf!

[Mairead]

5. The only way to solve this is to make religious ostentation illegal

Make it be like having a whiz--you do it in private, or you pay a fine. Doing it in private is commanded by doctrine, as that cite from Matthew illustrates for the case of Christians.

[geomon666]

7. This is rediculous.

I could understand if it was in a classroom but this is a locker room before a game. Every locker room, from peewee football to pro ball have people kneeling and praying before a game and that includes athletes, coaches, hell even some owners have done it.

[yellowcanine]

9. Can you say STRAWMAN? Who says he can't "bow his head in prayer"

before his meal? No one, ya schmuck. Long as you don't pray out loud who is going to know what you are up to anyway?