Supreme Court sides with high school coach who led prayer on football field

[+Hammerclaw]

11 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

That about what I figured. I doubted the coach directly came out and told people they had to pray.

But players might do it out of fear of losing playtime. 

Its like when your boss invites you to a work outing. You don't have to do it. But you can't help but feel the people who do it will have a better chance at being promoted.

Seriously, dude? High school kids won't pray under compulsion. They'll just be quiet until the churchly people are through praying.

[spartan max2]

44 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Seriously, dude? High school kids won't pray under compulsion. They'll just be quiet until the churchly people are through praying.

If a highschool kid wants starting time he may do things to try and be on his coaches good side. Such as act like he is praying. 

It dosen't mean the coach is saying anything to make players feel obligated. But that's how people are.

Like with my example. If your boss invites you to an afterwork function, you're not obligated to go but you can't help but feel that it may hurt your chances for promotion later. By your boss liking the people who go more 

Edited June 28, 2022 by spartan max2

[+OverSword]

17 hours ago, Agent0range said:

You ever play team sports in high school?  If so, what happened to the players that complained?

I don't completely disagree with this decision, but I think the coach doing it on the 50 yard line post game is out of line.  That's going to be something players are compelled to join in on whether they want to or not.  Why not have a group prayer for those who want it in the corner of a locker room?  This seems like one of those times where he was purposefully looking to cause a problem.

Because they are emulating the professionals.  At the end of every NFL game, players and coaches that choose to, gather on the fifty yard line or in an end zone, get on their knees, join hands and pray.

Edited June 28, 2022 by OverSword

[+Hammerclaw]

3 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

If a highschool kid wants starting time he may do things to try and be on his coaches good side. Such as act like he is praying. 

It dosen't mean the coach is saying anything to make players feel obligated. But that's how people are.

Like with my example. If your boss invites you to an afterwork function, you're not obligated to go but you can't help but feel that it may hurt your chances for promotion later. By your boss liking the people who go more 

That's a classic strawman argument and its premise is unbelievable. At least, that's not the way teenagers were when I was teenager and certainly not the way a Christian coach would treat their students.  As for the other, some will suck up to the boss and some won't. Do you actually know anyone who was coerced into praying for fear not playing?

[Guest Xetan]

If Spartan's given birthday is accurate, I am roughly the same age that he is (a couple years older) and can absolutely confirm that plenty of teenagers in our generation would allow themselves to be pressured into a prayer they didn't believe in out of fear of social repercussions. Plenty would also be outspoken against engaging in such, but that demographic isn't likely to have participated in team sports. Just based on my experiences as a teenager in the 2000s.

My brother is a generation younger, having just graduated high school. They seem to be even more "don't the rock the boat" than my peers were.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Xetan

[spartan max2]

1 hour ago, Hammerclaw said:

That's a classic strawman argument and its premise is unbelievable. At least, that's not the way teenagers were when I was teenager and certainly not the way a Christian coach would treat their students.  As for the other, some will suck up to the boss and some won't. Do you actually know anyone who was coerced into praying for fear not playing?

I'm not making a straw man argument lol. And I actually agree with the supreme court decision.

I'm just saying that it would not surprise me if some kids felt like they had to go along with it. Expand even quoted that one of the kids said he felt that way 

Quote

Although Kennedy claims no one has ever felt pressured to join him, one student player had come forward anonymously to say he joined in one of the prayers despite his own beliefs due to fear of losing play time.

And I don't have any prayer specific examples, but as a therapist for youth I can tell you that you'd be surprised how often teens do go along with stuff, even the big tough ones. 

I don't see it as a bad thing to make coaches aware that, even though they are not saying it or intending it, that some kids might feel pressured so it doesn't hurt for the coach to make it extra clear that they don't have to do it 

Edited June 28, 2022 by spartan max2

[spartan max2]

27 minutes ago, Xetan said:

If Spartan's given birthday is accurate,

Nah, I'm actually a catfish  lol

[Tatetopa]

Might make for an interesting matchup when the opposing coach follows Asatru and implores Odin and Thor to crush their enemies, and drive them back to their own goalposts so that they can hear the  lamentation of their cheerleaders.

[Likely Guy]

I see the point of the ruling but, I dunno. I'm not the least bit religious but if I was I wouldn't put it on public display like that. Maybe that's just me.

That and they shouldn't be playing Sunday games. Isn't that for the Sabbath?

[+OverSword]

13 minutes ago, Likely Guy said:

I see the point of the ruling but, I dunno. I'm not the least bit religious but if I was I wouldn't put it on public display like that. Maybe that's just me.

That and they shouldn't be playing Sunday games. Isn't that for the Sabbath?

They don't.  High school games are on Friday night.  Also the Sabbath is on Saturday 

Edited June 28, 2022 by OverSword

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

They don't.  High school games are on Friday night.  Also the Sabbath is on Saturday 

Friday’s Shabbat, so no observant Jews on the teams.

[+OverSword]

28 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

Friday’s Shabbat, so no observant Jews on the teams.

Not where I went to high school.