Posted on 10/11/2005 8:24:04 PM PDT by nypokerface
Oct. 11 EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A veteran central New Jersey high school football coach has resigned after being told by school officials he could no longer lead his team in pregame prayer.
East Brunswick coach Marcus Borden was told last Friday by Schools Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro that some parents had complained about prayers Borden initiated at pregame meals and before the games.
After being told he would have to stop leading or taking part in the prayers, Borden stepped down from his position, just hours before his team's 21-0 loss to Sayreville that evening.
"I'm very disappointed," Borden said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey Tuesday. "Do I feel we were violating someone's rights? I don't think so."
But East Brunswick school officials think differently. According to school officials, the prayers violated the separation between church and state in public schools.
A spokeswoman for the district, Trish LaDuca, said students have the right to pray on school property during school events, but the prayer must be initiated by the students; otherwise it violates the law.
"A representative of the school district cannot constitutionally initiate prayer, encourage it or lead it," LaDuca told the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick. "Representatives of the school cannot participate in the student-initiated prayer."
During the television interview, aired Tuesday, Borden said what he was doing was not uncommon, and coaches across the state lead similar prayers as part of sporting events.
"I'm not out preaching, I'm not a preacher," said Borden, who has led the football program for 23 years. He has a 116-100-1 career record, and his team won the Central Jersey Group IV championship in 2004.
He is the founder of the Snapple Bowl, a charity all-star football game that has raised more than $150,000 for physically and mentally impaired children.
His resignation has divided the school community, with many students and parents supporting the coach.
On Saturday, a group of more than 50 members of the football team and some of their parents traveled to Borden's home and asked the coach to return.
Nancy Halupka, president of the school's football booster club, said she sympathizes with Borden and said the prayer tradition started long before he arrived at the school.
But school officials, who emphasized that they did not force Borden to resign, said some students felt uncomfortable with the prayer and their concerns should be treated with respect.
Magistro, the district's superintendent, said Borden's resignation won't become official until the school board meets on Oct. 20. She said the former coach can rescind his resignation at any time before the meeting, something Borden said was not likely.
"I believe that I made the right decision," said Borden, a Catholic. "I believe I made a decision based on principle. I believe that's who I am."
"I don't know why "Congress shall make no law" somehow got translated into meaning willing people cannot practice Christianity in open spaces while others might be within earshot."
Blame the Activists in Black...a brief overview of the Supreme Court's decisions on religion and the U.S. Constitution will give any objective student an appreciation for strict constructionist judges.
Studying those decisions in detail and then trying to make SENSE of them, though, will probably give you a cerebral hemorrhage.
Well, that's New Jersey for you. The place is a foul toilet of Democrat liberalism and political correctness. I mean right to the core. The teachers union has thoroughly corrupted state government, and the mob is all over the place. This story is a yawner for New Jersey - - no surprise at all.
Regards,
LH
What "civil disobedience"? He quit.
As for the rest of it: how about the team captain (or a player/spokesman for the team) gets up to the mic and says somethng like "we took a vote and it was unanimous that we want to concede our prayer time to the coach"?
If he's then so invited by the team to pray, could the school system do anyting to him?
Just wondering, in cases like this how come we never hear directly from the parents who were "offended"? In this day and age, it's not exactly impossible to find a camera, just seems rather odd............
If he's then so invited by the team to pray, could the school system do anyting to him?
They would probably arrest him for being on campus. I think the football team should resign as well.
I wonder if Trish could give us a reference for which "law" is being violated here. I doubt it. She's a moron. I wonder if she ever learned why our ancestors came to America in the first place. I can help her out. They didn't have welfare in those days so it wasn't that.
He would probably have been praised if he showed up dressed in leotards
Absolutely right on. If the man had dressed in drag the teacher's union would have bent over backward to support him. My baby is only 2 1/2 mo.s old and I am already looking into the proper way to home school. More people removing these children (victims IMO) from public schools is the only way to stop the madness.
Oh Lord we thank thee for this day
to grant and guide us in our play
to give us strength in hand and heart
to play the fairest sportsmans part
Caring gently, God so rule,
for the honor of _________ high school.
P.S. I stand ashamed that I, through my silence and ignorance, haven't taken an equally bold step. How about you?
So what's the problem? Have those 50 kids initiate the before-game prayer. Or is it critical that the coach be the one to initiate it and lead it?
Good for him, the team should all walk away now.
I am so tired of crap like this....
God Bless him.
God bless this fine coach--and may the team have a losing season, because of their loser parents.
He led those boys, God bless him. That's why it wouldn't be the same for the boys to initiate themselves. Now he coached them in more important ways than he might know. Not a single one of them will ever forget a strong man's faith.
Really, why? What's the purpose of the pre-game prayer? I thought it was a sincere effort to ask to help of God in playing the game well with good sportsmanship and avoiding serious injury; it should not matter to God who leads the prayer. Does it only count if it's led by the coach? Is the coach providing instruction in how to pray?
If you think it's important for the coach to be a role model to the kids by leading them in prayer, then you're implying that this is part of his official duties, which means that you're not as interested in invoking the help of God as you are in making a statement.
Moral Absolutes Ping.
Well, it looks as though we're all in the handbasket, we're heading in a southerly direction, and it does appear to be speeding up. I just saw another article about Gov. Rick Perry of Texas officiating at the start of construction of some kind of Islamic center, and he laid the first stone or brick. How come he can do that, and this coach can't pray? How crazy is that? Islam must be honored with stamps and cards and Presidential praise, but Christianity must be shoved into a closet?
"Representatives of the school cannot participate in the student-initiated prayer."
So school employees cannot even PARTICIPATE in prayer? And it didn't sound as though all this even happened in the school. So when is a coach "Congress" and since when is him praying "enacting a law establishing a religion"?
"...the prayers violated the separation between church and state in public schools."
And which law is that? People, we have to turn this around. This cannot go on. Do you know why? Because this is not the end of prejudice and hatred towards God. This is not as bad as it's going to get. Am I a prophet? Nope. I just see the writing on the wall. Secularists hate God, they are not neutral, and since they can't kill Him, they will do everything they can possibly do to shut up those of us who believe in Him, prevent our free expression of religion (which IS protected in the Constitution), harass us in every way they can. It is going to get worse, and each of us should be thinking of any way we can stand up for the truth - that God exists, and we as American citizens (or even as human beings) have the God-given right to worship Him as we see fit, protected by the First Amendment.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
Were any of these students actually ON the team? The article doesn't make that clear.
"It was either bend over or resign. This guy is a man of principle and should be applauded."
Hear! Hear!
The man is a rare find...exactly the sort of man who should be leading young men and helping to shape their lives. Inasmuch, he represents a threat to everything the school's administration would value.
Anyone remember the days when Thomas Jefferson appointed the Bible and a book of hymns as primary literature for the D.C. school system? And used federal money to print them?
Well, of course you don't. And that appears to be the problem because these leftists don't know about or completely ignore the history of this nation.
Yes, the same Jefferson who is credited with coining the term "separation of church and state."
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