Posted on 03/04/2009 10:27:59 AM PST by Alex Murphy
The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down an appeal from the East Brunswick High School football coach who was banned from bowing his head during student-led team prayers.
Without comment today, the nation's highest court ended Marcus Borden's efforts to overturn a township board of education decision that as a public employee, Borden cannot mix religion with his work as a coach.
The high court's decision leaves intact a federal appeals court's April decision that Borden's desire to bow his head and take a knee during team prayer is an endorsement of religious activity at a public school.
Neither Borden, who has been the East Brunswick football coach since 1983, nor his attorney, Ronald Riccio, could be reached for comment this afternoon.
Borden has been fighting for the right to bow and kneel in prayer with his team since November 2005, when he filed a federal lawsuit arguing the school district's regulations were overly broad. He won a district court ruling in July 2006 in which a judge decided those rules were unconstitutional, but that decision was reversed at the appellate level in April 2008.
Riccio asked the U.S. Supreme Court in October to review the appeals court decision, arguing then that Borden's case was of national importance because "it addresses what public school educators are permitted to say and do when public school students engage in religious activities in their presence."
Richard Katskee, an attorney with the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the board of education in court, said in a prepared statement today "children have a clear right to attend public schools without religious pressures being brought to bear by school personnel."
"Coach Borden was out of bounds, and the courts were right to blow the whistle," Katskee said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Wonder if they cared if he started bowing to Mecca?
Do it anyway.
AGREED.
DO IT ANYWAY AND I HOPE ALL THE OTHER COACHES WHOSE TEAMS YOU PLAY DO THE SAME.
Bill of Rights
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
“Do it anyway.”
My thoughts exactly. Screw the court and the libs.
They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing... and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine...until the final speech received a standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!
The student on stage... simply looked at the audience and said,
'GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!' And he walked off stage...
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
It really struck me how far we have sunk when I went to my boy’s swim meet this weekend. He’s seven and he was the only kid that crossed himself before stepping on the platform before the race. There were literally hundreds of kids there and no one else did it. I remember crossing myself before every at bat when I was a kid. I also remember team prayer before every football game and sometimes after practice. Sad, truly sad.
Did you consider that the rest might be Protestant?
Quite simply, there isn't enough of them to control all of us.
So ... he should lead the prayer next time with his face pointed toward Heaven!
At least they still sing the National Anthem although I am sure that will be the next to go.
If the case was that he was trying to stop a kid from reading the Koran before a game in the locker room, he would have been fired, fined, made a public fool out of, and forced to apologize.
The only thing I see in this case is a clear violation of "prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
How can the Supremes even come back with this type of decision?
I know we conservatives understand this, but how can educated people not understand this in its most basic sense?
I see it every day. Very smart, intelligent people, who think the Constitution actually gives us our rights, instead of being the document that outlines our rights, and sets the limits on government with respect to those rights.
Yep, kneel on BOTH knees, palms held upwards and face toward God.
He can say it is a relaxation technique that he learned as a child (doesn’t prayer to God relax you?).
how can you ban someone from bowing their head?
don’t worry though. Muslims will be able to do whatever whenever.
protestants don’t usually cross themselves
I’m not outspokenly religeous, but this is just...silly.
teams where I played and coached always had prayers in the locker room before going on the field. We prayed that we would do our best, for direction, discernment and protection - never prayed for a “W.” That’s because we also said that if we did our very best, God would do the rest. Not the best theology, but great motivator. Years later, I have some of the players tell me they remembered.
teams where I played and coached always had prayers in the locker room before going on the field. We prayed that we would do our best, for direction, discernment and protection - never prayed for a “W.” That’s because we also said that if we did our very best, God would do the rest. Not the best theology, but great motivator. Years later, I have some of the players tell me they remembered.
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