Seattle’s Bremerton High School has a problem, and it’s the assistant football coach Joe Kennedy.
Coach Kennedy is a devout Christian — which is fine; after all, that is his constitutional right. What is not his right, however, is his continuing to pray on the field at public school football games. Despite the fact that he has been told that this is not constitutional and that it is inappropriate in his role as a member of a public school’s athletic department, Coach Kennedy refuses to stop praying on the field.
Well, one student has a solution: Bring in the good folks at the Satanic Temple. The Temple has been known for cleverly standing up to this nonsense before, and they have chosen to stand with the unnamed Bremerton High School student as well.
The temple released a statement when asked about their activities regarding this situation, saying that if Coach Kennedy insisted upon praying at the games, then it was only fair — not to mention legal — that they be allowed to do so as well. The statement from the Temple’s Lilith Star to Hemant Mahta, the “Friendly Atheist” reads:
We are acting on behalf of a student there whose beliefs align with ours, and who would like to see their beliefs represented on the field alongside Christianity.
If the school chooses to tacitly approve the coach’s prayers by failing to stop or discipline him, they are opening up the football field as an open religious forum, and by federal law they must ensure that all religions have equal access to that forum, including Satanism.
We will be on hand with Satanic clergy at the football game, ready to perform the Invocation on the field if approved. If the school allows Kennedy to continue but denies our request, we would like to know the rationale behind the denial.
If the school district prevents Kennedy from praying publicly or disciplines or discharges him accordingly, we will withdraw our Invocation request.
It is unlikely that the stubborn school will stop the coach from praying at public school games, so to that end, the prayer from the Satanic Temple will likely go forward. The reaction from the Christian mafia to this one ought to be truly priceless.
Bremerton coach prays on the field after game#Bremerton Coach Kennedy decided to #pray on the field last night—despite an order not to from the school. >> https://kiro.tv/BremertonPrayingHe was surprised to find himself surrounded by players of the team they had just played against—praying with him in solidarity.
Posted by KIRO 7 News on Saturday, October 17, 2015
Featured image via Twitter
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