This is such a great story.
A high school football coach was targeted by an atheist group for praying along with his players, successfully lobbying the district to order him to cease and desist.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) took video of coach John Small, of East Coweta County High School, bowing his head during a team-led prayer. It was a player-led prayer.
The school board responded by sending a warning letter to coaches.
“They (coaches) cannot join hands, bow their heads, take a knee or commit another act that otherwise manifests approval with the students’ religious experience,” the board’s attorney instructed.
Did you catch that? They are forbidden from ‘taking a knee.’ The football coach. Are the irony alarm bells going off yet?
They cannot…take a knee or another act that manifests approval with the students’ religious experience…” #Ironic https://t.co/SbBtN3wJ69
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) November 7, 2017
Students and fans by the hundreds at East Coweta decided to join in the prayer as a direct slap at the atheist group.
“In response,” Fox News reported, “the players joined hundreds of students and fans at their final game in an even bigger prayer than usual.”
Big crowd tonight for prayer rally supporting East Coweta High School football coach and prayer at school. pic.twitter.com/c5pkNzmTNT
— Doug Evans (@dougevansfox5) November 17, 2017
How big? About 400 prayers were sent out.
“Our students have done a great job and our students took it upon themselves to organize a prayer with our students in the stands before the game,” Coach Small said. “Instead of it being 100 players praying, it turned into 400 students praying.”
“That’s their right and we are going to support them in that.”
Small warned the atheist group that telling teenagers what they can and cannot do regarding prayer isn’t going to work.
“It has really turned into a positive because at the end of the day, we are trying to teach students about leadership and they should be the ones taking the charge on it anyway,” he explained.
East Coweta Coach John Small taking to prayer rally supporting him praying with football rally. Says administration supports him and students in student-led prayer pic.twitter.com/QeiMfvChAJ
— Doug Evans (@dougevansfox5) November 17, 2017
Well done, East Coweta student body, fans, and coaches. Standing up to bullies, especially godless bullies, is something this country needs to see a little more often.
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