Thread: School District Bans Baptist Chaplain From Praying with Football Team

School District Bans Baptist Chaplain From Praying with Football Team

By
Todd Starnes -

March 11, 2018

A Baptist pastor will no longer be permitted to serve as a chaplain for an Oklahoma high school football team after a notorious group of atheists filed a formal complaint.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers, was triggered by reports that the Cherokee Baptist Church had been feeding and providing assistance to the Putnam City High School football team.

Mike Keahbone, the church’s senior pastor, had been invited on occasion to deliver pre-game prayers in the team’s locker room.

“Public school football teams cannot appoint or employ a chaplain, seek out a spiritual leader for the team, or agree to have a volunteer team chaplain, because public schools may not advance or promote religion,” Freedom From Religion Foundation attorney Christopher Line wrote in a letter to Putnam City Schools.

Keahbone told the Todd Starnes Radio Show that he was the team’s honorary chaplain.

“I have never tried to proselytize on the campus,” the pastor said. “My job has been to be a support and try and meet needs.”

When Pastor Keahbone learned that a number of the parents could not be in the stands on game night (due to jobs and other conflicts) the church stepped in and filled the gap.

“One kid we discovered had not had a Christmas in three years. We provided Christmas,” the pastor said.

Some students were living in homes without electricity.
“We got the electricity back on,” he said.

In other words, the Christians at Cherokee Hills Baptist Church were behaving as Christians normally behave.

That created great angst among the atheist and agnostic crowd – leading to a nasty letter.

“It is illegal for a public school or school-appointed volunteer to organize, sponsor, or lead prayers at public high school events,” the FFRF declared. “Putnam City Schools cannot allow a non-school adult access to the children in its charge, and it certainly cannot grant access to a religious speaker seeking to proselytize students.”
First Liberty Institute, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms, is representing Pastor Mike.

“What’s most important is these students have a right to freedom of religion and freedom of religious expression,” attorney Michael Berry told the Todd Starnes Radio Show.

“And if they choose to want to meet with a chaplain or a pastor, they have the right to do that,” Berry said. “Pastor Mike is simply there to meet that need if that’s what the students choose.”

Berry said the church’s outreach program to the football team is a good program that should continue.

“There is no constitutional prohibition against people from the church meeting the needs of the community,” he said.

That may be the case, but the school district appears to have capitulated to the out-of-town atheists.

“FFRF banishes prayer from OK City high school team,” a press release read.

The FFRF said they were assured by a school district attorney that “new procedures had been put into place and that the athletic staff has been instructed that the practice of allowing access to students and engaging in prayer before any game would cease immediately.”

“Religion is divisive and has no place in a football team locker room,” FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said.

On senior night one football player’s dad was unable to attend the game – so Pastor Mike offered to stand alongside the player on the football field.

He didn’t want the young man to stand alone.

“We’re not trying to cause any trouble,” Pastor Mike said. “Our heart is to love these guys.”

But the Freedom From Religion Foundation says people like Pastor Mike and the congregation of Cherokee Hills Baptist Church are no welcome to practice their faith in public.

https://www.toddstarnes.com/faith/sc...football-team/

Pastors know the law, they know what it says and why it's there, so they need to refrain from pushing themselves into situations that cause trouble. Furthermore, no pastor or anyone else except approved school employees and players should be allowed into a public school locker room.

"because public schools may not advance or promote religion,”

---------------------------

Which is why I believe ALL taxpayer funded schools should go to a Uniform of Khaki Pants, Tennis Shoes and Polo Shirt the schools choice of color.

No more fighting over wearing US Flags, Mexican Flags, No Trash Wear, No Hats, No Religious clothing including head scarfs, beanies, Burka's, etc.

GET BACK TO EDUCATION AND TEACHING AND KEEP RELIGION AND POLITICS OUT OF IT!

DO NOT LIKE THE DRESS CODE TO ATTEND TAXPAYER FUNDED SCHOOLS?

THEN GO PAY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL OUT OF YOUR POCKET!

Exactly, Beezer. We didn't allow pastors running all around our schools, people would not have liked that at all. And this was a virtual 90% Republican congressional strong-hold, where 90% of the population went to church regularly. We considered our religion personal, private, and not part of public affairs or public policy. THOSE were the "good ole days", believe me. All this religious politicization is a negative in our society, it's disruptive, inappropriate, unseemly, and results in bad policy for the country. JUST STOP IT. We want illegal aliens to stay in their place back in their own countries, we also need our churches to stay in their place as well, and public schools and our state houses and Congress and White House are NOT their place. Now go away, stay in your place, and stop all this nonsense. Your religion is your business, not mine, just as my religion is my business, not yours.

This is nothing more than another case of an out of town atheist group shoving it's values down the throat of a community that didn't ask for it, want it, or need it.

The pastor was an invited guest. He was not employed by the school. I think it's a shame that an outside group like the FFRF can force its atheist views and values on a school and community, yet a community pastor can't be invited as a guest to say a prayer for those that want it before a sporting event. The church has done more for these kids than the FFRF has. It's easy to put down and quiet those you disagree with when you have no flesh in the game!

“I have never tried to proselytize on the campus,” the pastor said. “My job has been to be a support and try and meet needs.”

When Pastor Keahbone learned that a number of the parents could not be in the stands on game night (due to jobs and other conflicts) the church stepped in and filled the gap.

“One kid we discovered had not had a Christmas in three years. We provided Christmas,” the pastor said.

Some students were living in homes without electricity.
“We got the electricity back on,” he said.

In other words, the Christians at Cherokee Hills Baptist Church were behaving as Christians normally behave.

On senior night one football player’s dad was unable to attend the game – so Pastor Mike offered to stand alongside the player on the football field.

He didn’t want the young man to stand alone.

“We’re not trying to cause any trouble,” Pastor Mike said. “Our heart is to love these guys.”

Where was the FFRF when the child had no Christmas, families had no electricity, or a child had no one to stand with him? Like I said, the FFRF wants to force their values on others but have no skin in the game when it comes to the needs or desires of individual communities. If the community and schools wants to invite a pastor to occasionally offer a before game prayer or if the church wants to help school students and families, I say all the more power to them. This does not sound like a case where anyone is shoving anything down the folks throats except the atheist Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)!

In my view, this is a good example of where we are going wrong in or schools today. I agree with not shoving religion down peoples throats, but I don't agree with atheist groups coming into a community and forcing their beliefs and values down the throats of folks that didn't ask for it and don't want it! Everything is just so damn backwards these days! We didn't have school shootings when I was a teenager but we did recite the pledge of allegiance every morning, sing the Star Spangled Banner during halftime at football games, and have prayer before sporting events!

You don't have to parade God around, but you don't necessarily have to hide him either!

When there's federal money involved, it's no longer a local issue. Just stay out of the locker rooms and away from the school. I hope the church does things for all the students not just the athletes.

Originally Posted by Judy

When there's federal money involved, it's no longer a local issue. Just stay out of the locker rooms and away from the school. I hope the church does things for all the students not just the athletes.

I'm sure their services are available to the whole community. Cherokee Hills is not listed as an Oklahoma city, so I assume it's an unincorporated township.

Federal money shouldn't have a darn thing to do with the school occasionally inviting a church pastor in to say a prayer before a game or whether the school has an honorary pastor. Geez, it's not like he spends a lot of time there, has an office in the school, is an employee, or receives any financial compensation for his contributions.

I guess you would also have a problem with the team coach leading a prayer before he sends his kids out on the football field? When I was in H.S. we occasionally had a visiting pastor lead us in prayer prior to games, but most of the time it was just the coach. The funny thing about group prayer is nobody really knows if your participating or not.

I guess you would also have a problem with the team coach leading a prayer before he sends his kids out on the football field?

Definitely. Time and place. Football is a violent sport that harms and hurts. Kind of silly in my book for any church to be involved with any of it.

Cherokee Hills is not listed as an Oklahoma city, so I assume it's an unincorporated township.

No, it's just a name. The church is located inside the city limits of Oklahoma City on 63rd Street.