I’m
a die-hard Clemson fan, but this nonsense goes well beyond football and my
loyalty to the university that I grew up cheering for. It’s unnerving anytime
an organization as such wants to raise issues when someone wants to mention God
or the Bible. This organization, based miles and miles away, demands Clemson to
cease the athletics department’s emphasis on prayer, Bible studies and other voluntary
religious activities among athletes. My question is, what about violating the
student/athlete’s constitutional rights and their freedom of religion? In this
country we have a freedom of choice and that includes a freedom of religious
beliefs. No one forces to anyone to believe in God and/or prayer. I would think
that if Clemson University, or any other university, was “forcing” their
players to take part in Bible studies and prayer, or else be dismissed from the
program, there would be some kind of investigation and punishment from the
NCAA. I admire the fact that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn't hide his faith and
that his staff gives players every opportunity of attending religious
activities without forcing the issue. Players are given a choice to attend
religious activities made available through the athletic program. It’s a choice
not a demand. I’ve never seen it written in any university manual that you must
pray as a team, in a huddle and carry a Bible or you’re not guaranteed playing
time. Again, it’s a choice. Swinney said it best, “It’s not who the best
Christian is, it’s who the best player is.”
So
what if Clemson hired a former player as their Chaplin? What if he speaks to
the team before games and makes himself available to the players and what if he
even has an office in the same building as the coaches? Good for him and the
university! I admire that! What makes all that wrong but yet these
anti-Christian organizations don’t bother to fight against those options that
can get players arrested and kicked out of school such as underage alcohol consumption and DUI’s, use of drugs, theft etc. We
hear and read about school violations and athletes getting suspended all the
time but yet there’s no organization threatening to sue local bars or those
involved.
What’s
wrong with giving players the option to attend Bible studies, to pray, or go to
church while playing for a public university? This goes not just for university
athletes but ones on the high school levels as well. This world gives plenty of
options for people to do wrong so why not have an option for public school
athletes to be involved with region on the fields and in the locker rooms
without some anti-Christian organization issuing threats? Prayer in public
schools was eliminated and we wonder why there is so much violence on and off
the athletic fields and in hallways of schools.
Allow
players to mention God while being interviewed on television if they want to without
cutting them off with a commercial or quickly changing the subject. It’s a free
country isn't it? What happened to the freedom of speech and freedom of
religion? Mention God, have prayer in locker rooms or have a Bible study for
athletes, voluntarily, and you offend people. I don’t get it; if this kind of
organization doesn't believe in praying or that there’s a God, then why do they
burn so much energy trying to fight against something they think doesn't exist?
