March 10, 1999
DOWN HOME:
They don't have a prayer
when it comes to football
___Justice is supposed to be blind, but you'd think it would get out of the house on fall Friday nights every once in awhile.
___The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently ruled on what's likely to become a landmarkschool-prayer case. The three-judge panel outlawed public prayer at high school football games.
MARV KNOX
Editor
___Set aside what you think about school prayer for about two minutes. Many Baptists believe school-sanctioned prayers violate the U.S. Constitution's establishment clause. Many do not. Save that battle for another day and another part of this page.
___As Knute Rockne said to the halfback who ran the wrong way with the football, "Don't go there."
___However, the justices in this pigskin-prayer case intrigued me with their logic.
___First, they agreed with a Galveston federal judge who allowed non-proselytizing and non-sectarian prayer (whatever that is) at public high school graduations. Then they disallowed public-address prayers at football games.
___Football games, they reasoned, are "hardly the type of ... event that can be appropriately solemnized with prayer."
___These guys ain't from Texas, are they?
___Anybody who's lived in the Lone Star State from August two-a-days through December University Interscholastic League championships knows Texans practice two kinds of religion. One takes place in a church on Sunday; the other breaks loose in high school stadiums on Friday night.
___Try to imagine what archaeologists will think when they dig up Texas in a few million years. They'll find some mighty big churches, all right. But they'll find some whoppers of football stadiums. Do you think they'll wonder where we worshiped?
___"Worship" is a true word. Our hometown heroes' sweat doesn't stink if they run, tackle and pass far into the playoffs. Most of the time, football crowds are far more celebrative than church crowds dream of being.
___And no matter what the judges decreed, prayer will be said at football games. As long as mamas sit in stands, prayers will be said. And when Junior goes down with the wind knocked out of him, Mama will pray. Real loud.
___I've prayed at football games many times. When I was a Perryton Deputy junior varsity punt returner, I prayed that I would catch the ball. When we played Dumas and Pampa and Borger, I prayed I wouldn't get killed.
___And I didn't pray a "non-sectarian, non-proselytizing" prayer. I prayed to God Almighty, Creator of all things good. Like high school football.Frontpage / Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!