Atheist Group Targets Religious Practices before School Sporting Events
- Updated Sep 10, 2015
The Freedom from Religion Foundation is claiming that football chaplains are unconstitutional.
The atheist group complained to some 15 universities that football chaplains were against the constitution.
Travis Barham, of Alliance Defending Freedom, says, however, that court rulings have proven that football chaplains are not unconstitutional.
"And those cases, we believe, should apply with equal force in the athletic team context," he told OneNewsNow.
According to OneNewsNow, the Freedom from Religion Foundation has said that pre-game prayers at football games for a Kentucky public school district are also unconstitutional.
Previously, a Christian minister had led pre-game prayers at the Bell County School District games. Then the atheist group complained.
At the request of a student group called “First Priority, “ the district then reinstated prayers, but this time, student-led. The school board approved the request.
Barham says that the atheist group is trying to silence faith on public universities.
"That's not required by the First Amendment," he said. "In fact, that's what's prohibited by the First Amendment."
In 2014, the Freedom from Religion Foundation targeted schools with chaplains on their basketball teams.
Publication date: September 10, 2015
