O
on_the_hill
Guest
What’s the danger you’re referring to?
School district investigates mass baptism filmed at football practice
- Status
Z
zaffiroborant
Guest
Being coerced into baptism and participation in a church, I would not be in the least bit pleased if this went on with a team my Catholic children were on at their public school, neither would most of the Catholic parents I know.What’s the danger you’re referring to?
O
on_the_hill
Guest
Usually people complain that there’s not enough God in public schools, that they’re too secular.
D
Della
Guest
Well, this took place deep in the Bible belt where public schools and Baptist beliefs are interchangeable. The school boards positions are no doubt held by Baptists, the teachers are Baptist, the students and parents are Baptist–it seems natural to them to blend public school with their particular beliefs. This sort of large religious majority being in charge of the public schools is the reason Catholic schools were founded–to keep Catholic children from being proselytized by Protestant teachers and fellow students, forced to attend their Bible studies and accept whatever they were taught.
Now the idea that there can be no religion in school is quite new and is not in harmony with the idea that the state cannot promote any particular religion. It’s a delicate balance, which recent court decisions have tipped decidedly towards secularization and even atheism. There is a huge difference between students forming a Bible study after school and forcing students to attend it. The difference seems to be lost on the secuarlists who are determined to wipe out any mention of God or religion, which was not the intent of the writers of the US Constitution or of the Founding Fathers.
M
Michael68
Guest
Yes, this is the danger I am referring to. Catholic children being told their beliefs are wrong or worse converting them. I don’t agree with what this team did.
O
on_the_hill
Guest
Well, how do you draw the line? If our public school leaned toward a Catholic bias, I wouldn’t be put off by it. But if our public school leaned toward a non-Catholic bias, it would probably bother me.
Given the choice between secular or religious influences that I don’t believe in, I’d choose secular.
Whether participation in a religious practice is mandatory, coerced or not, when you’re dealing with children in classrooms or on teams they have practically no choice in the matter.
Given the choice between secular or religious influences that I don’t believe in, I’d choose secular.
Whether participation in a religious practice is mandatory, coerced or not, when you’re dealing with children in classrooms or on teams they have practically no choice in the matter.
D
Della
Guest
And I agree, but it’s been taken too far into the secular–denying students the right to practice their faith on campus or to even mention Jesus’ name, etc. It’s become less about rights, and more about persecution against anyone’s religious expression except those the elite don’t want to offend. That’s what upsets me.
The first line drawn is the avoidance of actions that fall into the category - for you and me - of sacraments. There are lots of things Catholics and non-Catholics share - the Lord’s Prayer / Our Father, much of scripture, etc. We can and should avoid something such as baptism, where belief differences can be stark.
But even with these, a teacher or coach ought to be careful not to force inclusion, or infer isolation.
Jon
O
on_the_hill
Guest
I guess I meant where do you draw the line as a school district, or an administrator, or whatever.
D
Della
Guest
I believe this ought to be a local matter for the local school board, parents, clergy, teachers and students to work out. It’s not the duty of federal officials to step in, nor should outside groups, such as the freedom from religion crowd, have any say in the matter nor the courts, local or federal. A public school is not an instrument of any particular federal administration, nor should it be. As I see it, the danger is a creeping power grab by federal officials in such local matters, and the take over of the secularly-minded who want to keep any mention of religion out of public schools–to choke off any godly influence of any kind, which is not freedom of religion as envisioned by the Founding Fathers.
The situation at this Georgia school came about because everyone involved assumed things they shouldn’t have assumed–that it would be fine to baptize the coach on school property, and that having the football team there to witness it wouldn’t be sending a message that they should do the same. I rather imagine part of the plan was to influence the team to follow their coach’s example and be baptized, as well. It’s a form of stealth proselyzation they think perfectly fine because it gets people “saved” according to their beliefs. Of course it shouldn’t have happened. The school is going to have to set boundaries against allowing anyone’s sacraments to be administered on school property. The church could have done it at their facilities and should have. I know from experience their motive was most likely to get the team involved and get them to participate. Well, it backfired on them and now they’ll have to deal with the consequences.
D
Della
Guest
Update on the story from Newsmax: newsmax.com/Newsfront/georgia-mass-baptism/2015/09/15/id/691580/. From the responses people seem to think that, once again, the state is interferring in the free exercise of religion, when, in fact, this baptism event should never have been scheduled on school property at all. It was a set up from the word go, IMHO, to get the kids baptized into the Baptist church by having their coach do it first. Of course, impressionable teens who love their coach are going to want do what he just did. They banked on that emotional response to, in effect, coerce the football players to follow the coach’s example–on the spot with no time to think it over or be instructed or even know what they were doing. Underhanded and deceptive is what I call it. 
A
Aslan10
Guest
Villa Rica High school might, but the overwhelming majority are not anything like this.
Z
zaffiroborant
Guest
Well I prefer that, I really don’t want my kids manipulated by people with a religious agenda at school. Nor do I want the people who distribute the hateful anti-Catholic literature in my neighborhood telling my kids about their church at school while also telling them what’s wrong with Catholicism.
- Status