The football coach at the center of a Supreme Court religious liberty case
The Daily Article
The Denison Forum
4.9 • 576 Ratings
🗓️ 26 April 2022
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
Bremerton football coach Joe Kennedy was fired in 2015 after refusing to stop praying at the fifty-yard line following his team's football games. His religious liberty case was heard before the Supreme Court yesterday. In The Daily Article for April 26, 2022, Dr. Jim Denison considers Coach Kennedy's fight, the latest cultural euphemism disguising immorality, and how Christians can practically fight against the sins they persistently struggle against.
Author: Dr. Jim Denison
Narrator: Chris Elkins
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Daily Article Podcast for Tuesday, April the 26th, 2022. |
| 0:09.1 | I'm Chris Elkins with the Denison Forum, narrating today's article written by Dr. Jim Denison. |
| 0:14.6 | While the headlines were focusing on Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter yesterday for $44 billion, |
| 0:20.6 | an event involving a high school football coach could affect the future of religious liberty in America. |
| 0:27.8 | Following a 20-year career in the Marine Corps, Joseph A. Kennedy was hired in 2008 as assistant football coach for the varsity and head coach for the junior varsity squad |
| 0:38.3 | at Brimerton High School near Seattle, Washington. |
| 0:42.0 | Soon after, he began kneeling to pray at the 50-yard line after each game. |
| 0:47.6 | After a few games, some of his players asked to join him. |
| 0:51.3 | Visiting players later joined them. |
| 0:57.0 | His post-game prayer continued for several years, but in 2015, Bremerton's athletic director told Kennedy his prayers were against the rules. |
| 1:04.3 | He refused to stop and was placed on leave. The school district did not rehire him for the following |
| 1:10.5 | season. Yesterday, First Liberty |
| 1:13.8 | defended Coach Kennedy before the U.S. Supreme Court. Critics allege that the prayers were |
| 1:20.5 | public, not private, and that the coach was acting coercively in his professional capacity. |
| 1:26.5 | By contrast, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, |
| 1:29.7 | Coach Kennedy explained his position and the stakes involved, |
| 1:33.5 | and I quote, |
| 1:34.8 | Unless the US Supreme Court rules in my favor, |
| 1:38.0 | teachers could be fired for praying over their lunch |
| 1:40.5 | in the cafeteria if students can see them. |
| 1:43.8 | That doesn't seem like the Constitution I fought for in the cafeteria if students can see them. That doesn't seem like the Constitution I |
| 1:46.0 | fought for in the Marine Corps. I just want to be back on the field with my guys, building a team |
... |
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