Popular evangelist Franklin Graham calls on high school football coaches across the country to kneel in prayer after their games next Friday September 2nd 2017.
His outcry comes after a U.S. appeals court ruled against a public school football coach in Washington and was punished for praying.
Graham blasted the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision on Wednesday after they denied coach Joe Kennedy’s injunctive relief after being suspended in 2015 by the Bremerton School District in Washington for kneeling in prayer at the 50-yard line after every game.
“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that coaches can’t pray or make religious gestures on the field after a game.
These progressive activist judges have gone too far.”
Franklin who happens to be the son of world renowned evangelist Billy Graham took to his Facebook page on Friday morning to issue his call to coaches across the nation.
“At next Friday night’s game, on Sept. 1, I think it would be great if football coaches across the country went out on the field wherever they are and prayed.
And those there to watch the game stand in prayer with them. Let’s show our support for coach Kennedy, a former Marine who didn’t back down on prayer.
The three-judge panel ruled that because the coach was a public school employee and not a private citizen.
They could not grant him the relief he was looking for in order “to avoid violating the Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
When Kennedy kneeled and prayed on the 50-yard line immediately after games while in view of students and parents.
He spoke as a public employee, not as a private citizen, and his speech therefore was constitutionally unprotected.”
Graham also talked about the court’s ruling in an interview with Fox News’ Todd Starnes on his radio show last Thursday.
“It’s sad this has happened but it really doesn’t surprise me. We find these courts and these judges are making these decisions against the will of the people.”
Graham also indicated on the program that he was not surprised by the ruling.
“We have judges out there who hate God and hate His standards and disrespect the people who follow God.”
In addition to Graham, other prominent conservative Christians have criticized the ruling. Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz expressed that it was a shameful decision.
“Shameful decision by the Ninth Circuit to allow Bremerton to suspend coach Kennedy for the crime of praying in public.”
Dallas megachurch Pastor Robert Jeffress, who is one of President Donald Trump’s closest spiritual advisers also exclaimed that Americans have the free exercise of religion.
“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has once against perverted the original intent of the First Amendment.
The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment simply says Congress cannot establish a state church in which people are coerced to worship in.
It has nothing to say about prohibiting a voluntary prayer at a football game,” Jeffress, the senior pastor at First Baptist Dallas, said.
But, what the First Amendment does promise is that coach Kennedy and all Americans have the free exercise of religion.
That doesn’t just refer to what we do from 11 to 12 on Sunday mornings, but it means freely exercising our faith in every area of our life.”
