A Chattanooga, Tenn., area cheerleading team has been ordered to stop printing Bible verses and religious messages on banners at school football games. Since 2003, the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School team has displayed messages like “Commit to the Lord” and the banner to the right featuring a passage from the Book of Phillippians in the New Testament. When recent complaints came to local officials, the school system halted the practice. Local residents are outraged that the cheerleaders would be told not to use religious messages in their banners; They’ve responded with a rally at a local Chick-fil-A, and religious leaders are speaking out as well:
“The cheerleaders are not trying to push a religious cause, to shove religion down someone’s throat,” said local youth minister Brad Scott, who was LFO High’s class president in 2004. “The cheerleaders are just using Scripture to show motivation and inspiration to the players and the fans.”
Messages on the Chattanooga Times Free Press Web site paint the picture of a deeply religious community:
I think that this is crazy..If you have a problem w/ the sign DON’T GO TO THE GAME!!! … We have so many people that have different religious beliefs and some people forget that GOD is who brought us here and I think that it is great that you have young teenage kids wanting to show scriptures from his book….
This ban truly is a travesty, but we must continue to remain strong together to overcome such oppression in these times where sin reigns supreme….
I was taught that in this country, the Majority rules, not the minority. If the majority votes to keep the signs, then I don’t see a problem, except that the liberals won’t like it. To bad.
Wow. If you don’t want to listen to religious doctrine, don’t go to your team’s football games? Majority dictates law? Sin reigns supreme? I bet gay people have no trouble growing up or living in that community.
Hat tip to Bad Jocks.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:54 AM
“SCIENCE FLIES YOU TO THE MOON…RELIGION FLIES YOU INTO BUILDINGS”
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Public school or private?
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 11:40 AM
So you can write all sorts of things like “kill the opponent” etc… but print a Bible verse and AUGHHGUGH!!!!! man, we live in a country of reallyt weak people if they are scared out of their wits over a bible verse…
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 12:28 PM
James,
If this is a public school, it’s called the Separation of Church and State. Religion should not get involved in any public funding, aka schools, police and fire etc etc.
I’ve been to hundreds of games and never ever seen a poster say “kill the opponent” so your logic is null and void. You may hear people say it, but that’s a different topic since those people saying it aren’t getting public funding from the government.
Now if this is a private school, the school can do whatever they want and preach God, Allah or whomever they want on their privately funded football fields.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 12:37 PM
It is not a matter of being scared of anything, but one of makeing clear delineations between church and state. The argument isn’t against God or one’s personal beliefs but one of public acceptance of difference. Perhaps not everyone subscribes to the ‘wisdom of the bible’ and therefore the football game and the cheerleading squad should not be the forum and the conveyors of a religious message.
I am all for faith and positive messages but in appropriate places, like your church/synagogue.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I think anyone that actually gets OFFENDED at a sign with a bible verse is a weak-willed and thin-skinned individual. There is no separation of church and state issue here, the cheerleaders did it themselves, boosters pay for the supplies, not the school, and how harmful was it to the fan that complained? Seriously? There are more pressing issues in our public school systems than systematically shutting down any religious expression by students.
I remember when it was a good thing to have a reputation of being a good Christian man, now that no longer seems to be the case. And as for the whole “religion flies you into buildings” that argument is idiotic on the face of it. Christianity and Islam are two different belief systems and if you want to drag up what ‘Christians’ did in the dark ages and make a moral equivalent of what these cheerleaders are espousing, grow up.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Dont want religion! Dont have to have it! But stop telling us who do WANT it we cant have it! You cant stop us! You dont have the power! Your voice was defeated on Calvary! You were made a public mockery of. Satan is a defeated foe and we will declare VICTORY in private, in public or any where else we want to…The jails are not big enough to hold us all! If one gets silenced the next will step up and declare that JESUS IS LORD! Plus for those that have ears to hear- If you cant beat them then join them.. SALVATION is for all! I will shout it from the rooftops!
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Being a good christian man does not mean making everyone else witness/ subject to your belief system. It means living a decent life on a daily basis. I am a good christian man and try to lead my life by a moral standard that works for me. I am not going to even try to say that you Chris are a good or bad christian because I don’t know you and that is the argument in nut shell. Respect other people and their right to choose how to live their life. So by your argument–cheerleaders of other faiths should also be able to print and hang signs at the game as long as it is funded by the booster club even though probably the field they are playing on and the school building it was attached to and the land it all sits on is funded and maintained by taxpayer dollars…..
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 1:27 PM
I agree with Phil. Use your belief system, whatever that might be, to live your own life. But impose of subject others to it if they choose not to be.
A good rule of thumb:
Your beliefs should be used to judge yourself and no one else.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 1:30 PM
It’s amazing how when a case like this arises, some people immediately cite the 1st amendment as a reason to squelch expressions of faith in the name of “separation of church and state”. I often wonder if people ever bother to read the WHOLE clause:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXCERCISE THEREOF;”
In regards to high school kids putting Jesus on a banner, the 1st amendment is neutral…government cannot FORCE this NOR can it STOP the free speech of these students. The Establishment Clause has been distorted by run-amok judges to the point that it has been completely removed from its original context, the spirit of the document, and the intentions of the framers of the constitution.
However, even with 20th century misinterpretations and misappropriations of the 1st amendment, government is still restricted from actions that prefer “IRRELIGION” or non-religion OVER religion. For our government to ban the free expression of faith by these students is a violation of this and believers should recognize this as injustice and speak out against it. Politically correct is NOT constitutionally correct!
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Good that you quote the amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR PROHIBITING THE FREE EXCERCISE THEREOF;” but unfortunately you misinterpret it.
To allow the promotion of any obvious religious belief in a publicly supported institution could require that we also allow the promotion of “jihad” by Muslim students. Of course we know that “jihad” does not mean blowing up buildings owned by infidels but do other students? Educational authorities have to have leeway to decide how, when and where students should be exposed to ideas that can be subject to any misinterpretation.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 3:13 PM
My understanding of the issue, the legal documents and court rulings to date is that public schools and other publicly funded organizations cannot promote nor prohibit religion. They must stay neutral regarding religion.
For example, public schools cannot prevent students from reading religious doctrine (bible, koran, torah, etc.) or praying during their free time while in school. At the same time, public schools cannot make students pray to nor promote any particular god or religion. Those two rules make complete sense.
This cheerleaders’ sign issue seems to be in a bit of a gray area. On the one hand, the cheerleaders made the sign themselves. So it is an expression of these students’ beliefs. But on the other hand, the cheerleading team is not simply an informal group/gathering of individual students. It is a school organized and sanctioned group.
In that context public school cheerleaders displaying the sign at a school function like a football game can be seen as the school itself endorsing a particular religion. And that’s not kosher.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 3:13 PM
you want your kids to practice or preach their religion in school? fine, home school them or send them to private school. otherwise you have the other 16 hours in the day to teach them about your voo doo of choice just keep it out of our public schools.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 3:36 PM
So what’s the connection between “jihad” and Philippians 3:14? Your example would not be relevant in this case because (1) if a sign promoting “jihad” can be interpreted by some as “blowing up buildings owned by infidels” then it would become an issue of incitement and not protected by the establishment clause. And (2) The Establishment clause was not re-interpreted to apply to restricting religious references in public schools until years after the constitution was written. Jefferson would be appalled at the flagrant mutilation of his “wall of separation” to be redefined as an atheistic iron curtain that forbids prayer and strips scripture from school children. The 1st amendment was designed in part to protect Americans like the students featured in this story from unconstitutional prohibitions of the free exercise of their religion.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 8:41 PM
There are apparently 164 so called “Jihad verses” in the Koran:
http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Themes/jihad_passages.html many of which have been taken out of context to support atrocities against those who believe differently. The phrase “Commit to the Lord” taken entirely out of context by these cheerleaders could be misinterpreted as a call to blind obeisance. The entire phrase
from Proverbs 16:3 “commit to the lord whatever you do and your plans will suceed” might mean that God should be given credit for your good deeds not you. A cheer is not calm reflection.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 8:51 PM
I’ve always thought that the bitching about having religion in public schools will come to an immediate end once a Muslim cleric starts demanding for his faith to be placed in public schools.
Hey, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. True? Let’s see how supportive these people would be if the cheerleaders used passages from the Quran to fire up the football team.
Yeah, that would last about two seconds…..
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Video – GA Rep Jay Neal speaks at the LFO Cheerleader Rally in Ft. Oglethorpe GA
http://www.chattanoogahasnews.com/videos/id_221/
LFO Cheerleader Rally Video
http://www.chattanoogahasnews.com/videos/id_222/
Update: Location Change, Rallying to Support Cheerleaders’ Religious Signs
http://www.chattanoogahasnews.com/dignews/display_article/id_16985
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 9:48 PM
Jesus, Buddha and Vishnu, did Outsports get linked to WorldNutDaily, Liberty University or some other fundaMENTAList quack site?
The same people here screaming, “FREEDOM OF RELIGION” and “1st AMENDMENT” would be the first to scream bloody murder if the “WRONG” Christian, or a Mormon, or a Muslim, or a Scientologist was brought in to lead a prayer or if scriptures from the Qur’an, Sutapitaka, Torah or other holy book were displayed by cheerleaders at a football game.
I really pity you, especially since I used to be one of you. I am so glad that I’m free from the fear, insanity and willful ignorance of fundamentalist Christianity that I was raised in.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:26 PM
RELIGION IS FOR THE RETARTED!
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 10:01 AM
1st of all the Wise Authors of OUR Constitution factored in these kinds of social issues …there is no “gray area”… the Constitution doesn’t say “Sometimes”they made sure of that in construction our Standard in this magnificent country.. Gerard I never said “jihad”..any person that does clearly” has no fist in his glove”…and is too weak intellectually to wage an adult , intelligent conversation so they toss out a word or term guaranteed to incite deep emotions but most importantly as a Cowardly way to distract the reader from a current events discussion…and if you really want to talk about “Terrorism based in religion there is plenty of blame to go around!…. Christians wrote the book…literally!..the crusades….the inquisition..the Holocaust no religion is exempt from bad behavior and I am a ” G-D FEARING AND WORSHIPING JEWESS… CONSERVATIVE …. REPUBLICAN..A WAR VETERAN & YES A CHEER-LEADER DURING HIGH SCHOOL PROUD MOTHER OF SON..A UNITED STATES MARINE JUST BACK FROM HIS 4TH TOUR…I VOTE… I PAY MY TAXES HAVE AN AMAZING HUSBAND AND AM MATURE ENOUGH TO FORGIVE YOUR PETTY SUFFERINGS AS A BID TO GET ATTENTION MUCH LIKE A 3 YEAR OLD THAT SAYS “CUSS WORD” TO GET AN ATTENTION FIX…TEEN YEARS ARE TOUGH ENOUGH WITHOUT THIS KIND OF ARM TWISTING..THIS WAS NO MISTAKE…THESE CHEER-LEADERS ARE LEADERS AND HAVE ENORMOUS POWER TO INFLUENCE ….THEY DON’T CALL THEM CHEER SUGGESTERS…HOW MANY OF US ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO TO BE THE ONLY KID IN THE GROUP ..TEAM OR CLASS TO ABSTAIN FROM THE GROUP PRAYER OR WHATEVER…I WILL HELP ANYONE WANTING TO HONOR OUR COUNTRY AND CONSTITUTION TO MAKE SIGNS THAT THEY CAN DISPLAY ON THEIR PERSON…BUT USING A PUBLIC STAGE TO BULLY IS A BAD DYNAMIC….IF YOU WANT RELIGIOUS PROPAGANDA ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD..PONY UP THE $$ AND GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL WHERE THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND WELCOME…..MY FATHER USE TO SAY YOUR RIGHT TO SWING YOUR FIST ENDS AT MY NOSE…ITS FUNNY ..AS A FORMER CHEER-LEADER WE MADE A LOT OF SIGNS TO GET THE STUDENTS & PLAYERS HYPED UP BEFORE A GAME…SIGNS ON LOCKER DOORS…SCHOOL HALLWAYS ETC..THE BANNER IN QUESTION WAS NOT DISPLAYED INSIDE OF SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED PER THE SCHOOL POLICY AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE TO REMOVE IT … SO THEY DISPLAYED IT AT THE GAME… A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE….THIS IS NOT W.W.J.D …GREAT LESSON..IF YOU DONT LIKE THE RULES CHEAT! PARDON THE CAPS..KEY IS STUCK… LOL
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Well, I for one would be offended by these signs, but not because they are religious, but because they are from…SATAN!
You see as a Roman Catholic, the only true Christian religion (that’s what the priests told us), I am willing to bet money that these little hussies are not only heretics (part of the “protestant” movement begun by the Satanist Martin Luther), but likely are quoting a blasphemous work of Satan that was created on the instructions of the biggest flamer to sit on the combined thrones of England and Scotland – the King James “bible” (really the King James Blasphemy). The nuns taught me that even owning a KJ Blasphemy was grounds for immediate condemnation to Hell.
Therefore I think the real Christians, who are going to be hard to find in among the people of Tennessee (far too many of them have chosen the sinful lifestyle of heresy), mount counter protests to ensure these hussies know they are sinners and are going to Hell unless they change their ways and embrace the one true path to salvation.
Of course, then the heretics and blasphemers will start their counter-counter-protests and maybe we can even see a repeat of the wars over the Reformation, but writ small for Tennessee.
Or maybe we have just tell the hussies to stop broadcasting their sins and concentrate on cheering all the players – no matter what their chosen religious lifestyles.
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 12:21 PM
If we cannot let some cheerleaders put up a harmless sign at the beginning of a game, then stop letting Muslim girls wear headdresses to school. If you want to separate Church and State, do it all the way or not at all. Jewish kids can miss school for their holidays, but we have to call Christmas break ‘Winter Break’ now and have ‘Holiday Trees.’ This is disgusting. Putting up a sign does not interfere with school knowledge and the football players run through it before the game. I think headdresses are distracting all day at school. Religious people apply their religion to ever aspect of their lives, are we telling them to leave their morals at home and not to bring them to work either?
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 1:13 PM
This is the same as broadcasting a prayer over the PA system prior to the game… yes, even one that is student led. It simply is not to be allowed.
Fortunately, the majority DOES NOT always rule in this country.
If it did, there would probably still be people forced to sit on the back of the bus in Chattanooga.
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 1:28 PM
A lot of people on this comment thread need to switch to decaf.
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 5:14 PM
SORRY KAREN-NOT…AMERICA WAS FOUNDED ON AND FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM…CLEARLY FREEDOM AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS ARE NOT SOMETHING YOU CHERISH….YOUR NOTIONS OF DICTATING DRESS CODE IS A JOB FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD …NO RELIGION SHOULD BE PROMOTED AT SCHOOL SO SAYS OUR CONSTITUTION….LETS SEE HOW YOU FEEL STANDING IN A CIRCLE BEFORE A GAME BEING THE ONLY ONE NOT SAYING THE LORDS PRAYER AND KNOWING THAT THE OTHER KIDS WILL NOTICE IF YOU DON’T…IT IS OUR JOB AS PARENTS TO PROTECT AND MY SON OR DAUGHTER DON’T NEED TO BE SINGLED OUT FOR RESPECTFULLY ABSTAINING FROM A BLESSING OR PRAYER. THEN POSSIBILITY BEING FOLLOWED BY A FEW KIDS THAT WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY DIDN’T JOIN IN….ITS TOUGH ENOUGH AS AN ADULT WHEN IT HAPPENS AT WORK…THINK ABOUT SOMEONE BESIDES YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE!
on Sep 30th, 2009 at 7:16 PM
I, personally, think it’s hilarious that someone finally did this. Religious folk in this town want to run around persecuting everyone else and taking away their rights and now it’s come back around to you. You think it’s so horrible that you can’t display a bible verse on your banner. Imagine not being able to marry the person you love. Imagine not being able to go out holding hands because some religious fanatic hick is going to yell something derogatory at you in walmart. That’s persecution. That’s having your rights taken away. So for once you got what’s coming back to you. Well to quote the bible “you reap what you sow” so good riddance. Karma is real and you’re finally getting yours. Now you know what it’s like to deal with somebody as closed minded as yourselves and I think it’s hilarious because you’re all squirming now. Well it’s only the beginning. Sin isn’t taking over the world, diversity is. Acceptance is. Open mindedness is. No longer will you have the right to judge and put everybody who is different down. Everybody has the same rights and to be honest LFO has been bending the rules so it was only a matter of time before someone complained. Separation of church and state is an actual law so get used to it.
on Oct 1st, 2009 at 1:31 AM
In the beginning, there was no religion, only a perfect relationship between man and God. Then man sinned and started to create religion which has been used as a tool to kill millions of people.
If we all dumped religion into the sewer pits from whence it came and focused on our relationship with God, love would flow from us all. Where there is love, there is respect for others and there cannot be hate. Banners will not be published that cause anger and in reverse, people will not get angry with words published on a banner.
on Oct 1st, 2009 at 2:27 AM
geez… how about a good old fashioned motivational banner such as “Go Raiders, Tame the Bulldogs”? I am sure the players don’t even know what is written on that banner! Plus, that would have used fewer materials. (which probably came from the general fund of the public schools) How many books would that have bought?
And I surely hope they are not throwing those materials away after the team runs through it. they need to be recycling, so their children will have a planet to live on. But, since they are such fine christians I am sure their stewardship extends to the earth.
on Oct 1st, 2009 at 5:48 AM
THIS WAS A COWARDLY ACT….IF IT WAS SUCH AN GOOD NATURED & INNOCENT MESSAGE WHY WAS IT NOT PLACED ON THE WALL IN SCHOOL…I AM NOT AN ATHEIST AND I DO NOT ADVOCATE IT…BUT THIS WAS DIRTY POOL…..RINGING A BELL IN AN INAPPROPRIATE PLACE KNOWING IT CAN NOT BE UN -RUNG….THIS WASN’T THE 11TH GRADE BAKE SALE….THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ATENDENCES ON THE SCHOOL CALENDER…PROBABLY HIGHER THAN GRADUATION…ON PUBLIC PROPERTY PAID FOR WITH OUR TAXES…FORCING PEER PRESSURE ON VULNERABLE TEENS THAT WOULD DIE IF A PRETTY CHEERLEADER EVEN LOOKED IN THERE DERELICTION…HOW MANY OF US HAVE HAD SUPPER AT SOMEONES HOME AND SMILED AND NODDED…SHAME ON EVERYONE THAT ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN.
on Oct 1st, 2009 at 7:41 AM
And for those of you who want to keep saying separation of church and state doesn’t cover this then I guess there should be an atheist coalition allowed to assemble at school and they, also, should be able to display banners at football games like “there is no god” or “all praise the devil”, but everyone would be thoroughly insulted by that wouldn’t they? Your religion is the only one this covers and that’s why you can spout off everything you do. If the majority of cheerleaders were of some other religion and had signs saying “praise allah. help us defeat the panthers” or something of that nature, then everyone would be utterly outraged. Am I right or am I right? Go ahead and tell me that religion is to be supported.. but only Christianity, right??
on Oct 3rd, 2009 at 9:15 AM
THIS WAS A COWARDLY ACT…THEY DIDN’T PLACE A LIKE BANNER INSIDE OF SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS AGAINST THE RULES AND POLICY AND A WRITE UP OR DENTITION IN THERE SCHOOL RECORDS WOULD DIRTY A PRETTY COLLAGE APP…NO HERO’S HERE NO COURAGE OF CONVECTION….CERTAINLY NOT WHAT JESUS WOULD DO….NOWHERE IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE DOES JESUS ADVOCATE FORCE-FEEDING HIS GOOD NEWS TO ANYONE…If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet..Matthew 10:14……NOT ANY REAL FAITH IN THESE SO CALLED FOLLOWERS OF JESUS…JUST SIMPLE BULLY’S
on Oct 3rd, 2009 at 4:03 PM
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.”