Sep 19, 2012
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It’s football time in Tennessee where longtime gridiron traditions are cherished – from Rocky Top to the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. At the start of every game inside the colossal Neyland Stadium, thousands of the football faithful rise to their feet, remove their hats and pause for the pre-game prayer.
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But in recent days the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s pre-game prayer has come under attack. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a cease and desist letter to the public university calling for them to abandon the long-time tradition.
“This is a public university, not a Christian club,” wrote Annie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF in a letter to the chancellor. “When you’re not religious or are of another faith and you get prayed at during events, it’s really very grating.”
“It’s a sock in the gut for you to go for a sporting event and then be told to conform to someone else’s religion,” she said in a story published by the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Chancellor Jimmy Cheek responded by saying the pre-game prayers are protected by the U.S. Constitution and will not be silenced on his campus.
“The university will continue to allow prayers before university events,” he wrote in a letter obtained by Fox News.
Cheek cited a court ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that specifically held that “nonsectarian prayer at public university events does not violate the First Amendment.”
And furthermore, Cheek said prayers will also be welcomed at other university events – outside the confines of the football stadium.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that the FFRF sent their cease and desist letter on behalf of UT alumni and students who “felt disenfranchised by the prayers.”
“You roll your eyes and say why is this going on at a government-subsidized event?” retired ecologist and FFRF member Bob Craig told the newspaper. “I also see it at all the high school games where they have prayers before games and after games. It’s really out of place. It’s hurting all those people that don’t have that belief and ostracizing them.”
The university’s decision brought praise from Kevin Brooks, a Republican state representative.
“I was at the game on Saturday and actually commented on how thankful I was that we began the game in prayer and how much I enjoyed the halftime musical performance of Amazing Grace,” he told Fox News.
Brooks said it was alarming that an outside organization from Wisconsin would involve itself in the affairs of another state. There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution, he noted.
“I am so thankful that Tennesseans are going to stand up and say this is the Volunteer State and voluntarily we’re going to keep praying,” Brooks said.
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I did not attend UT, but I was born in the great state of Tennessee. Stand tall UT, be proud and be strong. God Bless you all and God Bless the United States of America. Amen!
I dare the freedom from religion group to say a DAMN thing about muslim prayers. I DARE THEM!
I dare the freedom from religion group to say a DAMN thing about muslim prayers. I DARE THEM!
I dare the freedom from religion group to say a DAMN thing about muslim prayers. I DARE THEM!
I dare the freedom from religion group to say a DAMN thing about muslim prayers. I DARE THEM!
No one is forcing anyone to take part in the prayer. Stay seated if you want to or go to the restroom while the prayer is taking place. I just wish that other institutions would stand up to pressure from groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation. How about the Freedom From the Feedom From Religion Foundation? From a newly minted fan of the Volunteers in central New York State. Go Tennessee!
–History shows what kind of folks live in Tennessee…Courageous and willing to fight! So proud of my roots. Love my Volunteers!
NOONE is forced to pray! YOu do NOT have to pray or conform to pray! just be quiet and ALLOW OTHERS to pray if they wish! That is so pathetic to think we have a hold on YOUR mind to make you do things against your iwll. if you don't want to pray..DOn't do it!
Gee, Rep Brooks, I wasn't aware that the Constitution didn't apply in the state of Tennessee. So will Brooks object if some outside state group works to protect the rights of Christians in another state? Um, no, of course not. Brooks has little understanding of the First Amendment, he might very well be one of those people who tried to ban mosques in Tennessee, showing his utter contempt for the First Amendment.
Anyway, if these prayers were Hindu in nature, or Islamic, no they wouldn't be tolerated by Starnes and the religious rightwing. If a person giving a statement was an atheist saying there was no god, this speech would not be tolerated. Only the religiious rightwing get to use the government to further their beliefs, it seems.
NOT at all sir….ateists have right to SPEECH..but NOT right to PROHIBIT speech and religion
NOT at all sir….ateists have right to SPEECH..but NOT right to PROHIBIT speech and religion
There is no right to have a public university give public prayers before a game. If there was that means atheists in that state would have a right to have sentences from "God is not great" or the "God Delusion" read before the prayers.
Another Ohio State University Alumnus who is proud of the University of Tennessee. Keep prayer where it needs to be….in school.
Go UT!!!
Sooner fan saying thank you Vols for taking a stand. For a group that preaches tolerance and acceptance, I suppose there is none for people who want to pray.
As much disdain as I have for the color orange in favor of UK BLUE, I have to say BRAVO! It's about time we stand as a whole against the few who mock the very principles upon which this nation was built.
Absolutely Jim! I was jsut commenting on this news story this morning at work. No one is "forcing" anyone to conform to anyone else's religion. It's a tradition at that school that's been going on for years. If you don't like it, then don't go to the game, or show up late. Otherwise, shut up! I, too, am not a UT fan but on ethis one I stnad strong with them. I think its imperative we finally take a stand against these morons. Seriouslly, I'm going to go postal before too long.
It's time all Christians, like those at UT, begin to stand up against this type of tyranny. As Christians, our loyalty should be to Jesus above all. He taught that some will be threatened, jailed, beaten, or even put to death for their faith. This is happening throughout the world. This is just what happened to the Apostles Paul and Peter, among others.
Our true reward for remaining faithful to Him will come. In the meantime, we live in a country that is becoming more Godless everyday. Christian believers must stand together against groups like FFR, the ACLU, and any group that is trying to take away our right to peacefully pray to our God and to worship Him in public.
It's time all Christians, like those at UT, begin to stand up against this type of tyranny. As Christians, our loyalty should be to Jesus above all. He taught that some will be threatened, jailed, beaten, or even put to death for their faith. This is happening throughout the world. This is just what happened to the Apostles Paul and Peter, among others.
Our true reward for remaining faithful to Him will come. In the meantime, we live in a country that is becoming more Godless everyday. Christian believers must stand together against groups like FFR, the ACLU, and any group that is trying to take away our right to peacefully pray to our God and to worship Him in public.
Never thought I'd say this, but for one ime in my life I'm proud of the Vols and jimmy!
Never thought I'd say this, but for one ime in my life I'm proud of the Vols and jimmy!
Never thought I'd say this, but for one ime in my life I'm proud of the Vols and jimmy!
Never thought I'd say this, but for one ime in my life I'm proud of the Vols and jimmy!
Never thought I'd say this, but for one ime in my life I'm proud of the Vols and jimmy!
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Good for the Knoxville Vols! I wonder if the same would happen if the prayers were to allah?
Awesome!!! Love my Vols
Dear Lord u gotta love this school, GO VOLS, God bless
You have freedom from religion miss Gaylor, you have a choice to not go where it is practiced by those who want to.
If we look at the activists, the gay, the Islam, the atheists. They are not a large number statistically, but look how well they got us wrapped around their culture, their values or the lack of them. The huge majority of this nation has to put up with the rules of the minority. It is wrong
the ffr folks sure will spend the money that has "IN GOD WE TRUST" ON IT……LETS ASK THEM TO STOP SPENDING MONEY. IT OFFENDS ME…….WHAT IM SORRY IM A CHRISTIAN IM NOT SUPPOSED TO GET OFFENDED? REALLY..REALLY
the ffr folks sure will spend the money that has "IN GOD WE TRUST" ON IT……LETS ASK THEM TO STOP SPENDING MONEY. IT OFFENDS ME…….WHAT IM SORRY IM A CHRISTIAN IM NOT SUPPOSED TO GET OFFENDED? REALLY..REALLY
Not Me. The first thing that I do when I get money out of an ATM is take a felt tip permanent marker and cross out the "in god we trust". The the money is good to go!
One thing I see is that people are not forced to attend the game. And if those who don't want to participate in the prayer….go get a hot dog and come back when the prayer is over. Our Constitution protects "Freedom of Religion". I see "Freedom From Religion" as a consitutional violation.
http://christwire.org/2010/04/giant-jesus-with-20-inch-penis-causes-catholic-crisis/
To Annie Gaylor…..this IS a public university, and this Tennessee public has decided to keep praying!
To Annie Gaylor…..this IS a public university, and this Tennessee public has decided to keep praying!
Go U.T.
Something Christians do bothers a few non believers. How can something you don't believe in bother you? Solution, don't go to U.T. Ball games if you are offended by what happens at U.T. Ball games.
It's called freedom to choose, if you are offended, make a choice to not be offended by not going to a U.T. Ball Game.
When Christians are offended we don't cry to the Govt to fix our lives, destroyed by something so outrageous as People praying, we come up with a solution to the problem ourselves.
That problem is now solved, next problem please….
Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz… "So many Americans take it for granted that the phrase "separation of church and state" comes from our Constitution when it does not. This "misleading metaphor" as William Rehnquist described it, has been taken out of context and misused to the point that we are denying the very free religious expression our Constitution DOES guarantee! " Take a walk on the wild side and do some research….. http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=123
Barton and Wallbuilders has already been discredited. Barton is no historian, he is an evangelical preacher. He tells you what you want to hear and you eat it up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/the-jefferson-lies-david-barton-factual-errors_n_1766040.html
Barton and Wallbuilders has already been discredited. Barton is no historian, he is an evangelical preacher. He tells you what you want to hear and you eat it up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/the-jefferson-lies-david-barton-factual-errors_n_1766040.html
Huff po…. great source there! (chuckle) Next you'll be sending me articles from Media Matters and Think Progress…
Huff po…. great source there! (chuckle) Next you'll be sending me articles from Media Matters and Think Progress…
Huff po…. great source there! (chuckle) Next you'll be sending me articles from Media Matters and Think Progress…
I just picked the first article. Just google "Barton lies" and you will find many articles from many different sources. Not to mention that Barton's Christian publisher dropped him because he was making stuff up. The only one who will publish him now is Glenn Beck. You can probably find a favorable article in The Blaze.
Really proud of this team's decision! Bama fan, heart and soul, but this is commendable!
One time only- go vols.
Another FFRF victory.
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/cheerleaders-told-no-more-bible-verses-on-signs.html
Do not read the New Testament. In that book some teacher named Jesus says that praying out loud in public is wrong and prayers should be done quietly in a private manner. I am so glad people do not want to follow the teachings of this Jesus person.
Ah, another Stadium Church supported by our tax dollars. Maybe a Hindu chant or Muslim prayer at the next game? Remember: The God of the Gridiron is so impressed with Football Faith.
Unless they are performed alone in ones room with the door closed, they are disobeying Jesus' commands.
Congratulations to UT for having the cojones to stand up to the minority bullies who think the world ought to revolve around them. Keep up the good work. Other schools, and institutions look to UT as an example of how to approve.
What people do not realize is that for about 50-100 years after the Constitution was ratified, many states (mainly in NE) had official state churches that people had to be a part of before they could hold office. The original intent of the First Amendment was to prohibit the Federal Government from establishing a "Church of the United States." Many people protested the Church of England at the same time.