More than two dozen football players were baptized after practice at a Florida high school and a national atheist group is outraged. Watch the baptisms below and click here to join my Rumble Channel.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes organized the baptism service at Astronaut High School in Brevard County. More than two dozen teenagers were dunked in a trough that had been hauled onto the football field.
Brevard Public Schools Chair Megan Wright told Florida’s Voice that she was supportive of the baptisms and praised the young men for making a such a momentous life decision.
“It’s all about being a part of something, right? And so these kids have taken that initiative to be a part of something that is meaningful, that is beneficial, that will impact their lives and the ones around them forever. So I’m very, very excited. I think it’s going to be good things. I think the ripple effect is going to be tremendous,” Wright told the newspaper.
The giant trough was provided by a local church and each student had received permission from their parents to take part in the baptism, the newspaper reported.
“I mean just taking that step of believing in Jesus, and then the boldness that they have, you know, and wanting to lead In that way, and knowing that what comes from that is nothing but good,” Pastor Paul Ballington said. “And it’s incredible that we have young men in our community, young men on that football team, and they’re in that high school that are boldly, you know, standing in their faith every day and wanting to lead their other teammates around them, and then lead their peers in school. It’s absolutely incredible.”
But the baptism service rocked atheists across the nation and drew a threatening letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based cabal of atheists who get triggered by Jesus Christ.
“It is illegal for public school athletic coaches to lead their teams in religious activities,” FFRF attorney Chris Line wrote in a letter to district superintendent Mark Rendell.
The out-of-town atheists called the baptisms “inappropriate and unconstitutional” and they accused the school of coercing athletes to convert to Christianity.
“The team’s coaches must immediately cease infusing the football program with religion. FFRF asserts that all coaches and staff should be instructed regarding their obligations as public school employees,” the atheists warned.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation also said the baptisms created a public health problem.
“Our public schools exist to educate, not to indoctrinate in religion and student athletes should not have to pray to play,” FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor said. “I might add that these baptisms are not only unconstitutional, they are unhygienic!”
It’s a bit ironic for atheists to be concerned about personal hygiene. Years ago I had to stand downwind from an atheist protest march. It was not a pleasant or aromatic experience.
Board Chair Wright predicted there would be blowback, but she’s not only standing alongside the kids and the coaches, she’s also hoping for even more baptisms.
“To those people that feel conflicted about it, I say, ‘Hey, welcome a healthy conversation with people, ask the questions about why, you know? We can agree to disagree, even that’s okay. We just need to do it in a respectful manner.’ And so I’m hoping that what we’ll see from this is just community overall growing,” she told the Florida Voice.
And to that I say, “Amen, Sister!”
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