“The facility is a public facility, predominantly paid for with public tax dollars, makes the facility ‘off limits’ under federal guidelines and precedent court cases. In Florida Statutes, the FHSAA (host and coordinator of the event) is legally a ‘State Actor,’ we cannot legally permit or grant permission for such an activity.”For background, read North Dakota Bans Prayer at Catholic School Football Game and also read Football Coach Forced to Stop Praying After Games in Washington
-- Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA)
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
'God Bless America' Banned from Florida School
Florida Student Failed for Being Christian, Lawyer Says
Florida School Teaches Islam Including Prayer Rugs
Atheists, Satanists Force Bible Ban in Florida
Florida Battles Satanic 'Prayer' at Civic Meetings City-by-City
-- From "Florida schools barred from public prayer before 2A state title game" by WTSP-TV10 (St. Petersburg-Tampa, FL) posted at USA TODAY 12/4/15
The decision was made Thursday in an email from the head of the Florida State High School Athletic Association, Dr. Roger Dearing. Dearing took less than four hours to review the issue [saying] because the game is being played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, which is predominately paid for with tax dollars, and because the athletic association is a state agency, prayer is not allowed.
“Here’s the problem,” [Cambridge Christian's Tim] Euler said, “Florida State Legislature is opened up with prayer in a building that is paid by tax dollars. What is the difference?”
He adds, “If they can pray there, we can pray here, and I want them to be able to pray there and I want us to be able to pray here. So I think his reasoning is flawed at the core of it.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christian high schools denied prayer before football game" by Josh Rojas, Reporter, Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg, FL) 12/4/15
"What we really want to do is raise awareness," said Tim Euler, the Head of Cambridge Christian School. "All we're asking for is an opportunity for two Christian schools to pray."
"We've played 13 football games this year," he said. "We've prayed before every one of them."
"I don't foresee Florida High School budging on this," he said.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Florida schools barred from public prayer before 2A state title game" by Ramon Gibbs, The Oceanside Post 12/9/15
. . . the football players used the strength of their voices to loudly recite the Lord's Prayer.
"We do this [in] every game, we pray over the loudspeaker".
Bobby Lattimore from Tampa saw it as a natural occurrence saying, "They are Christian Schools".
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Christians taking it on the chin again with denial of prayer request before big game" by Chris Ingram, posted at Tampa Tribune 12/4/15
In his letter to the FHSAA, [University Christian Head of School Heath] Nivens wrote, “…. it is obvious that the occasion to pray and thank the Lord for his blessings over our school and student-athletes is one of utmost importance to us. Our administrative team at UCS is in full support of having Mr. Euler pray before our competition over the loud speaker. Furthermore, I too agree that the fans from both schools and those in attendance would be in full understanding given the core values of both institutions.”
. . . from government and media, to academia and the courts, we live in a society that, although correctly protecting the rights of many minorities, is far too inconsiderate of the rights of Christians.
The fear of lawsuits is making us vanilla clones of each other. Different views, ideas and perspectives should be shunned in favor of a one-size fits-all approach to life, education, opportunity and even sports. That is, unless you fit into one of government’s preferred and approved classes of people who deserve special treatment — of which being a Christian is not one.
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Also read North Carolina Citizens Demand Prayer in Public School
