Thousands of Christians Show Support for a Satanists Right to Pray in Public

Author: Jeremy Schooler

10/30/15

Thats the scene this Halloween in Kitsap County and around the nation. Bremerton High School
football Coach Joe Kennedy is fighting for his right to freely exercise his religion by taking a knee
after the games and giving thanks to God. While Kennedy is a professing Christian, his fight has
not been for the traditional and fundamental beliefs of Christian morals or the opportunity to
share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead, this Christian says Im willing to take this as far as it
goes to defend the rights of the Constitution, to the end. He also acknowledges that to do so
opens it up to everyone.
Coach Kennedy even goes to the length of changing the invocation of his prayers to be inclusive
to anyone of any faith that may desire to join him. Kennedy said that when he first started he
used to pray directly to God. Then He had some kids wanted to come and they had different
beliefs so I did change instead of saying God I said Lord Then when I say in your name
amen, I didnt want to fill in the blanks for them if they wanted to pray along. I have a very
diverse team. I didnt want it to be a members only where only the righteous people could come
over there and pray with us. All of that has drawn the critique of some Christians that question
whether or not he is even praying a Christian prayer.
This small and quickly growing battle has gained the support of many people from many
different religions and has also seen much support from secular groups. What started out as a
local battle in a relatively small community is quickly growing and gaining attention from
around the nation. It has been especially fascinating to see the amount of support coming from
the Christian community. While at this time, they are supporting one of their own, they are also
supporting the right for all people of all faiths to do the same thing. They are effectually fighting
for the right of a football coach of a completely opposing faith to offer a prayer to whatever
higher power they may acknowledge. So in essence, literally thousands of Christians are
supporting the right of a Satanists right to pray in public after the game.
I wonder if the above will be the topic of a future article in the news. As of right now I believe the
above is an accurate description of what is happening. I know that there are many who will be greatly
offended by that statement. I hope that you will grant me the grace to read this through. I should note
that everything in quotations above are direct quotes from Kennedy. And I do question whether or not
the prayers of Coach Kennedy at the 50 yard line are even Christian prayers.
Some things I would like to encourage the Christian reader to consider are is the possibility of an article
like that something that is agreeable? Should we Christians support the right of a person of any faith to
pray in public after the game? Is that right?
I have been hesitant to say anything about this topic. I have heard from some that Joe Kennedy is a
neat brother in Jesus. I have personally talked to Joe who also says he is a Christian. I feel for him and
do pray for him. The entire scenario makes me wonder how I would handle it. Would I do anything
differently?
The reason Im writing is to bring to the attention of my brothers and sisters in Jesus an agenda that I
believe Satan is fully willing to encourage. It saddens me to say that I believe many have jumped on the

band wagon of supporting Joe Kennedy without fully considering the consequences. I also believe that
many would likely be guilty of blatant hypocrisy if the scenario were different. The reason I believe this
is because I think that if I were to ask a simple question using the same scenario but with different
characters, many Christians if not most would be unlikely to show the same support that they have
shown Coach Joe Kennedy.
Heres the question; What if this was a Muslim, a Hindu or even a Satanist that was coaching the team
and leading these prayers after the game, would you support it? Please be honest with yourself when
answering that. I had to be honest with myself and thats what led me to write. My honest answer at
first was no, I would not support it. As I continue to consider this, a more accurate statement is that I
dont respect it. Everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. I do agree with and support
that right. And, by the way, that is first a God given right, and for a time it is also a right that has been
supported by our government.
And so that everyone understands that part, lets make sure that everyone knows what the First
Amendment does guarantee us. It simply prohibits making any law that specifically respects a certain
religious establishment or that impedes the free exercise of religion. It does not guarantee a freedom
to exercise your religion while you are at work for an employer that expects you to do a certain job in a
certain way. Employers are allowed to choose to hire or fire anyone for whatever reason. However,
over the years certain courtroom cases have ruled in certain ways that create what is called case law
and have effectually changed the clear meaning of the Constitution. That is just about the limit of my
knowledge of law, so Ill leave that there.
Back to the topic of supporting and/or respecting, Im not trying to be mean to a person of another
faith. I truly do love and respect the person. However, I wouldnt and dont respect the religion itself
nor a prayer that might influence any person with any other religion or belief system. I am a Christian
and therefore I do not show respect to any other god or belief that is contrary to the God of the Bible. I
believe the Bible is Gods Word. You see, I believe that when people are judged by God, they will be
found guilty of sin and therefore imperfect and therefore incapable of entering the perfect and eternal
presence of God in Heaven and will therefore be separated from Him in a place called Hell that He
made for the devil. I believe that is the true and eternal death that we all deserve. I believe that every
single one of us have an ability to change that eternal destination by first humbling ourselves and
agreeing with God that we have sinned against Him and that it was wrong to do so. I believe that the
only way to be saved is by turning away from those sins and trusting by faith that Jesus Christ has fully
paid the debt of death that we deserve. In a sentence, I believe that there is only one way, truth and
life and His name is Jesus Christ. So therefore, when someone wants to influence others in a different
way, I believe they are deceived and are perpetuating the deception that they believe. I am saddened
for both parties involved and I do not want to see it continue to spread.
So then I find myself at a point of conflict. Do I support this Christian Brother as he deals with this
battle? Of course I do! Although, I dont have to make a decision. I could just ignore it and not even
consider it. However, I think the time is soon coming that we all are going to be forced to make very
similar decisions. It seems best to me to consider it now in clarity rather than when the pressures of
the circumstances of a battle are present.
So, yes I do support Joe Kennedy. Ill do what I can to support and encourage any fellow Christian. I
even really appreciate the wisdom of the forefathers of this once great country to write the First
Amendment the way they did. However I also acknowledge as John Adams said that Our Constitution
was written for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Dear reader, might I suggest that we as a whole are no longer the moral and religious people that we
once were? Our nation has fallen from being the once pious and largely Christian influenced
community of states united for the reason of liberty and justice for all.
It is important that we all recognize that when we support the Constitution or any of the founding
documents, we are often supporting things that were never intended to be supported by those
documents. A more important consideration is, are we supporting the work that God has called us to
support? All too often I see people improperly and completely out of context quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 if
My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. This
was a verse written specifically to the people of Israel in an entirely different dispensation. It is not
applicable to America or anyone other than Israel. I believe it is a foolish thing for us to continue to act
as if we will be able to stop the judgment that this society has coming. We have turned away from God
Almighty towards worthless idols of various designs and there are consequences to such foolish
decisions.
What the people of this country really need is a saving faith in Jesus relationship with God. That wont
stop the consequences of this worlds ungodliness from coming. But it will guarantee the eternal
destination of anyone that comes to God humbly!
As I talked with Joe Kennedy yesterday, he of course voiced his agreement with this plain, simple and
often misunderstood gospel message. However, he also expressed his opinion that as true as that [the
gospel] may be Im not going to get the support of the entire nation which were part of which gives us
the rights to do these things. I ended the conversation by encouraging Joe with this last thought. This
is all going to blow over here soon. There will be a new headline about something else next week. Joe, I
encourage you to not let it end in the current status of not seeing Jesus in the headline but instead
seeing Joe Kennedy and his rights in the headlines. Whatever opportunity you have to make it so that
those headlines put Jesus out there and not just Joe Kennedy, take advantage of those man. Joe
agreed by saying see, thats a good message. I hope that was sincere and I hope that he does
everything he can to follow through with that. Thats the end to which I am praying for and supporting
Joe Kennedy.
Although, a very serious concern of mine is that if Joe has been willing to change his prayers to be
more inclusive of those of all faiths that join him on the field, I wonder what else he is willing to
compromise? Time will tell us all what Joes priority is. Up until this point, the media coverage and
public eye has not seen Joe giving the glory to Jesus. Though we all know that the media cannot always
be trusted to share the full story. I really hope to see Joe standing on the platform that he has been
given sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ who paid for sinners that come to Him alone for salvation. Im
not saying its not possible to see that happen, but I do have my doubts. The reason for those doubts is
that there is not a single time in scripture or an example of one of the apostles or even Jesus praying in
an all-inclusive way. Therefore, I do not think it is wise to do so.
To you the reader, I hope that you will take this as an encouragement. Be about the work of the King
Jesus. He has given a still standing commission to all of His people Go into all the world and preach
the gospel Mark 16:15. Let us truly love our neighbors by doing what we can to share the truth of the
gospel of Jesus Christ with them And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out
of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Romans 13:11