My kid plays local baseball. He is 11, and new to the sport. Like his daddy, he is all arms and legs and he is not what you would call a natural. But he is getting better every time he plays and I am proud as heck that he even goes out to try despite not always being successful.
We don’t play on Wednesdays, because it is a church night for the coach and his kids. The team prays to the “Heavenly Father” at the end of practice. My kid just stands there are and waits for them to finish praying to their invisible sky poppa. As an atheist parent, I could pitch a fit about this and probably get the coach to cut the shit and leave the worship to his sacred Wednesday night. But I leave it alone; just like I leave alone him having to say the pledge at school. Just like the dugout prayers, he stands and watches the other kids do their daily zombie affirmations. I see no reason to be one of those atheists who go on the warpath every time the Lord even comes near them and theirs. I mean, yes, I loathe superstition and religion, but I know where I live. I’m in the Bible belt and this is a Christian culture. I don’t want to force them to quit living out loud for their god. That is what they do. It is very important to them, and it is constitutionally enshrined as a right and I don’t want an establishment of atheism any more than I want a national church.
However, bullshit like this has to stop. This is where I draw the line, when you penalize my kid for not believing or excluding him from activities:
Pittsburg High School baseball coach Tommy Stewart not only conducts a Bible study with his players after practice once a week, he punishes those who don’t attend with 20 minutes ofrunning. There’s literally a consequence for not being Christian on his team.
The school is doing damage control and denying the allegations:
Pittsburg ISD superintendent, Judy Pollan said that is simply not true. “He has about 30 boys and only 10 stay behind for a couple of sessions, so that tells you right there that it’s notmandatory.” Pollan explained. “He may show a movie or do studies on different things, but the whole purpose is to develop character and a winning attitude.”Pollan also said that the study session probably began because the players approached the coach about wanting to learn more about growing up and being men.
Say what the fuck? So what we’re saying here is the kids can’t be brought up correctly without religion? That a kid can’t have the right attitude without coming to Jesus? It’s all very insulting at best and discriminatory and illegal at worst. You own the fucking culture. Can’t you all go a few minutes without injecting your stupid belief into everything you do?