Coach Took Players to be Baptized

[Slow]

"The head football coach at Breckinridge County High School took about 20 players on a school bus late last month to his church, where nearly half of them were baptized, school officials say.

The mother of one player said her 16-year-old son was baptized without her knowledge and consent, and she is upset that a public school bus was used to take players to a church service — and that the school district’s superintendent was there and did not object.

“Nobody should push their faith on anybody else,” said Michelle Ammons, whose son, Robert Coffey, said Coach Scott Mooney told him and other players that the Aug. 26 outing would include only a motivational speaker and a free steak dinner.

“He said it would bring the team together,” Robert, a sophomore, said in an interview.

Two other parents, however, said in interviews that their sons told them that Mooney had said the voluntary outing to Franklin Crossroads Baptist Church in Hardin County would include a revival.

Mooney, contacted by phone, said school district officials instructed him not to comment.

But Superintendent Janet Meeks, who is a member of the church and witnessed the baptisms, said she thinks the trip was proper because attendance was not required, and another coach paid for the gas.

Meeks said parents weren’t given permission slips to sign but knew the event would include a church service, if not specifically a baptism. She said eight or nine players came forward and were baptized.

“None of the players were rewarded for going and none were punished for not going,” Meeks said.

David Friedman, general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, said in an interview that the trip would appear to violate Supreme Court edicts on the separation of church and state — even if it was voluntary and the school district didn’t pay for the fuel.

“If players want to attend the coach’s church and get baptized, that’s great,” Friedman said. But a coach cannot solicit player attendance at school, he said, noting, “Coaches have great power and persuasion by virtue of their position, and they have to stay neutral.”"

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...to+be+baptized


My thoughts...

The coach's heart may have been in the right place, but this is way over the line. But when you believe in the very-unbiblical theology that says all one has to do is yell out "Yes, Jesus!" and be baptized to be saved, well, this is what you get.

I bet that coach now believes those kids that were baptized are now saved, no matter what they do for the rest of their lives.

That would be a tragic mistake.

[Soundbear]

...I bet that coach now believes those kids that were baptized are now saved, no matter what they do for the rest of their lives.

That would be a tragic mistake.

As opposed to the unbiblical belief that an infant MUST be baptized in order to enter heaven.

My wife was a (non-catholic) nurse at a catholic hospital. In the event of the imminent death of a baby, she was REQUIRED to baptise it, should no one else be available.

I know no Protestants who believe what you fear, Slow.

[Karen-Annie]

Back to the issue at hand.....

It is fine to for the coach and superintendant to say the trip and the baptisms were voluntary. But anybody who knows anything about high school and high school athletics(especially football in some regions) knows the tremendous pressure to fit in, to be "one of the guys", to please the coach, to be a "team player". The coach can say that those who decided to opt out of the trip would face no reprecussions but what 15-17 year old kid trying to either make the team or get playing time would take the chance????? Nope, the coach and superintendant were wrong. The one interesting thing from the article and video clip??......the coach and superintendant said a permission slip was sent home and that they all knew it was a revival meeting-while the pastor said they were only there for a motivational speech.If it was only a motivational speech, what was he doing performoing baptisms? And if it was a revival meeting, what was the coach doing bringing a school team to it?

[Bluesky]

First, I think the media is playing this oner for all it's worth.
Secondly, you have to be in the Bible belt to judge this accurately. Everything has context.
Thirdly, I don't think we are being told everything.
Fourthly, WHAT WAS THAT COACH THINKING?

Baptism is a church ordinance, not a basketball team ritual!@!

[Anapeg]

Baptism is a church ordinance, not a basketball team ritual!@!

One should consider themselves lucky the coach wasn't a "man's man" and taken the boys to a house of um, uh-um,.........ill repute? Assuming his head was in the wrong place yet everything else was properly situated (physically speaking) the turn may have been worse. Mind I would still be livid at the introduction of unsolicited Religion BUT in hind sight,................

[Seraph]

Well here's my theory.

Let's say you're not Christian. Perhaps to be polite, agnostic or to push it further, a nihilistic atheist.

It's water.
Just water, what ever the clergy performing it decides it symbolizes is what it means in their own particular religion. To them, it's special. If one is an atheist, does being baptized hold ANY significance other than some guy in a robe getting someone else wet while chanting words from THEIR religion?

As a firm pantheist, yes. When someone has faith in a tradition or ritual from a religious or spiritual standpoint regardless of what one opposes or doubts of them, their faith stands as a tribute to what they feel is divine, holy and true.

Leaving the politics aside for now, the blessing and intent are good, however the way in which persons go about "Saving" others is inappropriate to be sure, even this term is light and kind to the situation.

Many a biblical verse does stand in support of helping others to come to God, however I'll be brief and use more common language.

"You can lead a horse to water..."

Today's religious institutions have degraded more as social clubs and thoughtless routine. Some ideals need to be questioned, others upheld.

While it is nice to see Faith, it should never be absent of logical thought and consideration of others, respectfully.