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Freedom of religion

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has accused the Montoursville Area School District of violating the Constitution of the United States by allowing players on the high school baseball team to pray before a game.

In reality, it is the FFRF who wants the district to violate the Constitution. This anti-American organization contends that these players praying violates the prohibition against government establishing a religion, but for private citizens to pray does no such thing. What the FFRF wants is for the government, in the body of the school district, to prohibit the free exercise of religion, a clear violation of the First Amendment.

These baseball players are free citizens of the United States, and not agents of government, and as such have a right to exercise their religion, and if that means praying before a game, so be it. I am aware of no official policy that requires players to practice any sort of religion in order to participate in the sport. That would be a violation of their rights, but so is prohibiting any player from practicing his religion.

The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The FFRF loves the first part of the amendment, but would like to ignore the second.

The clear truth is that school districts have no more authority to prohibit religious activity than they do to require it. If these athletes want to pray, even in public, they have that right, just as long as they do not force participation by those who do not wish to do so.

Paul Rinker

Montoursville

Submitted via Virtual Newsroom

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