200 kids baptized on campus

[Dom]

An anti-religion group attempting to throw cold water on an Alabama university after the school’s football coach was filmed assisting with the baptism of a student has a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment," a legal expert says.
On Friday, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Auburn University President Christopher Roberts warning that more than 200 student baptisms, one of which was assisted by Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze, somehow violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause.
"These ongoing and repeated constitutional violations at the University create a coercive environment that excludes those students who don’t subscribe to the Christian views being pushed onto players by their coaches," it states.
But Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom, is calling FFRF’s letter a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment."

"Freedom From Religion Foundation’s twisted interpretation of the First Amendment has the potential to crush both students’ and their coaches’ essential right to live out their faith," Langhofer told Fox News Digital in a statement.


https://news.yahoo.com/anti-religion-gro..._test=0_00

[mordant]

Well Auburn is a public university, which means that the establishment clause isn't "somehow" being violated, it IS.

It would be somewhat different if Auburn were a private Christian university, where there's an expectation of these kinds of expressions on the part of those attending -- especially if you must agree to a statement of faith to be accepted. But even then there are limits, if they want state accreditation. They can't go so far as to not teach established science, e.g. evolution. But they could probably perform public baptisms and other religious spectacles. Though it beggars me why their churches couldn't take care of those sacraments ... that's their function.

[Minimalist]

Such "faith" should be crushed..... especially at a so-called "university" which should teach reason, not faith.  But it is Alabama and it is nothing but a football factory.

[Bucky Ball]

You have to realize, this is "Alabama". They've always had their particular stupidity.

In 1796, the Founders of the United States, the Washington Administration, wrote, and had confirmed unanimously by the Senate in the Adams Administration, the Treaty with Tripoli, which stated very clearly in article 11 :

"ARTICLE 11.
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

[Minimalist]

Clearly that treaty was written by "communists!"

[Cranky]

A more accurate headline would read: 200 kids got wet on campus.

That's about all that was achieved.

[no one]

So these fans of godiboi are at odds with people telling them they can and can't do with their own bodies?

[SteveII]

An anti-religion group attempting to throw cold water on an Alabama university after the school’s football coach was filmed assisting with the baptism of a student has a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment," a legal expert says.
On Friday, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Auburn University President Christopher Roberts warning that more than 200 student baptisms, one of which was assisted by Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze, somehow violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause.
"These ongoing and repeated constitutional violations at the University create a coercive environment that excludes those students who don’t subscribe to the Christian views being pushed onto players by their coaches," it states.
But Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom, is calling FFRF’s letter a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment."

"Freedom From Religion Foundation’s twisted interpretation of the First Amendment has the potential to crush both students’ and their coaches’ essential right to live out their faith," Langhofer told Fox News Digital in a statement.


https://news.yahoo.com/anti-religion-gro..._test=0_00

It's not an Establishment Clause case at all. The Free Speech and Free Exercise rights of an individual trump a perception that a school promotes a religion by allowing employees to practice their religion. This was all recently hashed out in KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. Auburn can't come down on the coach or put in place any policies that dampen the individual's Free Speech and Free Exercise rights.

[Minimalist]

This is the result of letting criminal, religious, shitballs on the Supreme Court.  For once in your  miserable life Stevie you have pointed out a useful fact.

The problem is not the constitution it is the religitard motherfuckers who insist on "interpreting" it....when it suits them.

[Aegon]

Sorry but this is a pretty silly case. It would be one thing if the coach demanded all the player pray with him and get baptized before practice, but this was a separate event independent of the team, open to all, that was entirely voluntary. Just because the coach was in attendance it means he's violating the Constitution? That's absurd logic.