# Football and Jesus **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 5, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560 "2006-09-05T21:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/1 "2006-09-05T21:25:16Z")
I was at a college football game on Saturday, in the southern US, supporting the visiting team. During the pre-game ceremonies, while the band was on the field, the PA announcer asked us all to rise and remove our caps…which I did, expecting the national anthem. I was surprised, to put it mildly, when an invocation began to be read over the PA. Nothing like this has ever happened at a game in California, lemme tell ya. It was non-sectarian and otherwise non-controversial, just a thanks to our “heavenly Father” and a hope that these fine athletes would not get injured. I’m interested in the relationship to the issues raised in [this thread, about valedictorians](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=386251). Is college different (constitutionally) from high school? Is a football game different from a graduation ceremony? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/2 "2006-09-05T21:53:18Z")
It depends on the college. If it’s a private college, especially a private Christian college (like, say, Notre Dame), they can do whatever they want. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/3 "2006-09-05T21:54:28Z")
_holds up sign that says **John 3:16** _ ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/4 "2006-09-05T22:04:45Z")
At my high school we had prayers before every football game (and every other sporting event) over the PA system. A student led them, and I was told that because of this it was constitutional. I’ve always wondered if that was true or not. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/5 "2006-09-05T22:08:16Z")
[QUOTE=miss elizabeth] At my high school we had prayers before every football game (and every other sporting event) over the PA system. A student led them, and I was told that because of this it was constitutional. I’ve always wondered if that was true or not. [/QUOTE] [It was not.](http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/06/19/scotus.schoolprayer.01/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/6 "2006-09-05T22:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] It depends on the college. If it’s a private college, especially a private Christian college (like, say, Notre Dame), they can do whatever they want. [/QUOTE] State school (should’ve mentioned that). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/7 "2006-09-05T23:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] State school (should’ve mentioned that). [/QUOTE] In that case, I’m not sure. The Supreme Court has ruled that it’s unconstitutional at public high schools so I don’t know why it shouldn’t affect state colleges too. I guess one of the lawyers will have to answer this one. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/8 "2006-09-05T23:13:12Z")
Just so long as they don’t put up a giant mural depicting Jesus signalling a touchdown. That would be tacky. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/9 "2006-09-05T23:54:05Z")
It’s truly fascinating. If people want to get together and form high school level football leagues and pray before every play, nothing is stopping them. If the players want to gather and pray before every play, they can do so. But somehow, people freely getting together for religious worship just isn’t good enough. It just HAS to be part of the official taxpayer-funded and government sanctioned program. Caesar MUST be involved, or they won’t be satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/10 "2006-09-06T00:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=miss elizabeth] At my high school we had prayers before every football game (and every other sporting event) over the PA system. A student led them, and I was told that because of this it was constitutional. I’ve always wondered if that was true or not. [/QUOTE] Were you in HS before that SCOTUS decision that **DtC** linked to? You don’t have to tell us the exact year, btw. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/11 "2006-09-06T00:19:26Z")
I can’t help but think of a joke I heard once, about how football prayer is a major cause of the world’s evil. God : “Oh no, A bus full of children is going over a cliff ! I’ve got to . . . what ?! WHAT ?! Oh, all right, GO NINERS ! Now what was I . . . uh oh !” ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/12 "2006-09-06T07:24:00Z")
Let me congratulate Der Trihs for a funny lighthearted post in a religion thread. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-and-jesus/371560/13 "2006-09-06T08:06:26Z")
Slightly off topic, but hopefully in the light-hearted vein… The Cape Town area has two big Universities - Cape Town (stereotypically English speaking & liberal) and Stellenbosch (Afrikaans & conservative). Stellenbosch is the greater rugby playing institution of the two and regularly thumps my _alma mater_ whenever they meet. During his student days, Bobby Skinstad (who went on to captain the national team) was recruited by Stellenbosch, but was a little bit of a fish our of water, coming from an English non-religious background. Before his first game, the team gathered as was customary for a prayer and looked to Bobby as their captain to lead them. He panicked and said the only prayer he knew…For what we are about to recieve, may the Lord make us truly thankful which was probably more appropriate than he intended. Grim