Bell County High School Prayer before Football Game

Not sure if you have ever been to Wisconsin, but I traveled there in 1982. It was a part of the Bell County 4-H Teen Club exchange program. It was a great experience and I learned all about cheese while I was there. That was 1981; 30 years later it appears that Wisconsin has come to the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. I would like to say it is a reunion and a welcomed visit, but that is not the situation. The visit from Wisconsin comes in the form of threat of legal action against the Bell County Board of Education unless it ended the mountain tradition and school districts approved practice of prayer before Friday night home football games.
August 23, 2011 was not a good day for local communities nor local traditions. Growing up one of the characteristics that has made America great has been the individualism that each of our communities, counties and cities has held as its own traditions and values. I certainly believe that the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky is welcoming to visitors, we love folks to come and sit a spell, and while we may not always agree with the position of those around us, we understand diversity and its value, but for folks in Wisconsin to object to our way of life, tradition and value that does stink. If some local lawyer wanted to take the case, fine, if local folks don’t agree with prayer, fine, but for a group outside of our community to tell us what to do, well, that just doesn’t sit well!
I prayed in the Kentucky House of Representative in February 2000 as the House Chaplain and I ended my prayer saying, “in the name of Jesus, Amen”. It set off a political firestorm within the media as one legislator complained about my prayer and my use of the name Jesus. My response to the media was that I was a Christian and as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ that was the only name I could pray under. I certainly respect the right of folks to pray or not to pray. No one can make anyone bow their heads as is the tradition of most Christians when praying. I respect the right of individuals to not believe in Jesus and I respect their right of folks to worship any god they want to or no god at all if they so choose.
We live in a democracy and that doesn’t mean that the majority rules and whatever they say is the law of the land. Living in a democracy means that we respect the rights of all and we protect those most venerable of abuse or neglect. This responsibility of democracy I take very serious. Why?, because I have found myself in the minority on issues in my lifetime. I have fought for the underdog and I don’t regret for one second taking my public stand for what I believe. Has such decisions come with a price sure, no one ever said if you do what’s right it would be popular or that you would be applauded. The opposite is really true, do what is right and you will more than likely find yourself all alone.
Next Friday night, September 30, students are planning on reciting The Lord’s Prayer in unison. No public address system will be used nor should it be needed. This collective action of uniting into one voice sounds like the perfect thing for students and those attending to do. Exercising individual rights is extremely important and practicing your faith is even more important all the time! The United States Congress opens each session, each day in prayer. The President of the United States of America has a constitutional duty to call upon our Nation to pray as legislated by Congress. The Kentucky House of Representatives and the Kentucky Senate open their duties in prayer and we inaugurate the President, our Governors and swear into office elected officials under the oath, “So help me God”. Our Pledge of Allegiance reminds us that we are a Nation Under God. It might be that you don’t like these facts at all, and I respect that fully, I’m just glad that you have that protect today to disagree and not participate at all if you so choose.
It might be that prayer ends all across the land officially, that our citizens remove every reference of God from all things public but that will never remove Him from my heart. For the record, I think that if Wisconsin can come here and complain about our prayers then it is time to go to Wisconsin and complain about cheese!

Until then