Bible study after practice?

I am not sure what the laws are on this but I would think if it were completely voluntary then it might be ok. I could see an ACLU type possibly making some hay with it but I am not sure about that. Perhaps MidloDad or hokione or infielddad or some other resident lawyer here has a take.

My son went to a public college and they had a bible study group. He enjoyed participating even though it was not the denomination of Christianity he was raised. To lighten this topic up a little, I couldn't resist when he told me of his participation and threw a little off-color joke his way. I said what are you guys doing at the bible study - sitting around and praying for base hits?

He did not appreciate the humor very much

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Surely RJM's about to weigh in...
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Originally posted by wraggArm:
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Surely RJM's about to weigh in...
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You know what - I would ask RJM to kindly bow out of it then if it is going to get him all upset. It is a legitimate topic and can be calmly discussed between members - regardless of their religious background. He might even have an interesting take on this one.

I am 100% against it. Every voluntary thing a coach asks is pretty much involuntary in my opinion. I will look after my own childrens religious background, thank you very much.

I agree. We raise our kids and I don't want religion pushed on them. It may be voluntary but is it really ?

Any activity that happens directly preceding or after an official sporting activity, that involves a bulk of the players, and led by a coach, is going to get viewed by everyone as mandatory.

Even if it isn't stated as such, what player doesn't want to be on the good side of the coach.

It's inappropriate as it is now and I would take issue with the administration about it. If it were to happen completely outside the realm of the sports activity, and it required a special trip to get there to participate, that's a whole different story.

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Originally posted by Doughnutman:
I am 100% against it. Every voluntary thing a coach asks is pretty much involuntary in my opinion. I will look after my own childrens religious background, thank you very much.

Good points.

Perhaps issue #2 is how do you bring this up to the coach if you feel this is a bad idea?

If it was a player saying "Hey guys every ________ night I will be holding a bible study for the team at _________ and I would like anyone who wants to attend come." I think that would be awesome for the guys. But with it being a coach I can see where a kid or kids would feel pressured to attend. I think that it is best for the coaches to stay out of this type of thing.

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Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
You know what - I would ask RJM to kindly bow out of it then if it is going to get him all upset. It is a legitimate topic and can be calmly discussed between members - regardless of their religious background. He might even have an interesting take on this one.

Bummer - this call for moderation will probably kill the religious slap-fight I was looking forward to watching. Guess I'll put the popcorn away.

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Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

Perhaps issue #2 is how do you bring this up to the coach if you feel this is a bad idea?

Coach, I'm not here to discuss or debate, but your bible study group is inappropriate and can not continue when it is so closely connected to an official school activity. I'm not trying to be a hard a$$ about it, but if you continue, you'll leave me no choice but to take it up with school and district administration. I hope that you make a choice to disassociate with baseball at a great enough distance that these actions won't be necessary. Thanks for your time, goodbye.

I can see all of those points. I know that we are happy that son's college coach does a "chapel" on Sunday mornings before games (or I guess I should say before getting the field ready for home games) in the locker room, and at the motel on road trips. From what he says, completely voluntary, a good number show up, but by no means anywhere near 100%. This is a private school, with a religious affiliation, so definitely not the public school issues involved.

I can see issues being raised if it is held right before or after a required team practice/game. However, it is well established that a voluntary meeting for religious groups have to be accomodated in a public school setting, much as the various secular organizations.

If a player brings it up like that, CPLZ, he's running a high chance of being a marked man. Why not invite the AD to be there as practice ends on that day. Don't you think the AD would handle it without a player making it an issue? Being coach led is the key here on why I don't see it flying in a public school.

I just found out about it and I wasn't quite sure how to feel. I'm sure the intentions are good not trying to push them to one church or another. It's not the head coach, I don't want anybody in trouble or anything but I just don't see how kids would not feel like they have to participate.

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Coach, I'm not here to discuss or debate, but your bible study group is inappropriate and can not continue when it is so closely connected to an official school activity. I'm not trying to be a hard a$$ about it, but if you continue, you'll leave me no choice but to take it up with school and district administration. I hope that you make a choice to disassociate with baseball at a great enough distance that these actions won't be necessary. Thanks for your time, goodbye.

"Thank you sooo much Mr. Parent for calling me out on this one. I'm afraid I may have gotten too carried away with my own religious interests, and may have put some boys in an awkward position on the team. But being a high-school baseball coach, I consider myself a pretty enlightened man, and I'm open to this kind of correction. And don't worry, I'm not the kind of person to retaliate with reduced playing time for something so significant as this. Your son will continued to be judged objectively based on talent alone. Good bye"

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Originally posted by Doughnutman:
I am 100% against it. Every voluntary thing a coach asks is pretty much involuntary in my opinion. I will look after my own childrens religious background, thank you very much.

Have to agree.....Our team has 4 Jewish kids, all starters...how could they "voluntarily" not participate?

You should know I already feel like an outsider from the team so. Picking a fight over this isn't my first choice.
If my son came and said after practice some of the guys from the baseball team want to get together and have a bible study at Jimmy's house. I would be suspicious but I'd probably let him go if he wanted to.
This is basically right after practice they sit on the bleacher by the field. He's been to bible study before with our church and said it was very similar. I'm not agaist religion or anything but just think there is a time and place for it.

"Good points.

Perhaps issue #2 is how do you bring this up to the coach if you feel this is a bad idea?"

Invite the coach over and say,"I appreciate how you are concerned about my childs moral and religious upbringing. Thank you very much. I am coming out after the next game to hold my own service for the boys to give you a break. I am a firm believer in volunteerism and religion."

Then you tell him you are a Satanist and ask him what part of the field does he want blessed with virgins blood. Fair is fair.

Thank you wraggArm for providing us with what the coach would most likely say and do. I'm certain there was noooooo...sarcasm whatsoever in that post.

More seriously, I'm not sure how to go about it without upsetting the assistant coach. Let's assume that he's doing this for the kids, has his heart in the right place and won't consciously retaliate. I think that's a pretty safe assumption but I still wouldn't want to take the risk. I guess you need to find a way to get the word to the head coach anonymously that there could be an issue here or perhaps the head coach just needs to make it clear that no one is going to benefit or suffer relative to baseball because they do or don't attend the bible sessions. Is that enough?

It is kind of sad because although I'm not much of believer myself I admire people who go out of their way to live their religious beliefs in a way that benefits others.

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Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

quote:

Originally posted by wraggArm:
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Surely RJM's about to weigh in...
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You know what - I would ask RJM to kindly bow out of it then if it is going to get him all upset. It is a legitimate topic and can be calmly discussed between members - regardless of their religious background. He might even have an interesting take on this one.

I was going to write an composed, articulate opinion. But since Wraggarm previously made anti-Semitic posts against me and now wants to agitate, single me out again and nothing is done by moderators, I will compose a both guns blazing response when I'm prepared to do so. He's an obvious Jew hater. I'm beginning to think this is a Christian only board since nothing is done about his remarks.