Official Fox clergyman, Fr. Jonathan Morris is hot for Tim Tebow - but in a chaste, Catholic, and heterosexual way, of course. When Fox News was pimping the Christian right whine that the mocking of the sainted Tim Tebow's ostentatious Christianity reflects a greater "war on Christians," Fr. Morris was there to defend and slobber over his boo who, on Fox "News," attained a cult like status. And now that the evil ACLU prevailed on a Michigan public high school to ban its team from doing a mid-field, post game Tebowing, the poor little padre, a big fan of unconstitutional school prayer, isn't happy. Awww...
Sunday, as part of Fox & Friends Christian whine session otherwise known as the "Fight for Faith," Fox & Friends took on the Michigan football prayer issue. Mike Jerrick reported on the Tebowing ban which, according to Alisyn Camerota, was a school "tradition" that was stopped after a parent complained to the ACLU. In addressing Fr. Morris she noted that this practice was being done by a public school and thus had separation of church/state ramifications. When she said that public schools are part of the government, Morris interjected "which we pay for, by the way." (By the way, padre, non-Catholic taxpayer, in some states, pay for vouchers to be used by Catholic schools).
Morris immediately spun the issue by saying that if the ACLU was defending those who were forced to pray, he would be on their side; but added the caveat that this is not the case in Michigan. As is always the case with any Fox discussion involving complaints about Christian intrusion in the public square, Morris referenced how this was a traditional ritual. Using his best jazz hands, he dramatically asked "who is being forced to get down on their knees." After he reiterated that students should not be forced to pray, Camerota responded that the school is saying that when this is promoted by a coach, there is peer pressure. Morris asserted that "if you can't stand up to your star quarterback, you've got other issues." The chyrons framed the message: "Punting on Prayer, ACLU Told School to End Game Tradition."
Morris got into full drama queen mode as he shouted about how wrong it would be to force somebody to pray but "that's not happening." He didn't explain that the complaint cited how the school coach was present for prayers. He advised the football players that if they want to pray, they should do it themselves. (Ya think!) He spluttered that if they want to "come outside Fox News channel and practice it with all of your gear and practice praying, I'm sure Fox would be happy to have you on." He added that "the important thing it's you, it's not the school forcing you." (Well, yeah...)
Clayton Morris read a statement from the superintendent of Bloomfield Schools which noted that the coach, while not leading the prayer, was present during prayers which will no longer be part of the post-game proceedings. Clayton added that "some are saying that the NFL does it but that's a private organization." Spittle flying, Fr. Morris seemed to say that because the game is over, the school no longer has anything to do with it and, thus, coaches and players should be able to pray as students should in the classroom. His caveat was that as long as no school personnel are leading it it's fine. He asserted that everyone has a right to "pray publicly" which is something the Constitution supports. He claimed that the First Amendment prohibition of the establishment of religion was done so that there "can be a free exercise of religion." Mike Jerrick who, like devout Catholic Eric Bolling, had a Jesuit education, slapped Morris on the knee and said "thank you." Morris asked "am I fired up."
What Fr. Morris doesn't seem to understand is that the coach's presence, in the prayer activities, is constitutionally problematic as it implies that the school is sanctioning the prayer. Despite his concern for the Constitution, he appears to be ignorant of a SCOTUS ruling which declared pre-football game student led prayer unconstitutional. He also doesn't get that while Christians have a right publicly pray, they don't always have the right to an audience who might not share their Christian exhibitionism spirit.
Doesn't Fr. Morris know that Jesus said, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others." But as we know, the pious, little propaganda padre just loves to been seen!
I do wonder what the Foxies would say if Muslim students bowed to Mecca, in midfield, after a football game.
Just for what it’s worth, the standard tebowing pose may be viewed as a sign of respect or thanks in *some non-religious settings. Such as a gay bathhouse or the backrooms of some particularly open-minded gay bars.
Yeah, padre. That IS the usual meaning of “public.” You might have missed it in your high school civics class but Lincoln once famously referred to our government as being “of the people, by the people and for the people.” It’s also why the Constitution opens with “We the People….”
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Spittle flying, Fr. Morris seemed to say that because the game is over, the school no longer has anything to do with it and, thus, coaches and players should be able to pray as students should in the classroom. His caveat was that as long as no school personnel are leading it it’s fine.
Okay, padre. To quote Ricky Ricardo, “You got some ‘splainin’ to do.” How exactly does “because the game is over, the school no longer has anything to do with it” work? Does this mean that, if the team has traveled to another city to play, and the bus crashes and it turns out that the bus driver (who works for the school, or the school system/district) had a high blood alcohol level—though NOT “legally drunk”—the school has no responsibility for any of the injured, or worse, players? And, as for the “in the classroom,” you are aware that students are NOT generally allowed to pray ALOUD in a classroom, are you not? Remember, this is a public school—not a private or Catholic school. Now, BEFORE OR AFTER school hours, a prayer group can request the use of a class room to meet (as can any school club) and they can pray all they want to because they’re technically ON THEIR OWN TIME. BUT—and here’s the rub—as long as those football players and their coach are REPRESENTING THE SCHOOL, they’re subject to the SAME RULES as any students and teacher in a classroom during school hours. A math teacher would be well within his/her rights to send a student to the Principal’s office (or whichever school official is in charge of student disciplinary action) if that student got out of his/her seat—without permission—and tebowed during a test or after getting a test back with a good grade.
I really wish the NFL would’ve hit Tebow with a fine the first time he pulled that stunt on the field. Especially as he only does the move when he’s “done good.” You never see him doing it after an intercepted pass or after being tackled. Apparently he only feels it’s proper to “honor/thank” God when good things happen. Tebow should take a lesson from the story of Job who continued to bless Yahweh, no matter how crappy things got for him. Tebow, like way too many other “Christians,” is pretty selfish when it comes to praising God—kind of like a kid who’s basically a demonspawn for most of the year, but suddenly becomes an angel in December as thoughts of getting goodies from Santa fill his head.
Oh, Priscilla, how you make me laugh. I’m willing to bet that Father Johnny puts on those “chaste, Catholic, heterosexual” airs in public, but when he’s alone in his wherever-the-hell-he-lives, he’s got pics of Tebow all over his room. And I’d be willing to bet that he’s been all over the web, finding all sorts of gay porn (in the name of “research” I’m sure) and downloading it, then Photoshopping Tebow’s head on all the nude solo shots, and both his and Tebow’s heads on the partnered sex scenes.
I’m sure if Father Johnny got a chance to interview Tebow, the good padre would be squealing like a prepubescent girl at a Justin Bieber or One Direction concert (or a grown gay man at the same concerts).