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In a growing battle nationwide over separation of church and state (never mentioned in the Constitution) prayer at football games are now being shut down with legal action from groups that are not from the local area. One such instance of this is in Bell County Kentucky where the School was informed a Pastor could not pray on the public PA system before the game. One question, what is the difference in allowing a non school affiliated member of the public pray on a public PA system and say a Demonstration on public land or in a Capitol? Either way Kentucky’s Department of Education and the school caved, but the citizens did not. When it came time for a moment of silence they did not follow the suggested course of action, they followed the Constitution and exercised their right to freedom of Speech and Religion.

Here’s a news story about it from WKYT

For reference here is the 1st Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

No religion was ever established when a pastor was allowed to use a public PA, much like a citizens use a public park to demonstrate for their beliefs and politics. Furthermore this really should not be a national issue but a state issue as the Constitution is supposed to restrict the Federal Government not the State Government. However, we have allowed as a society a lot of things to gravitate toward the federal level including prevue over our rights and our education system.

So let’s take a look at the Kentucky Constitution

Section 1 Point 2

“Second: The right of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences.

Section 5

No preference shall ever be given by law to any religious sect, society or denomination; nor to any particular creed, mode of worship or system of ecclesiastical polity; nor shall any person be compelled to attend any place of worship, to contribute to the erection or maintenance of any such place, or to the salary or support of any minister of religion; nor shall any man be compelled to send his child to any school to which he may be conscientiously opposed; and the civil rights, privileges or capacities of no person shall be taken away, or in anywise diminished or enlarged, on account of his belief or disbelief of any religious tenet, dogma or teaching. No human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.”

So I really don’t see how a prayer at a football game is in violation of the US Constitution or the Kentucky Constitution.

The lesson learned here though, is don’t try and limit Kentuckians rights cause we will exercise them anyway.