ATLANTA — The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is known for waging fights against displays of public faith in or around government entities- especially if a school is involved. Perennially, the group takes advantage of football season as a prime opportunity to prod and threaten those who would display any manner of faith on a school football field, and this year has been no different.
Between the prayers, hymns, and baptisms that have been “caught” on Georgia football fields in recent weeks, FFRF and groups like them have been having a “field day”- so to speak- against Peach State athletic officials.
Villa Rica High School was one of the teams targeted by FFRF for allowing a baptism service on the football field before a practice. After the organization effectively sent a threat of legal action to the Carroll County Superintendent, the story- along with a video of the baptism- became nationally trending news.
Justin Rich, who serves as the volunteer chaplain of Villa Rica High School’s football team, told zPolitics that the baptisms were coordinated at the request of one of the coaches, who “would love nothing more than to be baptized on the football field”. He also said that they were careful to plan the event after school hours and that none of the players were forced to attend.
Despite the aim of the legal threat, Rich said that he views the nationwide attention as a positive.
“I know that the Freedom From Religion Foundation has negative intent, but that video has hit over 1 million views,” Rich said. “That wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for what they’re trying to do, so I almost feel like we should send them a thank you note. If nothing else, it’s reached hundreds of thousands more people than it would have before.”
Rich went on to say that actions to shut down exercises of faith on the football field would do more harm than good.
“We’ve had some ridiculously remarkable turnaround in these students, some of it is nothing shy of miraculous,” Rich said. “There’s already been so much good that’s come out of this, and we’re praying that we’ll continue to do what we can legally to support these kids. I think it would be the worst idea ever to pull the plug on the encouragement that they’ve received.”
But the Freedom from Religion Foundation has not been met without resistance.
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle was one of the first state leaders to speak out against the organization and its tactics, referring to FFRF as a group of “radical atheists” and calling for support for the teams under fire.
Following the first series of legal threats against the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, he promptly issued a petition to “keep faith and prayer in our college football programs”. A linked Facebook post has nearly gone viral, garnering almost 40,000 “likes” and over 10,000 shares.
“As a high school and college athlete, I know that what happens off the field is often just as important as what happens on the field,” Cagle said. “Those that have the honor of coaching our young athletes understand that they are not just training players, they are molding young men and women into better people. Prayer works and athletes that suit up should know there are chaplains and others praying for their divine protection. When extreme atheist outsiders come in and try to attack our way of life, Georgians are going to stand up against them. And I am proud to join so many in that effort.”
