High School Runner Disqualified For Religious Gesture

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. – 1 Peter 2:16

https://youtu.be/P9wlFwhtWOU

After crossing the finish line and winning their relay event, this Texas teenager pointed his finger toward the sky. This is not something new. He may very well have been expressing his personal faith in God, but he might just as well have done this because he has seen pro-athletes in every sport, do this on national TV, regularly. For having made this simple gesture, this runner and his relay team have been officially disqualified from competing in the Texas state finals.

It seems the proponents of secular humanism believe that such gestures are somehow dangerous habits that are insensitive to the sensibilities of others, and must be “cleansed” from the young by the full weight, power, and authority of the state, by way of severe punishment and censure. “That’ll teach ’em!”

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“All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” (Declaration of Independence) “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” (The First Amendment to the Constitution)

The secular humanists among us, who are enjoying a lot of power at this time in our history, and who are attempting mightily to remove even simple gestures of faith from the public square, seem to have blithely forgotten those words that are the very foundation of our democracy. Or worse, they have taken language hostage and are attempting, in an Orwellian sense, to change the very meaning of those words. But the reality is that when you take God out of the equation you do away with equality and all the human benefits that follow from that equality.

This secular humanism truly functions like a religion. It has its own dogmas and doctrines, and it “excommunicates” any who question those dogmas and doctrines. Those who believe otherwise are anathema to it. It seems to have also become “the religion of the state.” Maybe it is time to challenge this “new religion” with the “Establishment Clause” outlined in the First Amendment.

Frankly, folks, this story from Texas is, well let’s just say it, silly. If this politically correct, secular humanism were not so serious in its efforts to remove God completely from the public square, it would be laughable. But the fact is that they are very serious and they are in the ascendancy at this time in our history.

Though there are those in power who would like to relegate the practice of religion to the ash heap of history, they are on a fool’s mission. Though there is much suffering ahead, we Christians must respond with forgiveness, kindness, love and with the courage of our convictions. It may be that much prayer and fasting will be needed on the part of believers. In any case, we must begin to take a humble, Christian stand against these very concerted, “public” efforts to deny God in the public square.

Maybe it is time for us to respond to this silliness with a good, belly laugh. That is the healthy human reaction to the absurd when it is suddenly seen for what it really is. The great irony here, of course, is that those who so absurdly wish to ridicule and deny any public display of faith in the public square are actually drawing more attention to the absurdity of their own position, in efforts like those covered in this video, than they are to the perceived “foolishness” of believers.