The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case about a public high school football coach who prays on the field. Is he violating the First Amendment because he’s a state-funded employee engaging in religious activity on the job? Or, is his religious expression protected by the First Amendment? David French explains the court’s history on public school teachers and free speech, why he thinks the coach is likely to win, and why religious liberty protections have never been stronger.
Then, French talks about his first encounter with Critical Race Theory as a law student at Harvard 30 years ago. Skye asks, if CRT has been around for so long, why is it only now being seen as a threat to both America and Christianity? French explains how the definition of CRT has changed, how it’s been leveraged by media voices on the political right since 2020, and why the issue of race may be leading to a new schism in the American church.
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Football Prayer
“Why We Fight About Football Prayers” - https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/april-web-only/scouts-football-prayers-kennedy-bremerton-first-amendment.html
31:07 - CRT hysteria
“How the Fight Over Critical Race Theory Became a Religious War” - https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/how-the-fight-over-critical-race?s=r
“Racial Compromise and Complicity at Grove City College” - https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/racial-compromise-and-complicity?r=dfab0&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
1:04:05 - Credits
Here is some much needed context for Mr. French:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/the-myth-at-the-heart-of-the-praying-bremerton-coach-case/
I’m an alumni of GCC and many of us are absolutely sick of this and other Situations where individuals within leadership positions are loudly putting their political ideas above the Bible and equating it to Christianity. Jemar Tisby did have a fantastic response on a facebook group and many alum are speaking out on this issue in his favor. Thanks for touching on it this week.
Thank you so much for these French Fridays! I've really been enjoying these thoughtful long-form conversations in addition to the regular show.
(EXCEPT I just noticed that the theme song resolves on a D flat instead of just an A and I can't unhear it now-)
Leave it to a lawyer to make simple = complicated. Anytime I hear David say something is complex or complicated, I know some strange logic is about to happen.
When you choose to accept a position with a State government, you are also choosing to accept and abide by the rules of that State, even if they temporarily curtail your rights as a private citizen. For example, here in WA State we (thankfully) have rules against carrying firearms in State facilities. We have a second amendment right to bear arms, but we leave that right at the door of a State facility.
How can we know if a State employee is acting in the capacity of a government official or…
Instead of Christians going to court demanding our civil rights to pray in public, how about taking Jesus at His word and praying the way He commanded us to in Matthew 6: 5-6? Just because we can pray in public in the US doesn't mean we should. If Christians really don't want the attention of others when they pray, why aren't they praying where Jesus told us to? What if He actually meant what He said? What if prayer really is effective because of Who we're praying to, not because of the words we're saying in front of other people? 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in th…