The presence of invited members of the Seattle Chapter of The Satanic Temple to Thursday’s football game was not intended or conceived to be divisive. People should feel free to cheer for us, or to praise Jesus, or to peacefully celebrate any other spiritual figure they so choose. At its best, America displays a rich tapestry of respectful diversity. The Satanic Temple’s mission is not to silence anyone, but to assure that voices have the opportunity to be heard.
If Bremerton assistant football coach Joe Kennedy wants to pray on his own time, that is his right and we support that. If students independently and privately want to pray to whatever god or demon they believe in, or to not pray at all, that is also their right and we support that.
The concern we, and a number of Bremerton students want to bring to light, involves government endorsement of one particular religion. The law is very clear about school sponsored prayer and the Supreme Court determined in Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe (2000) that this practice is in direct violation of the First Amendment. In the 2000 ruling, Justice Stevens astutely noted that “such a system encourages divisiveness along religious lines and threatens the imposition of coercion upon those students not desiring to participate in a religious exercise.” This is precisely what is being witnessed and it is evidently clear that coach Kennedy has absolutely no legal basis for his actions. It will be a shame if the city has to endure legal expenses and hurt feelings to reach an inevitable outcome.
From the comments that were quoted in a recent article in the Bremerton Patriot, it seems that some people fail to appreciate that religious freedom is protected by not allowing the government to promote one set of religious beliefs over others. For those who are not convinced that these Supreme Court rulings are appropriate, imagine if you lived in a community where Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism was the dominant religion and the football coach in that town wanted to engage in prayer during the games. No doubt, many who support Kennedy would find that problematic. No one is suggesting Kennedy cannot pray after school hours, and if that is not sufficient for him, he can always find work at a parochial school. He has options that his captive audience does not.
We implore the people of Bremerton not to allow this dispute to divide the community. If the battle is over prayer in school, already students may pray, read religious texts, and even share and promote their beliefs with others as long as it is voluntary and they abide by certain guidelines. If the battle is over whether coach Kennedy can lead prayers to students who may or may not adhere to his faith, then public school is probably not the best place for those advocates.
The Satanic Temple has many members, some of whom are educators. What happens if and when Bremerton High School hires a coach who is a member of The Satanic Temple? Will Kennedy’s supporters insist the Satanic Temple coach also has a right to lead students in prayer? If the answer is no, then the concern is not really about religious liberty, but rather about imposing a theocracy.
Malcolm Jarry
Co-Founder, The Satanic Temple
Somerville, Massachusetts
