Thoughts in a Haystack

It seems that only some high school football teams in Texas are favored by god.

As reported by the blog of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Wall of Separation

The cheerleaders at Kountze High School in Kountze, Texas, (about 90 miles northeast of Houston) had been using banners with Bible verses to motivate the football team during games. ...

Examples of signs included: "But thanks be to God, which gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" and "If God be for us who can be against us?" ...

KBTV noted that the Kountze Lions are undefeated so far this season. The cheerleaders seem to think that the signs inspired the players to victory.

For once, the school administrators did the right thing and banned the practice. However, a local judge has issued a temporary restraining order allowing the cheerleaders to continue for 14 days. It's a bit of an interesting legal question at the intersection of student initiated prayer versus official prayer but the cheerleaders are on the field as representatives of the school. If they wanted to hold up the banners in the stands as spectators, that might well be a different thing. But the school, it seems to me, can't allow them on the field as participants and also allow them to proselytize.

But two things struck me. First of all, aren't those kids from other Texas high schools also praying? Maybe its just that they're not as big and as fast as the present team from Kountze. And, if next year the Kountze team starts losing, will they blame it on the town's lack of faith or, worse, on God?

But there is always this:

"They weren't getting very fired up by 'Kill the Cougars,' so if we say 'you have power, God gives you the strength,' I mean, that makes me want to do good," Ashton Jennings, a Kountze cheerleader, told the TV station.

Somewhere there is a serious disconnect in these kids.