Hollywood director: Anti-religion movement threatens university chaplain programs

[Geee]

Washingrton Times:

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. | “Woodlawn” co-director Jon Erwin is deeply concerned the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) wants to eliminate chaplaincy programs at universities across the country.

 

“Woodlawn,” which debuted in theaters Friday, is based on the true story of a chaplain and star football player who together led an evangelistic movement that curbed a violent desegregation process at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham in 1973.

 

Mr. Erwin believes now more than ever, chaplains are needed to help reduce violence and racial tension in the U.S. by passing along what he says are core values of peace, love and forgiveness.

 

“I’m a passionate person,” Mr. Erwin told The Washington Times. “So I think that when you look at a chaplain at a high school or college who raises their own support, raises their own salary and wants to come in and volunteer to work with athletes and people in schools to help them … and you want to stop that?

 

“It blows my mind that anybody in the social climate that we live in right now in America would want to stop that,” he said.

[Valin]

Football Coach Defies School District Warning, Prays for Team at Homecoming Game
Cortney O'Brien
Oct 17, 2015

The power of prayer in sports is beautifully portrayed in the new film “Woodlawn.” The film, just released this Friday, is based off a true story of how faith helped a high school football team overcome racial prejudice and hatred. Despite threats from school administrators, Woodlawn High School Coach Tandy Geralds and his team continued to praise God for their success both on and off the field.

 

A similar scenario is being played out at Bremerton High School in the state of Washington. Coach Joe Kennedy has prayed with his junior varsity football team after each game for seven years. Yet, he now faces pressure from his local school district to put an end to the spiritual display.

 

Bremerton superintendent Aaron Leavell sent a letter to Kennedy as a warning to stop his routine prayers because they “violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause” and expose the district to “significant risk of liability.”

 

As a result, Leavell said while Kennedy can continue providing inspirational talks, those talks cannot include religious expression, including prayer.

 

Kennedy’s response? He respectfully disagrees.

 

(Snip)