Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney is responding to a complaint filed by the Wisconsin-based organization Freedom From Religion Foundation. <\/p>\n
The organization filed a complaint with Clemson University citing \"serious constitutional concerns about how the public university's football program is entangled with religion.\" <\/p>\n
Swinney released this statement on Wednesday: <\/p>\n
\"Over the past week or two, there has been a lot of discussion of my faith. We have three rules in our program that everybody must follow: (1) players must go to class, (2) they must give a good effort and (3) they must be good citizens. It is as simple as that. I have recruited and coached players of many different faiths. Players of any faith or no faith at all are welcome in our program. All we require in the recruitment of any player is that he must be a great player at his position, meet the academic requirements, and have good character. Recruiting is very personal. Recruits and their families want and deserve to know who you are as a person, not just what kind of coach you are. I try to be a good example to others, and I work hard to live my life according to my faith. I am proud of the great success we have had in developing good players and good men at Clemson. We win at the highest level and we graduate players who excel on the field and in life because of their time in Death Valley. I want to thank Clemson University and all the people who have reached out to offer their support and encouragement over the past few weeks.\" <\/p>\n
The Freedom From Religion Foundation touts itself as the largest national organization advocating for non-theists, and says its mission is to promote separation of church and state and educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. <\/p>\n
Clemsons football program is the organizations most recent target, but in the past it has successfully fought against nativity displays on city hall properties. In 2008, the FFRF filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government over the statute establishing the National Day of Prayer, among other actions. In March, the FFRF joined 19 other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department and other government officials in March demanding that the phrase In God We Trust be removed from the nations currency. <\/p>\n
Last Thursday, FFRF sent a letter of complaint to Clemson after having filed an open records request with the university in February. <\/p>\n
\"Christian worship seems interwoven into Clemsons football program,\" wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott. \"We are concerned that this commingling of religion and athletics results, not from student initiative, but rather from the attitudes and unconstitutional behaviors of the coaching staff.\" <\/p>\n
The FFRF complaint says coach Dabo Swinney invited James Trapp to become team chaplain, which they say did not follow procedure that allows student groups to select their chaplain. It says Trapp is allowed access to the whole team between drills for Bible study. It also accused Swinney of showing preference to players who believe as he does, creating a culture of religious coercion. <\/p>\n
The FFRF also complains that there are Bible quotes displayed and sessions on being baptized held in the athletic building. They also dislike that Trapp, as a paid university employee, refers to himself as a minister, promotes religion, and serves as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative, and keeps Bibles in his office for distribution. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Continue reading here: Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney is responding to a complaint filed by the Wisconsin-based organization Freedom From Religion Foundation. The organization filed a complaint with Clemson University citing \"serious constitutional concerns about how the public university's football program is entangled with religion.\" Swinney released this statement on Wednesday: \"Over the past week or two, there has been a lot of discussion of my faith. We have three rules in our program that everybody must follow: (1) players must go to class, (2) they must give a good effort and (3) they must be good citizens Continue reading
\nClemson coach Dabo Swinney responds to anti-religion group's complaint<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"