Sneak Preview, Loyal Daily Dawg Readers. We’re going to spend all of next week (except for Toolbox Tuesday) exploring the case of the coach who insisted on praying at the 50-yard line right after the game.  His case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court which heard almost two hours of oral argument on the matter on April 25.  The conventional wisdom is that the coach is going to win.  I agree with that assessment.  It’s likely that he will have at least five votes, and possibly two more.  Two of the justices are almost certain to rule for the school district.  Justices Roberts and Breyer are hard to predict.

Here’s my other prediction about this case.  One of the justices, either in the majority opinion or the dissent, will quote Matthew 6: 5-7:

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others…..But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Coach Kennedy seems to have missed that instruction.  If he had prayed as Jesus instructed his followers to do, he would still be coaching in Bremerton, Washington.  Instead, he’s the plaintiff in a case that will likely shake up our understanding of how public schools deal with religions expression by their employees.

We’ll explore many facets of Kennedy v. Bremerton Public Schools next week, and then focus on it in our Zooming with the Dawg call next Friday. 

DAWG BONE:  IF YOU ENJOY THE CULTURE WARS, YOU HAVE TO ENJOY THIS CASE.

Got a question or comment for the Dawg?  Let me hear from you at jwalsh@wabsa.com.