Sports

The Secular Humanists Are Coming After Clemson Football Again

TOO MUCH JESUS IN TIGERTOWN? Clemson University’s football team came up just short in its bid for a national championship this week … but the program’s rise to national prominence is reenergizing its opponents. And no, we’re not talking about Twitter trolls from its arch rival, the University of South…

TOO MUCH JESUS IN TIGERTOWN?

Clemson University’s football team came up just short in its bid for a national championship this week … but the program’s rise to national prominence is reenergizing its opponents.

And no, we’re not talking about Twitter trolls from its arch rival, the University of South Carolina.

We’re referring to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group which filed a complaint against Clemson and head football coach Dabo Swinney back in 2014.  That complaint accused Swinney of appointing a team chaplain, scheduling team devotionals and providing transportation for players to Christian church services, among other “offenses.”

“We don’t think the university has taken appropriate corrective action,” an attorney for the group said this week.  “We still have concerns about how that program is being conducted. The university needs to appropriately monitor religious activity in the program.”

In fact the group plans on suing Clemson to make sure it does just that.

Jeez …

A year ago, Swinney – a vocal Christian – pointedly addressed these criticisms, saying “ain’t nothing (going) to change.”

“We’ve never tried to force anything on anybody,” he told The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier.  “Everybody who comes here to Clemson knows who we are as people.  There’s no surprises in that regard.”

As much as we hate to give such political correctness the time of day, the God-haters have a point here.  As long as government remains in the business of higher education – and by extension the business of major college football – there are going to be grounds for lawsuits like this.

Of course Swinney has the First Amendment right to profess his faith publicly – and share it with others as he sees fit.  And as long as there’s no evidence his religion is impacting the discharge of his professional duties, then he has a compelling religious freedom argument to counter these criticisms.

But again … all of this leads us back to our fundamental point: That government has no business being in the higher education business, period.  The sooner it extricates itself from that business, the sooner we can stop wasting time addressing nonsense lawsuits like this one.

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58 comments

flip January 13, 2016 at 10:23 am

Of course Swinney has the First Amendment right to profess his faith publicly – and share it with others as he sees fit. And as long as there’s no evidence his religion is impacting the discharge of his professional duties, then he has a compelling religious freedom argument to counter these criticisms.

Excellent point.DATTTTT AAAAA BOYYYYY will be fine. Dabo does’t show ‘evidence’ of being a Christian/religion when he is coaching on the sidelines.They have nothing on him.

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Cush January 13, 2016 at 11:26 am

The Buckeyes suck dirty donkey cock.

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flip January 13, 2016 at 11:53 am

DAAAATTTTTT AAAAAA BOYYYYYYY!!!!!

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BCS January 13, 2016 at 3:01 pm

Clemson: #2

Ohio State: #4

Alabama didn’t have to beat Ohio State, they beat themselves.

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Rocky Verdad January 13, 2016 at 3:56 pm

Ba, ba Bam!!!!!!

Manray9 January 13, 2016 at 10:27 am

What if you’re a young Jewish, Muslim or atheist kid who always dreamed of playing Clemson football. Say you’re a marginal player, but enthusiastic and willing to work hard. The head coach creates an environment in which Christian religious activities and observances are encouraged and facilitated. The activities and observances of other religious groups are not. Don’t you think it’s just possible a young impressionable kid may be subtly (or not so subtly) pressured into participating? The “go-along-to-get-ahead” phenomenon? Why should a public university (that’s one supported by and dedicated to ALL the public — most importantly the taxpayers) be in the business of supporting or facilitating the activities of the coach’s religion?

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nitrat January 13, 2016 at 10:54 am

Read “One Nation Under God” by Princeton historian Kevin Kruse and you will know.
It’s been part of the CEO sponsored Christian Libertarian plan since the 30s. Christian Libertarian religion distracts working people from what business is doing to screw them over and teaches them that’s what should happen and they should love it. They have turned Jesus’ teachings upside down.

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flip January 13, 2016 at 11:04 am

Liberals like you,mamatiger92 and Rocky are the problem.This assault is not happening from accident or whim. It is happening because disaffected liberals have deliberately set out to upend our Judeo-Christian traditions. Indeed, they are determined to tear down the traditional norms, values, and institutions that have been part of American society from its founding. The cultural debris that saboteurs like OBAMA has created will take decades to clean up.

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Secular Humanist January 13, 2016 at 2:56 pm

Actually, you’re the problem. You are such a joke of a Christian that it is hard to have a remotely serious debate regarding religion. I feel bad for the other Christians on this website that have to hang their head in shame every time you open your yap and embarrass them. Even I don’t think they deserve to be compared to you.

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flip January 13, 2016 at 3:30 pm

Other Christians? Rogue and I are the only Christians left after Tango left.

Rocky Verdad January 13, 2016 at 3:55 pm

Please follow Tango. Please!!!

flip January 13, 2016 at 4:14 pm

I understand.An immoral,lying,cheating American hating liberal like YOU gets exposed for what and who you are…now its time to ban bloggers and free speech.

You are a textbook fraud and pussy.

Rocky Verdad January 13, 2016 at 3:54 pm

Let him have it Sec Hum – he’s just a whining little pile of contradicting Old New Testament with some Koran thrown in for good measure. He’s not a Christain. When he reaches the Pearly Gates they’ll slam in his face, and the chute will open under his feet.

south of the border January 13, 2016 at 4:26 pm

I bet your home smells like a sewer.

Rocky Verdad January 13, 2016 at 3:53 pm

You have a Judo tradition? Oy Vey!!!

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The Colonel (R) January 13, 2016 at 11:09 am

Kruse is full of crap, writing with an agenda to those of a like mind.

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Secular Humanist January 13, 2016 at 2:55 pm

Religion has always been a tool of the wealthy and powerful to keep the poor from cutting their throats. It isn’t limited to Christianity alone.

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Tazmaniac January 13, 2016 at 10:59 am

“Say you’re a marginal player, but enthusiastic and willing to work hard. ”

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

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Scrappy January 13, 2016 at 1:35 pm

Then they should send their tape to Mushchamp. Clemson does not recruit 1 and 2 stars.

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John January 14, 2016 at 10:05 am

Ouch.

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Scooby January 15, 2016 at 10:32 am

you do know Brain Dawkins was offered and commited to Clemson. He is…. 2 stars. Just quit saying stupid shit dumbass.

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Cush January 13, 2016 at 10:35 am

I bet the lawyer dude for FFRF, Patrick Elliot, is just raking in the cash. Man, the hourly rate you could charge for this bullshit has to be astronomical.

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Goobersmacker January 13, 2016 at 2:23 pm

What a dumbshit you are. All of their work is done pro bono.

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Cush January 13, 2016 at 10:48 pm

I gave your wife my pro bono.

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tomstickler January 13, 2016 at 5:40 pm

The FFRF had $124,576 in legal expenses in 2014, for 5% of their total expenses of $2,465,656. It helps that attorney fees are recoverable in cases like this when you win.

I worked for several years with the founder of FFRF on the Board of another organization back in the 1970s. She was the mother of the current co-president.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein January 13, 2016 at 10:50 am

If DeShawn Watson converts to Wicca and Dabo yanks his scholarship…THEN TBG will have a problem.

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Elfego January 13, 2016 at 12:42 pm

Why do you folks think that lawyers swamp the Democrats with donations?

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Secular Humanist January 13, 2016 at 3:00 pm

Lawyers have to go to college for an extended period of time to practice law. People who are college educated tend to be more liberal than those who aren’t, such as you and flip.

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Gipper January 13, 2016 at 12:50 pm

If Dabo does all of this in his capacity as a government employee (ie, public college football coach), then he creates a situation where the government is endorsing his religious beliefs. How else can the government impose a religion, except through its employees? The Constitution prohibits government endorsement of religion, and in this case Dabo is the government endorsing religion. That’s a slam-dunk First Amendment violation. Think about it. Otherwise, athletes who want to play at a government college, like Clemson, shouldn’t be subject to government-sanctioned religious beliefs in the process. If the athlete is offended by Christianity, he’s going to be made uncomfortable – offended – by the government imposing Christian beliefs on him. And in this situation, Dabo is the government because he’s a state employee acting in his official capacity. Could the coach at Furman do the same thing? Absolutely. It’s a private action, not a government action. Dabo’s actions are government actions. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it’s not only the case, it’s the law, thanks to a bunch of liberal judges and the jackass Democrats who put them on the bench.

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a face in the crowd January 13, 2016 at 1:08 pm

You went astray with your last sentence, as it has nothing to do with partisan politics. The Constitution is very clear on matters involving the separation of church and state. The problem is that so many Christians, especially those born again, believe they do not need to follow man’s law, as long as they believe they are following His law. It must be wonderful to live in that warped world, where you believe you can do anything you please because He will forgive you.

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Scooter January 13, 2016 at 1:31 pm

It is! Believe me.

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Secular Humanist January 13, 2016 at 2:59 pm

The Bible has plenty of verses telling people to obey their leaders, but as is commonly known, most Christians pick and choose what parts of the Bible they follow.

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Gipper January 14, 2016 at 3:16 pm

You’re right that I shouldn’t have made it about partisan politics. It’s about liberal judges, many of which have been appointed by Republicans (ie, Ford appointing Stevens and GHW Bush appointing Souter). The Constitution is clear on the subject, but detailed, and in fleshing out the details liberal courts have made far out rulings that have taken God out of our schools and public places. No crèche on the town square without being accompanied by non-secular symbols, no prayer in school, etc., come to mind.

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Squishy123 January 13, 2016 at 4:17 pm

Explain how public schools can have theology courses in it’s curriculum.

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flip January 13, 2016 at 4:20 pm

Secular humanism is a religion and taught everyday in the public schools.
Climate change is a religion to the left and taught in public schools.

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Gipper January 14, 2016 at 3:12 pm

They can’t legally offer theology courses. They can teach courses in religion, treating the subject from an historic and philosophical perspective, but not theologically.

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pocchr January 14, 2016 at 10:43 am

Debo is NOT a public employee in the sense that he is hired and paid by the University. He is hired and paid by the Athletic Department who receives no state funds. EVERYTHING, cars, equipment, salaries to the staff and players etc., is paid by the Athletic Dept from sales of tickets and donations. No State funds are expanded.))

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Gipper January 14, 2016 at 3:11 pm

$257,397.00 of William “Dabo” Swinney’s salary package is paid from state funds according to public records. Look it up:

http://www.thestate.com/news/databases/article14573084.html

The rest comes from IPTAY, endorsements, etc., as you say. Coach Swinney participates in the State retirement system, health plan, and other state benefits. He is a public employee in every legal definition and sense of the term.

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Scooter January 13, 2016 at 1:32 pm

Dat Boy has the public on his side –by a wide margin. Screw them.

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Godslayer January 13, 2016 at 2:24 pm

Where was Jesus during the Alabama game? Oh, that’s right. He doesn’t give a shit about Dabo Swinney.

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Jesus January 13, 2016 at 2:57 pm

Sorry, I was busy chugging beers in my red body paint. Dabo understands I work in mysterious ways.

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TontoBubbaGoldstein January 13, 2016 at 7:53 pm

Where was Jesus during the Alabama game?

HE had to work the next day and fell asleep at the start of the fourth quarter giving Saban…er… Satan free rein.

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Secular Humanist January 13, 2016 at 2:52 pm

And Jesus spoke unto his disciples, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, ROLL TIDE!”

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Squishy123 January 13, 2016 at 4:15 pm

What the hell is a Crimson Tide… a red wave? And how does an elephant play into that mascot? A female elephant jump into a pond in Bumfuck, AL while having her period and Bubba said, “that there would make a good school mascot”?

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flip January 13, 2016 at 4:18 pm

Rumor has it Dabo’s brother was wearing a Bear Bryant hat and red high heels in his jail cell BCS night?

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Squishy123 January 13, 2016 at 4:18 pm

Your dad tell you that?

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Mr.On Sides Kick Sr. January 13, 2016 at 4:22 pm

DATTTT AAAA BOYYYYYYYYYYYY posted it on twitter while he was removing that football from his ass Monday night!????

Mike at the Beach January 13, 2016 at 10:22 pm

Q. “What the hell is a Crimson Tide… a red wave?”

A. National Champions. ;-)

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543 January 14, 2016 at 5:38 am

16 times :)

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Soft Sigh from Hell January 13, 2016 at 6:00 pm

Tribalism does not surprise me at all at Clemson.

They even have a shrine to some rock don’t they?

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Squishy123 January 13, 2016 at 6:30 pm

Clemson cherishes the rock, USCe cherishes the cock.

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Clarence Boddicker January 13, 2016 at 6:22 pm

Secular humanists = anti white, anti Christian, anti western civilization, pro rape culture, immigration

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John January 14, 2016 at 10:06 am

Dude, that’s a hell of a leap you are making. Pro rape culture???

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nosurprises January 13, 2016 at 8:34 pm

Militant, anti-Christian atheist zealots hypocritically forcing their religious beliefs on others…they are blinded by their own bigotry and insist on bullying Christians…nothing but the complete elimination of Christianity from the face of the earth will satisfy these smug, Christian – hating bigots…

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John January 14, 2016 at 10:07 am

If Dabo really loved Jesus as much as FFRF thinks he does, then Clemson would have won Monday night.

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Gipper January 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm

God is omniscient, and thus aware that Dabo is a fraud who fakes having strong religious beliefs primary to win over recruits’ mamas and but also to create a false good-guy image. He’s on generation away from using an outhouse, but he understand the utility of espousing religion in football recruiting and pr in the South.

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Scooter January 15, 2016 at 11:19 am

These libtards had rather fight a wildcat in a telephone booth than take on Dabo right now. Not in this state anyway.

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Debbie January 18, 2016 at 5:47 pm

What they think in Wisconsin should stay in Wisconsin!

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