NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Does the Freedom From Religion Foundation want to eliminate teacher- or coach-led prayer at public schools, or does it want to ban prayer from schools altogether?

A recent controversy regarding a high school football team allegedly praying before a game has raised that question. An FFRF lawyer reportedly asked the school superintendent to ban “any and all prayers occurring within any district athletic programs.”

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The FFRF, which is based in Madison, Wisconsin, recently sent a letter to the superintendent of the Naperville, Illinois school district, protesting what it interpreted as a coach-led team prayer prior to the Naperville Central High School football team’s game on Nov. 11, according to the Naperville Sun.

Superintendent Dan Bridges responded with a letter of response, saying he “reviewed this allegation and determined that a voluntary prayer intended as a moment of reflection was offered,” according to the Sun.

Nevertheless, Bridges was responsive to the FFRF’s complaint.

He wrote that “Naperville Community Unit School District 203 is aware that a coach-led prayer is not appropriate. The head football coach has been instructed that neither he nor his staff may lead his players in prayer,” the news report said.

“This message has been communicated to the athletic directors at both high schools to ensure that this expectation is shared with coaches of all sports at all levels.”

But that was not good enough for the FFRF. It seemed to seek an assurance that coaches would steer clear of anything that might be construed as religious activity, or suggest their approval of religious activity.

“As explained briefly in our original letter, it is unconstitutional for public school employees to participate in the religious activities of their students,” FFRF staff attorney Ryan Jayne wrote in response to Bridges’ letter, according to the newspaper.

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“Any reasonable observer would understand a coach’s participation in a religious activity with students as an endorsement of that religious message.”

But what if there is no specific religious message? What if a coach or teacher simply sets aside time for individual students to pray or reflect in the manner they feel comfortable with, based on their individual beliefs or preferences, as Bridges suggested the football coach did?

Does that qualify as an endorsement of any specific religion or religious message?

Or is the true goal of the FFRF to stop everyone – school staff and students alike – from practicing any sort of religious activity while they are at school or school-sponsored events?

An answer may be found in a line from the original letter sent to the district regarding the prayer issue.

In that letter, Jayne asked Bridges to “commence an immediate investigation … and take immediate action to stop any and all prayers occurring within any district athletic programs,” the news report said.

Does that mean that Bridges is supposed to ban individual students from praying on their own at athletic events, or groups of students from voluntarily gathering for group prayers?

Is a coach violating the U.S. Constitution if he allows such activity? After all, by allowing it, the coach would be signaling his tacit approval, which could be construed as a government endorsement of religious activity.

An effort to impose an outright ban on prayer in public schools would be consistent with the values of the FFRF,  which openly promotes atheism on its website, and mocks all forms of religious belief.

In any case, if the FFRF really wants to try to stop “any and all prayers occurring within any district athletic programs,” it will apparently meet some resistance in Naperville.

Daniel Bumbus, a player on the Naperville Central football team, sent the following statement to the Naperville Sun, claiming it was approved by all the players at a team meeting:

“The players will continue this tradition of praying before our games and would like to extend an invitation to all members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation to come out next fall and watch us pray and play the game we love. Go Redhawks.”