Last Saturday, the US Military Academy football team posted a video of the celebration following their win over Temple. The video included the players kneeling in prayer in the locker room.

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein wasn’t having it:

Officials with the U.S. Military Academy pulled a video clip of the football team’s postgame locker-room celebration offline Monday and have launched an inquiry into whether a team prayer violated players’ rights to religious freedom…

Military Religious Freedom Foundation president Mikey Weinstein said he reached out to academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen on Monday to discuss the post. It was taken down shortly thereafter…

Interestingly, Weinstein is not upset — because he claims he has a special relationship with USMA Superintendent LtGen Robert Caslen, whom Weinstein once accused of sedition but whom he now indicates supports the MRFF cause.  (Ironically, Weinstein has previously implied these kinds of “problems” didn’t exist at West Point because of his relationship with LtGen Caslen.)

Indeed, Weinstein seemed to have a pulse on exactly how the Military Academy was reacting [emphasis added]:

Weinstein…said he was expecting Monken to offer an apology later Thursday…

Weinstein said Army athletic director Boo Corrigan was putting procedures in place with all coaches at the academy that will prevent a similar situation from happening. Because of his relationship with Caslen, Weinstein said he does not plan to file a third-party inspector general’s complaint on the issue.

The West Point football team cadets aren’t preschoolers, nor are they subordinates ordered to kneel in piety by a commander. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter.

Remember that Weinstein made similar accusations against the Air Force Academy cadets who knelt in the end zone prior to the game. It wasn’t the threat of coercion or endorsement or preference that upset Weinstein.

It was the fact they prayed.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

ADVERTISEMENT