The Ron Brown Religion Thread

[mmmtodd]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

okay...

 

Ron Brown can be a little much. There is nothing wrong with proclaiming your faith, but the little tizzies he has gotten into in the recent past with the ACLU and such are a bit overboard. At the end of the day is he doing what is best for the University and the football program, or does his ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message get in the way?

 

Does Coach Brown balance out Bo when going into a recruits home, or does he leave parents and kids scratching their heads when they see Bo's very different style of brimstone? Mixed messages and all that.

 

Id hate to lose Coach Brown, would love to see him coach WR, but Im not so sure recruiting coordinator is an ideal spot for him.

[knapplc]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

I'm going to roast some smores on the bonfire you just lit. I'll be happy to share.

[kchusker_chris]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

I'm going to roast some smores on the bonfire you just lit. I'll be happy to share.

haha - exactly. didn't we already force a thread into lockdown over this same thing recently?

[Phil the Red]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

okay...

 

Ron Brown can be a little much. There is nothing wrong with proclaiming your faith, but the little tizzies he has gotten into in the recent past with the ACLU and such are a bit overboard. At the end of the day is he doing what is best for the University and the football program, or does his ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message get in the way?

 

Does Coach Brown balance out Bo when going into a recruits home, or does he leave parents and kids scratching their heads when they see Bo's very different style of brimstone? Mixed messages and all that.

 

Id hate to lose Coach Brown, would love to see him coach WR, but Im not so sure recruiting coordinator is an ideal spot for him.

 

 

Actually, Bo is quite religious too, a devout Catholic. What it boils down to is integrity. Ron Brown and Bo Pelini (despite some of the talk on here lately) have it at the core of their being. That is getting more and more rare in today's world, especially big-time athletics. I would rather have the "little much...proclaiming your faith" than the slimy, underhanded way many coaches conduct themselves these days. We may find out in the end that the many perceived gaffes and mishandling of the coaching changes were actually done out of integrity, in protecting the outgoing coaches and their families by seeing to it that they get the best possible outcome from a bad situation (losing their job.) That is the type of thing that makes me proud to be from Nebraska, and proud of the Huskers. I don't think there is one shred of evidence to support the idea that Ron Brown's "ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message" has negatively impacted the team or anyone associated in any way. I would dare say it has actually helped tremendously in many ways. Listen to Aaron Green (among others) talk about it a little bit...

[mmmtodd]

religious does not equal integrity.

 

I agree with most everything you say, other than that you seem to make them mutually exclusive.

 

And Im quite aware that Bo attends church...however, his faith is his, which i respect infinitely more than someone that constantly attempts to make their faith mine and every other joe's as well.

 

Im also aware that even what some may perceive as the best of intentions can be harmful at times, that's just life. Saying that Coach Brown's stance, which is black and white, hasnt caused one shred of harm to the program is quite naive.

[Husker Richard]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

okay...

 

Ron Brown can be a little much. There is nothing wrong with proclaiming your faith, but the little tizzies he has gotten into in the recent past with the ACLU and such are a bit overboard. At the end of the day is he doing what is best for the University and the football program, or does his ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message get in the way?

 

Does Coach Brown balance out Bo when going into a recruits home, or does he leave parents and kids scratching their heads when they see Bo's very different style of brimstone? Mixed messages and all that.

 

Id hate to lose Coach Brown, would love to see him coach WR, but Im not so sure recruiting coordinator is an ideal spot for him.

 

 

Actually, Bo is quite religious too, a devout Catholic. What it boils down to is integrity. Ron Brown and Bo Pelini (despite some of the talk on here lately) have it at the core of their being. That is getting more and more rare in today's world, especially big-time athletics. I would rather have the "little much...proclaiming your faith" than the slimy, underhanded way many coaches conduct themselves these days. We may find out in the end that the many perceived gaffes and mishandling of the coaching changes were actually done out of integrity, in protecting the outgoing coaches and their families by seeing to it that they get the best possible outcome from a bad situation (losing their job.) That is the type of thing that makes me proud to be from Nebraska, and proud of the Huskers. I don't think there is one shred of evidence to support the idea that Ron Brown's "ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message" has negatively impacted the team or anyone associated in any way. I would dare say it has actually helped tremendously in many ways. Listen to Aaron Green (among others) talk about it a little bit...

 

 

I totally agree with mmmtodd.

 

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

[knapplc]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

[Husker Richard]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

 

 

Never claimed that he did.

 

Have you ever heard the guy talk? I'm sure you have. He usually address the drug-free pledge kids at the Spring Game and he brings religion into everything. Does everyone need God to stay drug-free? Absolutely not. Ron would have you believe otherwise.

 

Like mmmtodd said, the ACLU told him to back off when he is in schools. He obviously crossed the line. I'm not saying it's wrong or right, just saying it bothers me. Just because it's what he believes doesn't make it right/fact.

 

I figure I'll be in the minority here since NE is God's country, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

[Phil the Red]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

okay...

 

Ron Brown can be a little much. There is nothing wrong with proclaiming your faith, but the little tizzies he has gotten into in the recent past with the ACLU and such are a bit overboard. At the end of the day is he doing what is best for the University and the football program, or does his ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message get in the way?

 

Does Coach Brown balance out Bo when going into a recruits home, or does he leave parents and kids scratching their heads when they see Bo's very different style of brimstone? Mixed messages and all that.

 

Id hate to lose Coach Brown, would love to see him coach WR, but Im not so sure recruiting coordinator is an ideal spot for him.

 

 

Actually, Bo is quite religious too, a devout Catholic. What it boils down to is integrity. Ron Brown and Bo Pelini (despite some of the talk on here lately) have it at the core of their being. That is getting more and more rare in today's world, especially big-time athletics. I would rather have the "little much...proclaiming your faith" than the slimy, underhanded way many coaches conduct themselves these days. We may find out in the end that the many perceived gaffes and mishandling of the coaching changes were actually done out of integrity, in protecting the outgoing coaches and their families by seeing to it that they get the best possible outcome from a bad situation (losing their job.) That is the type of thing that makes me proud to be from Nebraska, and proud of the Huskers. I don't think there is one shred of evidence to support the idea that Ron Brown's "ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message" has negatively impacted the team or anyone associated in any way. I would dare say it has actually helped tremendously in many ways. Listen to Aaron Green (among others) talk about it a little bit...

 

 

I totally agree with mmmtodd.

 

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

 

Fair enough. For what it is worth, my personal religious views are more in line with Bo's (Catholic) than Ron's. I personally do not choose to wear my religion on my sleeve, but that does not mean that I find Ron Brown offensive. What I do find offensive is the vulgar approach too many people use in their everyday interaction. Call me naive, but I think we can live without the very few people who would shun our program because they were so "offended" by Ron Brown talking about religion, in comparison to the ones who came on board because of it.

[Husker Richard]

let me set up my shield and put my helmet on here...

 

okay...

 

Ron Brown can be a little much. There is nothing wrong with proclaiming your faith, but the little tizzies he has gotten into in the recent past with the ACLU and such are a bit overboard. At the end of the day is he doing what is best for the University and the football program, or does his ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message get in the way?

 

Does Coach Brown balance out Bo when going into a recruits home, or does he leave parents and kids scratching their heads when they see Bo's very different style of brimstone? Mixed messages and all that.

 

Id hate to lose Coach Brown, would love to see him coach WR, but Im not so sure recruiting coordinator is an ideal spot for him.

 

 

Actually, Bo is quite religious too, a devout Catholic. What it boils down to is integrity. Ron Brown and Bo Pelini (despite some of the talk on here lately) have it at the core of their being. That is getting more and more rare in today's world, especially big-time athletics. I would rather have the "little much...proclaiming your faith" than the slimy, underhanded way many coaches conduct themselves these days. We may find out in the end that the many perceived gaffes and mishandling of the coaching changes were actually done out of integrity, in protecting the outgoing coaches and their families by seeing to it that they get the best possible outcome from a bad situation (losing their job.) That is the type of thing that makes me proud to be from Nebraska, and proud of the Huskers. I don't think there is one shred of evidence to support the idea that Ron Brown's "ramrod stubbornness on spreading his message" has negatively impacted the team or anyone associated in any way. I would dare say it has actually helped tremendously in many ways. Listen to Aaron Green (among others) talk about it a little bit...

 

 

I totally agree with mmmtodd.

 

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

 

Fair enough. For what it is worth, my personal religious views are more in line with Bo's (Catholic) than Ron's. I personally do not choose to wear my religion on my sleeve, but that does not mean that I find Ron Brown offensive. What I do find offensive is the vulgar approach too many people use in their everyday interaction. Call me naive, but I think we can live without the very few people who would shun our program because they were so "offended" by Ron Brown talking about religion, in comparison to the ones who came on board because of it.

 

 

I think it's definitely an advantage in terms of recruiting. He's great to send out to talk to religious recruits. Probably looks great for the parents as well. Can't complain in that regard. Like I've stated, it just rubs me the wrong way.

[knapplc]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

 

 

Never claimed that he did.

 

Have you ever heard the guy talk? I'm sure you have. He usually address the drug-free pledge kids at the Spring Game and he brings religion into everything. Does everyone need God to stay drug-free? Absolutely not. Ron would have you believe otherwise.

 

Like mmmtodd said, the ACLU told him to back off when he is in schools. He obviously crossed the line. I'm not saying it's wrong or right, just saying it bothers me. Just because it's what he believes doesn't make it right/fact.

 

I figure I'll be in the minority here since NE is God's country, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

 

Sorry, I just get a chuckle out of the raised hackles over someone exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Coach Brown's speeches aren't some "gotcha" time where he appears under false pretenses. He's very up front about his subject matter, and he always has been. If you're listening to him speak and you find his material objectionable, that's entirely on you.

 

Last September I saw Anthony Bourdain speak in Omaha. Anthony is a TV chef and travel show personality, but during his show he 1) used potty-mouth words and 2) spoke extensively about drug use. Anyone in attendance there knew (or should have known) that Anthony does this in every speech he gives. Every single one.

 

Would you really have sympathy for me if I'd have been offended by his swearing and drug references? I know I wouldn't.

[Phil the Red]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

 

 

Never claimed that he did.

 

Have you ever heard the guy talk? I'm sure you have. He usually address the drug-free pledge kids at the Spring Game and he brings religion into everything. Does everyone need God to stay drug-free? Absolutely not. Ron would have you believe otherwise.

 

Like mmmtodd said, the ACLU told him to back off when he is in schools. He obviously crossed the line. I'm not saying it's wrong or right, just saying it bothers me. Just because it's what he believes doesn't make it right/fact.

 

I figure I'll be in the minority here since NE is God's country, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

 

Funny how we haven't heard much from the ACLU regarding this matter lately. It was really simple, Ron just pointed out that his talks were purely optional, and he always makes clear what is going to be talked about. The whole contention that Ron was "forcing" his views on poor unsuspecting students was the gist of the entire argument that was put forth by the ACLU. Once it was realized that these speeches were purely optional, free speech rights trumped any argument that the ACLU could put forth. How is that obviously crossing the line? Because the out of touch ACLU says so?

[Husker Richard]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

 

 

Never claimed that he did.

 

Have you ever heard the guy talk? I'm sure you have. He usually address the drug-free pledge kids at the Spring Game and he brings religion into everything. Does everyone need God to stay drug-free? Absolutely not. Ron would have you believe otherwise.

 

Like mmmtodd said, the ACLU told him to back off when he is in schools. He obviously crossed the line. I'm not saying it's wrong or right, just saying it bothers me. Just because it's what he believes doesn't make it right/fact.

 

I figure I'll be in the minority here since NE is God's country, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

 

Sorry, I just get a chuckle out of the raised hackles over someone exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Coach Brown's speeches aren't some "gotcha" time where he appears under false pretenses. He's very up front about his subject matter, and he always has been. If you're listening to him speak and you find his material objectionable, that's entirely on you.

 

Last September I saw Anthony Bourdain speak in Omaha. Anthony is a TV chef and travel show personality, but during his show he 1) used potty-mouth words and 2) spoke extensively about drug use. Anyone in attendance there knew (or should have known) that Anthony does this in every speech he gives. Every single one.

 

Would you really have sympathy for me if I'd have been offended by his swearing and drug references? I know I wouldn't.

 

Constitutionally protected rights? I hope you're kidding. Ever heard of separation of church and state? You can't go into a public school and preach your faith or give a speech with religious undertones.

 

Let's flip the script here and pretend Ron Brown was a Muslim and he was appearing in public schools talking about how Islam was the way to go and how much it meant to his life. Would people be OK with this? I highly doubt it, but Christianity is the domination religion in America so it makes what he does OK, right? Wrong.

 

I'm assuming you chose to go see Anthony Bourdain. Until enough parents complained and the ACLU stepped in, the students did not have a choice, in the sense that they were informed that they could attend or not, whether or not to listen to what Ron Brown had to say. It was an assembly that everyone in the school attended. Now that it's no longer mandatory, in the sense that you are informed that you can choose not to attend, I have no issue with it. It's like a public school official leading the school in a scheduled prayer. Notice that I said scheduled, because that is setting time aside for one faith. That is wrong and a violation of separation of church and state. However, a voluntary prayer circle is OK because you are not forcing those of another faith to partake.

 

His speeches were "optional," but what grade-schooler do you know that would stand up and say they do not want to be indoctrinated by him? They don't know that they can refuse on grounds that their beliefs differ. It took some parents with the courage to stand up and defend the rights of their children to a separation of church and state before anything changed. He was using his position as a Husker football coach as a means to an end. Children idolize people like him and he's using that to his advantage. If he was just some random pastor wanting to do something similar, do you think it would fly?

[mmmtodd]

man, i really would have loved to see Bourdain speak. The guy makes a living being a jerk, traveling the world, eating great food, and generally not giving a crap. Its great.

[Phil the Red]

It's not the fact that Ron is religious (Bo is as well and I could care less), it's his insistence on pushing his faith on others. Sort of a 'holier than thou if you don't believe what I believe' attitude. Considering the fact that I am not religious at all, it really rubs me the wrong way. However, I can see how it is beneficial to recruiting because so many recruits are very religious. Whatever works, I guess.

 

I'd be interested in hearing the story of when Coach Brown cornered you and thrust his beliefs on you. Do tell.

 

 

Never claimed that he did.

 

Have you ever heard the guy talk? I'm sure you have. He usually address the drug-free pledge kids at the Spring Game and he brings religion into everything. Does everyone need God to stay drug-free? Absolutely not. Ron would have you believe otherwise.

 

Like mmmtodd said, the ACLU told him to back off when he is in schools. He obviously crossed the line. I'm not saying it's wrong or right, just saying it bothers me. Just because it's what he believes doesn't make it right/fact.

 

I figure I'll be in the minority here since NE is God's country, but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

 

Sorry, I just get a chuckle out of the raised hackles over someone exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Coach Brown's speeches aren't some "gotcha" time where he appears under false pretenses. He's very up front about his subject matter, and he always has been. If you're listening to him speak and you find his material objectionable, that's entirely on you.

 

Last September I saw Anthony Bourdain speak in Omaha. Anthony is a TV chef and travel show personality, but during his show he 1) used potty-mouth words and 2) spoke extensively about drug use. Anyone in attendance there knew (or should have known) that Anthony does this in every speech he gives. Every single one.

 

Would you really have sympathy for me if I'd have been offended by his swearing and drug references? I know I wouldn't.

 

Constitutionally protected rights? I hope you're kidding. Ever heard of separation of church and state? You can't go into a public school and preach your faith or give a speech with religious undertones.

 

Let's flip the script here and pretend Ron Brown was a Muslim and he was appearing in public schools talking about how Islam was the way to go and how much it meant to his life. Would people be OK with this? I highly doubt it, but Christianity is the domination religion in America so it makes what he does OK, right? Wrong.

 

I'm assuming you chose to go see Anthony Bourdain. Until enough parents complained and the ACLU stepped in, the students did not have a choice, in the sense that they were informed that they could attend or not, whether or not to listen to what Ron Brown had to say. It was an assembly that everyone in the school attended. Now that it's no longer mandatory, in the sense that you are informed that you can choose not to attend, I have no issue with it. It's like a public school official leading the school in a scheduled prayer. Notice that I said scheduled, because that is setting time aside for one faith. That is wrong and a violation of separation of church and state. However, a voluntary prayer circle is OK because you are not forcing those of another faith to partake.

 

His speeches were "optional," but what grade-schooler do you know that would stand up and say they do not want to be indoctrinated by him? They don't know that they can refuse on grounds that their beliefs differ. It took some parents with the courage to stand up and defend the rights of their children to a separation of church and state before anything changed. He was using his position as a Husker football coach as a means to an end. Children idolize people like him and he's using that to his advantage. If he was just some random pastor wanting to do something similar, do you think it would fly?

 

 

You are misinterpreting the Constitutional doctrine of separation of Church and State. The Constitution forbids a government body sanctioning and solely promoting a certain religion as a requirement to avoid retribution. That doesn't mean that the discussion of religion in and of itself, even a specific religion, is inherently prohibited. My wife is a high school teacher in a pretty diverse school, and there are really no truly "taboo" subjects in the classroom, including religious beliefs. Ron Brown's speeches in schools have always been clearly defined to the students and their parents, and have ALWAYS BEEN OPTIONAL. Attending his speeches is no different than attending the afternoon math club, or Young Democrats, or any other optional event that takes place at school. I happen to strongly oppose the religion of math, and I'm sure there are things discussed in various clubs and meetings inside schools that I would not agree with, but I'm sure not going to raise a stink about it, and I'm sure not going to sue the school or any of the presenters of that material. My kids and I simply choose not to attend those events and listen to those viewpoints. That doesn't meant they should be banned from being presented in a school setting. The world is full of people using their status to their advantage in promoting far more nefarious things than Ron Brown. Planned Parenthood is a regular visitor to our public schools. I for one am glad there is someone like Ron Brown counteracting all of the negative influences being foisted upon our children.