Without knowing the specific Bible verse or message Adams used, it’s difficult to draw conclusions, adds Sanders. Using portions of Ephesians 5 and 6, for example, would be “more problematic” than Matthew 8:5-13. But no matter which Scripture the coach cited, it’s “easy to see how Adams’ sermon was ill-conceived,” Sanders writes. “White men have been telling Black men to ‘know their place’ for a long time in this country. Adams should have been wise and compassionate enough to avoid that dynamic.”
On the other hand, Sanders acknowledges that court rulings guarantee “a protected place for faith on American ballfields”—adding the same should apply to classrooms. “College students should know what the Bible says about slavery, humility, and other topics, even those students who aren’t studying religion,” he writes.
“The Bible has had too large an impact on Western thought to be ignored in universities,” adds Sanders. “But that study should be undertaken with seriousness and rigor. The Bible deals with thorny ethical questions and serious societal failings. It isn’t an inspirational meme generator for coaches to use in pep talks.”
