(AP) -- Cheerleaders made signs with bible verses that football players ran through in Catoosa County (Ga).

The latest flare-up is here in Catoosa County where the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School cheerleaders turned to God when nothing else seemed to be helping their football team.

The cheerleaders created banners with Bible verses to change the fortunes of the team and displayed them during the football games. The banners are the sort that the players crash through as they enter the field and include such biblical verses as “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“The cheerleaders are not trying to push a religious cause, to shove religion down someone’s throat,” said youth minister Brad Scott to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. “The cheerleaders are just using scripture to show motivation and inspiration to the players and the fans.”

(UPH) --- C'mon people!  It's only a banner.  The non-believers are trying their best to oppose anything Christ-like.  As if someone forced you to read the banner.  Besides, these banners don't stay up for long as the football players run through them before the game.

Apparently the cheerleaders have sought divine intervention through the banners since 2003 with the approval of the then football coach, but a complaint was only recently filed with Superintendent Denia Reese.  Now, the banners are out.

(UPH) -- Note, that all of the above actions were orchestrated by the "Cheerleaders."   No where did it mention school staff involvement. 

“Personally, I appreciate this expression of their Christian values. However, as superintendent I have the responsibility of protecting the school district from legal action by groups who do not support their beliefs,” said Reese in a press statement.

(UPH) -- Whatever happened to the student's freedom to express religion??  I understand if it was a member of school administration or even if it was spoke over the loud speakers.  I'm sorry, the superintendent punked out on this one...

As you might expect, the decision has rankled some people in Catoosa. A rally was held last night to protest the decision.

Among those entering the fray on the side of the cheerleaders is state Rep. Jay Neal, who told the rally crowd,  “Our Founding Fathers had one thing in mind when they founded this country, and it was a Christian nation built upon the principles of Jesus Christ.”

Neal apparently hasn’t checked with the U.S  Supreme Court, which spoke to this issue in a 2000 decision that grew out of student-led prayers over the loud speaker at football games in Santa Fe, Texas

There are legal ways for students to gather for prayer, but this isn’t one of them, according to the Supreme Court.

(UPH) -- Which in this case, they didn't violate any amendments.

The court ruled the prayers illegal because school authorities had made religious conformity the price of attending school athletic events. The court concluded that the district’s public prayer policy  delivered a dangerous message that non-believers ”are outsiders” in the community and “encourages divisiveness along religious lines of a public school setting.”

(UPH) -- Once again, this has nothing to do with the current banner issue.  With regret, this is the day in age where we have to defend "right" when everyone else compromises with the "wrong" in society.  Non-believers will not be happy until the Christian faith is squeazed out of everyone's presence.  I don't want to see the day when Christians have to hide their faith from everyone.  Time to stand up!