Having had my fill of the nonsense in the NFL, I decided to get my weekend football fix by taking my 11-year-old son to the Friday night game between Marian and Panther Valley. You can imagine my disgust when I saw a huge banner draped below the visiting PV student section that read, “Jesus loves us for free.”

The implication of this incendiary taunting is that students pay tuition to attend Marian so they can superficially endear themselves to God. The absurdity of the premise aside, I am stunned that the PV students, parents, coaches and faculty think it’s OK to walk into another school’s stadium and engage in rude, irreverent provocation that strikes at the heart of what the hosting team deems sacred. Moreover, the commandment to honor the Lord’s name applies to all Christians, whether they are part of a public or private school problem.

We’ve arrived at a very sad place in this country when it’s acceptable for the national anthem to serve as an object for political protection, while God can be a punchline for tasteless taunting.

I hope and pray the PV school board and administration will rethink allowing students to engage in this nonsense.

Joe Sterns

Deer Lake