Joshua's Thoughts on Crosses on Football Helmets

I live in Arkansas, and one of our larger colleges is Arkansas State University. One of my children may or may not have graduated from there in May! (Hallelujah!)

This week, ASU has been in the news because of some small crosses on the back of the Red Wolves football helmets. And apparently someone complained about the whole "separation of church and state," and ASU is a state university...and now the crosses have to come off the helmets.

The crosses were put on the helmets this year in memory of two former ASU team members who died last year. Each of their initials are on one of the small bars of the cross...the "arm" bars.

Now, the university says they are being forced to remove the crosses, but will choose to honor these players in another way. They are talking about removing the up and down part and just leaving the horizontal line with the team members' initials on them. One of the dad's said, "they are removing the cross and leaving a flat line. And do you know what a "flat line" means? It means you're dead." Their son IS dead, unfortunately, and they are in support of keeping the crosses on the helmets in his memory.

The story of the helmet crosses is on the national news now, and everyone is talking about it. And people are getting up-in-arms about expressing their faith and restrictions and America and all of that. I don't know...I think it's gonna end up being a bigger deal than just having a small cross on a helmet. Way bigger.

And I hope that it doesn't develop a life of it's own that veers away from the original purpose of the crosses...and I pray that GOD will be glorified in it all.

This whole removing-the-helmet-crosses controversy? Joshua is FURIOUS.

He said, AND I QUOTE: "our country was founded on religion."

I said, "well, our country was founded on Godly and Christian principles, yes, but our founding fathers wanted religious freedom...for everyone...even the ones we..."

Clark held up his hand to stop me mid-sentence...and Jim just shook his head. I mean, there's no talking to Joshua about any of this, and really...it will be 5 minutes of my life that I can't get back and it.will.not.change.his.mind.

Joshua loves Jesus, and Jesus died on a cross for our sins. And Joshua loves football...And if someone...wants to put a cross on their helmet, well, Joshua is all about that.

Joshua said, and he got his hands going and fingers pointing for emphasis as he spoke, "I think that the ones who are against the crosses should go out...gather some sticks...build a teeny-tiny bridge...annnnnd go-go-get over it!"

"If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18