Comments about ‘Sabbath could end Jewish school's playoff run’

A handshake and high five to you for sticking to your standards and beliefs. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (called Mormon by others), and our church teams, and teams at our church-owned schools do not play on Sundays for the same reasons. It is a game, and playing games...basketball, soccer, whatever...is an important part of a young person's life, but it is still just a game. I hope the organization planning these events will be more understanding of such things in the future. The movie "Chariots of Fire" shows what happens to someone who sticks by their principles, and the Olympics judges were willing to let him change races, even though it was not his usual race, and he won.

Good luck to you.

The league should make reasonable accommodations if possible. Entering contracts and renting facilities, as well as ticket sales, could complicate matters. I can understand why they may not have been able make changes this year.

They almost certainly do not have contracts in place for next year. The could adopt a schedule without Saturday play for one bracket in the future. If they refuse this then let the anti Semitic charges fly.

It wouldn't hurt to change the time of the game.

@Utah Girl;

While your schools may not play on the Mormon Sabbath, your graduates certainly will/do; Steve Young & Jimmer Fredette are just one example. Where's the faithfullness here?

"God doesn't take a week off from us, so we can't take a week off from God."

Well put.

The difference RanchHand, is that Young and Fredette were paid to play on Sunday. It was there job. This is high school.

Correction. their, not there. Sorry.

Good example, tough choice, absolutely kudos to this team and their mentors.

It is refreshing to read Utah Girl's comments on all points. Duly noted is also her distinction of Sunday vs. Saturday. My Mormon Mama still refers to "the Sabbath" as Sunday. A minor point for some, a major point for others. Love her anyway!

We were raised to respect other's tenets and this is an amazing story in today's clime. Thank you for reporting it.

Ranch Hand again you show your biased by saying the Mormon Sabbath as if it is different from anyone elses. Maybe you realize that for most of the Christian world Sunday is the Sabbath. For most Jewish sects Saturday is their Sabbath. There was a time where many things in this land were closed in reference to Sunday. These were called blue laws and in some states and counties such is the rule. As this country has become more immoral (sexual relations outside of marriage is the big one but heterolsexuam and homosexual) then these laws have become obscurred. Fortunately, individuals like this have taken a stand on their beliefs just as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has taken a stand with their SCHOOLs and that is they will not play on their Sabbath, whether it is Saturday or Sunday. Maybe if others did that we (society) wouldn't be classified as idol worshipers of such things as the NFL, NBA and in some instances College Sports.

@bill in Neb
I think you are reading a lot into ranchhands comment that was not there to justify going off on a rant. I agree with the other posters I think if reasonable accommodations can be made as long as they do not come at the expense of hurting other teams involved that they should be.

@BYR & Bill;

You show your anti-RanchHand bias by refusing to READ what I said in relation to this article and how the comment related to Utah Girl's comment.

The article explains how these young men LIVE their religion - and DO NOT PLAY on their Sabbath. Does it matter if your "job" requires you to play on your Sabbath? If your religion denounces Sabbath activities that are not in keeping with the Sabbath, then why should it matter whether or not you're paid on that day? You either LIVE your beliefs or you don't; accepting money to do it doesn't make it any less a violation of the Sabbath Requirements, does it.

The fact that Jimmer & Young get paid to play on the Sabbath, and ACCEPT those terms shows that they don't live their beliefs completely and are willing to toss them out the window for convenience (in this case, the convenience of money).

The word that describes these actions is 'hypocrisy'.

I agree with Utah girl! Way to stand up for your beliefs! I am not Jewish but respect them for sticking to their religious beliefs. I think Jerry should step up and open up his Jerryworld and have the championship game there instead. It is amazing how many people chose not to understand. Jimmer and Mr. Young are no longer playing sports for BYU! The school absolutely will not play on Sunday, and that won't change until the Sabbath changes. That won't happen anytime soon.

The hypocrasy lies with you Ranch hand. The schools have determined when and where they play. There are individual players who determine when they will play. The law says that you are to keep the Sabbath holy. How that is done is an INDIVIDUAL decision. BYU as you well know will not play on the Sabbath. So what you are saying if my work refuses to let me have Sunday off because I must work, that I'm to not work, so I loose my job. That is nothing more than selfishness on my part. A man (Jesus) once said that there is the spirit of the law. You can still work on Sunday and keep the spirit of the Sabbath. How do you know that the players you named have not at least attended a meeting on Sunday. You don't so again the hypocracy lies with you as you have become their job which you are not qualified to do.

So, this team did not want to play from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

Many others don't want to play on Sunday.

Certainly one can understand that playoff times and locations must be scheduled well in advance.

Not as easy to switch things up as some of you make it sound.

I wonder if the game was played on Sunday would the obvious Christian schools listed play or not. Just saying

If "TAPPS" receives any federal funding at all, including tax breaks, they could be in serious trouble in my opinion.

I believe the law requires "reasonable accommodations" to protected groups, which include religions. Nobody would consider them unwilling to change a date as unreasonable.....fortunately, the NCAA is very aware of this when they have to deal with schools like BYU, and they avoid the negative PR and the legal action that could occur if they were to be "unreasonable".