Quarterback flagged for pointing upward to God

[rangerrebew]

Quarterback flagged for pointing upward to God
Teen: 'Didn't feel I did anything wrong'
Published: 24 hours ago
 

A referee at a Syracuse, New York, high school calls a penalty after the quarterback in the end zone raises his finger to the sky, in recognition of God. (Image: Fox News screen shot)

A 17-year-old Christian quarterback who plays for Mexico High School in Syracuse, New York, said he was flagged by the referee for pointing his finger skyward to give glory to God for the touchdown.

“I didn’t feel I did anything wrong,” said Dante Turo, during a Thursday morning “Fox & Friends” interview about his actions in the end zone after he ran 73 yards to score.

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And those actions?

He simply raised his finger toward the sky, in what he described on Fox News as “the international symbol of giving praise to Jesus.”

The referee, however, saw it differently and threw a yellow flag, claiming the teen was guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct. And the school, in a statement sent to "Fox & Friends," said Turo, his coach and his father, Geno, have been spinning the story of the penalty – that the issue was not about religious expression and freedom of religion.

See what American education has become, in “Crimes of the Educators: How Utopians Are Using Government Schools to Destroy America’s Children.”

But the video is pretty clear. In it, Turo is seen breaking away from a pack of defenders and racing toward the end zone, where he simply raises a finger to the sky. The nearby referee immediately throws a flag.

On "Fox & Friends," dad Geno defended his son.

"I'm extremely proud of my son," he said. "I've tried to raise my children to be fearless in the face of opposition ... to fight against oppression."

And teen Turo, meanwhile, said he'd do it again, next game.

"Every game, obviously before the game, I'm praying and I do that every game," he said, adding that in upcoming games, he is planning on "pointing up, as I always do."

He also said his Christian faith teaches him those who follow Jesus would be "persecuted for it." And his father added: "And to rejoice in that persecution," he said.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/quarterback-flagged-for-pointing-upward-to-god/#DCL8qKvMIb70WZcU.99

[mountaineer]

High school football officials don't take kindly to any sort of celebration. What about a kid who points skyward after a TD not to praise God but to signify to the world, "I'm number one"?

[Paladin]

"Unsportsmanlike conduct" is it? How interesting.

"MEXICO, N.Y. – Mexico High School quarterback Dante Turo believes it’s God who gives him the strength and abilities to be successful on the football field.

The junior team leader often points skyward after big plays as a tribute to the Almighty, and his 73-yard run for a touchdown against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Oct. 17 was no exception, Syracuse.com reports.

The solemn celebration, however, apparently didn’t sit well with one referee, who flagged the teen for unsportsmanlike conduct and assessed a 15-yard penalty that ultimately cost his team the game.

“I was just trying to give glory to God,” Turo told the news site. “I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong or anything that would merit … unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Turo appeared on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” with his father, Geno Turo, last Thursday to discuss the incident.

“Pointing up to God is kind of the international symbol of giving praise to Jesus, and that’s all I was trying to do,” Turo said.

“He wanted to do something at that moment to take credit away from himself and give glory to God,” Geno added. “God gives us the ability and the talent. As Christians, we want to be sure to give that back immediately.”

Mexico coach Tee Murabito told Fox News he thinks the ref made the wrong call. In the end, Mexico lost 33-31 in the regular season finale.

“I tried to explain to the referee that threw the flag and the head referee, but they just said, it’s taunting,” Murabito said, according to The Washington Times. “I told them he was praising God. How is that taunting?”

The Mohawk Valley Chapter of Certified Football Officials refused to discuss the call with the media."

http://eagnews.org/high-school-football-player-penalized-for-pointing-to-sky-after-touchdown/