The following post was provided by Grant Bilski:
Does god care if you hit a home run? Does God care if you score a touch down? I would say no but that may be just me. I understand faith/religion is important in many peoples lives but is it necessary to point up to the sky or make the sign of the cross every time you do something of merit on the playing field? In the age of excessive sports celebration how far is too far?
Here are two examples...
http://cardinals.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=10059103
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9744845
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This like every topic we discuss is controversial, maybe the most because of where people stand on religion.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the celebrations. I think for the most part they bring excitement to the games. If someone wants to point to the sky after a job well done, they should be able to. Do they need to do it every single time? Of course not, but the examples posted were of baseball. And as most of us know, baseball is probably the most superstitious sport of all. A sport where you do the same things day in and day out. A sport where if you do one thing differently, it could cost you dearly in the end.
In the end, I don't mind the celebrations. For the most part I ignore them. How can we be certain that when they point to the sky they are doing it for God? Could there be any other reason? I know for me, when I go to bat I was kiss my fingers, cross my heart, and point to the sky. Not for God, but for my grandmother.
I don't think the meaning of pointing at the sky is 'Does God care if you hit a homerun' or 'Does God care if I score a touchdown', but for some people like ' wow thank you God for this unbelievable talent and gift you have given me to be able to play baseball/football/ect, and thank you for this moment and showing me that You are awesome.' I think that people who do that either have an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness towards Christ, or they do it completely for show. Tattoos of crosses and verses have alsmot become a trend now, which can always make one wonder 'does this person live for Christ, or is this all for show'.
ReplyDeletePeople who play sports at any level get fired up and on an adrenaline high, and if they have a relationship for God then wow what a great way to show your thankfulness towards Him. If they are doing it for show, then thats the way it goes, and we really cant control their actions...
I agree with Zak that this is a controversial issue, but these are just a smart portion of my thoughts.. good topic!
I mean a SMALL** portion! oops
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of the previous posts. I think that we do not truly know what they are pointing at whether it be God or a lost loved one. I don't mind the celebrations, I think "to each their own". I like when players get excited, I think it makes the game so much better so if that it a little part of it, so be it!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, who knows what they are pointing at.. could be a bird. However for me I was pointing at god, praying and saying thank you! As a man of faith I find myself pointing and saying thank you during a lot of things, scoring a touchdown and sacking the quarterback just happens to be one of them.
ReplyDelete"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I hope that I do not have a single bit of talent left and can say, I used everything you gave me."
This was a reason why I wanted to point and say thank you to the lord cause to me I felt that I was extremely fortunate to understand how it felt to score a touchdown or sack a quarterback in front of thousands of people. Knowing that many kids might not ever have the opportunities that I had it was important to me to recognize him during those moments.
I think sport and religion is an extremely controversial issue. While I agree that not all athletes are necessarily pointing to God, the action typically leads one to draw that conclusion. The thanking of God is also commonly spoken by athletes after a great performance or win. I find it ironic that the same athletes whom are being arrested or suspended for bad behavior are also the ones who thank God. It almost feels as though you can act however you please, but because you thank God above all others you are forgiven. I understand that everyone has a different perception of religion but shouldn’t part of that belief revolve around the desire to be a good person. I strongly believe that religion and sport can coincide, but I believe you can do so in a way which does not draw additional attention to oneself – this makes it seem as though it is a façade to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zak that this topic could piss people off. Some people feel that with out god none of this or that could be possible. Some people are constantly looking for guidance in order to become successful. I do give thanks to god for giving me talent and making me who I am. So people are less fortunate than others so it is our job to be grateful and to give thanks to him because he could of made us born with no legs or arms. Not everyone gives thanks because religion may play a different role in there life but I am glad some people do because someone has got to give the big man credit.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is pretty controversial because of the many religions and beliefs that people have in America. My personal stance is similiar to when Stacey said "to each, their own." If people want to give a shout out to God after a big play, then so be it. If the celebration becomes a big facade or is done in an untasteful manner, then I feel like it should be stopped. But a point up to the sky or make a cross sign is no big deal at all.
ReplyDeleteI believe we live in America and each and every person should have the right to celebrate how they want too, however, I teach all my athletes to celebrate like they expect to do the things they do and not act like its a once and a lifetime thing. I always had a great amount of respect for individuals like Barry Sanders who would score a touchdown and hand the ball over to the ref and act like he expected to score. Sanders didn't make a big deal out of it and I have always had a great deal of respect for individuals who acted just like Sanders did. With that being said, I understand not everyone is like me or Barry Sanders. Some individuals like to celebrate their accomplishments by thanking god and doing some type of admonishment towards god. I don't have a problem with admonishing god as long as its done in good tastes and within the context of the game. I don't believe a player should be able to draw attention to him/herself just for the purpose of getting their name in the paper or getting themselves on sportscenter but if its done tastefully and within the context of the game then by all means...knock yourself out and do what you want.
ReplyDeleteLike others have said, I agree that we don't know for certain what the athlete means when pointing to the sky. As far as I'm concerned, if it's an acknowledgement of God, that's fine. If it's an acknowledgement of something else, that's fine too. As long as it's not way over the top, I'm not going to get too concerned about celebrations.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder when a professional player socores a touchdown or a basket they kiss their hands and point to the sky, is this their symbol to "thank" God? I do apreciate the simple acknowlegement, instead of the exsessive dancing and celebrating.
ReplyDeleteBelieving in something larger than yourself can only make you a better person or player, and I think many can understand that idea. At what point does religion get in the way of athletics?
The first thing that comes to my mind is the movie, Bend it like Beckham, where the player "Jess" rebels against her traditional Indian parents who refuse to let her play soccer which conflicts with her parents plan of life for her. Does this movie play out the struggles some face? Religion and sports is a subject that hasn't been spotlighted much, but we will see more of in the future.
Thank you for the great resonses. Perhaps I could have chosen better videos to display a wider variety.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with most fo you saying it doesn't bother me and they can do what they want. But, what if an athlete had a celebration that was found offensive by most people, but not by the athlete?
Does God care if you score a touchdown or not, probably not. But I believe it is important to give recognition and where it is needed. If a player feels he/she needs to give praise then I do not have a problem with it. Many players' acts are genuine and respectful, but I do have a problem with players’ hypocrisy, the false claim to or pretense of having admirable principles.
ReplyDeleteMy question would be if you believe you scored a touchdown because of the talent god gave you and need to thank him...did god have something against the guy you beat to score the touchdown who might have the same level of commitment to faith as you do??? Gerry Faust who had a terrible run as the coach at Notre Dame used carry his rosary beads on the sideline and pray during games....it didn't help him and he is one of the genuine nicest guy who ever coached football. My understanding of most religions is it is not about personal achievement is about the greater good of who we are as people so I guess I struggle to understand the concept.
ReplyDeleteAgain, great responces. Doug, you made a good point about the opposing player/player that got scored on.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if everyone has responded yet but if someone hasn't they could respond with an example of how religion in sport is shown in the media... Or whatever you can respond to anyone elses comments.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a point where religion gets in the way of athletics, I think that if an athlete has extreme faith, chances are he/she is playing because of that faith, their faith drives them to be great.
ReplyDelete