Sports & Religion

[trotsky]

I like Tony Dungy. I really do. But this kind of silliness:

"These guys just never gave up. That's what I like about us," Dungy said. "We've got great chemistry and I just had a feeling the Lord was going to do something, and he certainly did."
(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/football/nfl/10/0... )

just has no place in sports. Your Colts won because Jesus wanted them to, Tony? The countless children dying of starvation around the world don't warrant his intervention, but helping your team full of millionaires notch a victory against another team of millionaires is way up there on his priority list?

Grrrrrrrr...

[soupkitchen]

1. As in, Jesus died on the Cross so that the Colts could win

Serious idiocy. But is consistent with the "Winners write the history" level of consciousness in human beings.

[noonwitch]

21. No way, Jesus died so Notre Dame could win!

Not that this year is any indication.

[Uzybone]

2. Get used to it

many athletes and coaches say nonsense like this. Theyve been doing it for a long time now.

[trotsky]

3. Oh I know it all too well.

Some comedian did a great routine once on this phenomenon. He said, why do you always see these guys giving credit to Jesus when they win, but not when they lose? Wouldn't it be great to hear someone say, "Yeah, we would have won that game... if Jesus hadn't made me fumble!" LMAO!

[underpants]

8. They thank God for touchdowns but don't blame God for fumbles

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

24. That's because...

fumbles are God's punishment for wickedness. Just like AIDS.

[Brucey]

4. Allah works in mysterious ways...

As Mohammed said, "Giveth unto Indy, and taketh from the Bucs."

[Blue_Chill]

5. Yeah religion doesn't belong in sports I say we ban it.

God has no place in sports damnit, these people should be fined for mentioning God. I mean all those starving kids that we talk about all day but do nothing to actually help could use God's help more then these over paid athletes.

Blah blah fucking blah.


(FYI - to christians god's place is everywhere)

Kthxbi

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Clearly, this is not the intent of the original post

There is a big difference between a personal belief in a god and how that god influences one's life, and a belief that a god was smiling upon you enough to make sure you won a sports event.

The original poster was expressing a dismay at the lack of spiritual (or intellectual) depth of some sports players who attribute all successes to a god but conveniently forget this god in their losses.

Your parenthetical statement at the end of your post sums up the original post nicely. "To a Christian, God's place is everywhere", is exactly what the theological geniuses in sports totally forget in their rush to thank God for their successes.

[trotsky]

17. Thanks, Stuckinthebush.

Please note, nowhere did I say that religion should be banned. Blue_Chill, I suggest you take a cue from your handle. I would think that you would be as upset as I am that someone trivializes your god to the point of believing that it helps control the outcome of sporting events. I mean, so much of modern Christian theology flows from the "free will" argument, that humans are free to unleash unspeakable tragedies against each other, and god will not intervene. Yet he'll make a ball bounce one way or the other so the more pious team wins? C'mon!

[MissMillie]

6. Why does it matter what he believes?

Do you think it matters to him what you believe?

[trotsky]

16. That's not the point.

Speaking as an atheist, I would think it belittles one's religion to think that your god had a hand in helping you win a game, especially when A) the other team prayed just as hard for god to help them, and B) there are billions more urgent things that need a god's attention.

Besides, this is the Lounge!

[soleft]

7. gmta

Unless of course he thinks Peyton Manning is God.

[underpants]

9. Did anyone catch Trot Nixon after his 11th inning homer?

I don't mind if someone is really religous that is their choice but it is a bit shocking when suddenly you are inundated with it. I don't know anything about Nixon but I just wasn't expecting

The lord
God
Our savior
In his honor

type stuff. And it was constant and long.

[RobertSeattle]

10. Can't wait for the first Satanist to win a World Series

"I want to thank the Father of Darkness for helping me...."

[underpants]

12. Well Chet I would like to thank the Dark overlord for this one

LOL

Boy would that be shocking.

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. The whole "God is on our side" mentality is brain-damaged idiocy.

Especially when you consider that a good number of the people on the other team probably believe in and pray to the same God.

[underpants]

14. Well high school football did teach me the Lord's prayer

We didn't go to church much.

[Rich Hunt]

15. yes

The local papers here in Chicago have declared that God is a Cub fan.

Which is basically saying that the south side can rot in hell - of course the north side has been saying that for years.

[newyawker99]

20. Congrats dymaxia!! 600 posts

[dofus]

18. Religious belief is non rational.

If some athlete were to honor Allah or Buddha or some personal deity none of us have heard of, for his win, then the silliness of religion in football might become obvious to believers.

I try very hard to respect other people's belief, but I really want to gag when athletes give God credit for their win, touchdown, homerun, whatever.

Once, just once, I'd like to see someone say that it's obvious God hated the losing team.

Of course, a really great fantasy story would have God placing bets and controlling the outcome of all games.

[Avatar13]

19. You'd never hear anyone blaming god for a loss

"I don't deserve blame for dropping that ball, it was jeebus who made me drop it and lose the game! Damn you , jebus! Why do you test me so?"

"They won because they prayed harder and longer than we did. They just prayed more, and the lord smiled upon them"

I don't think that the god they pray to cares so much about sports, let alone the outcome of one regular season game. And no god worthy of worship would ever favor the Colts or Payton Manning

[THUNDER HANDS]

22. and in other news

The head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs praised Jesus for Monday night's victory, while the coach of Indianapolis placed the blame squarely on the multiplied shoulders of the Hindu god Vishnu.

[NicoleM]

23. I could not possibly

agree more with you. I find it absolutely silly that grown people seem to believe that the hand of God reached down and re-directed Vanderjagt's kick.

I wonder if Tony thinks God was responsible for the ref making that stupid leaping call, too. They might not have won without that.