Interesting Article. (From my phone, sorry link isn't a link...)

http://www.thenation.com/article/getting-god-out-of-football/

YamhillBear;842550964 said:

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Interesting Article. (From my phone, sorry link isn't a link...)

http://www.thenation.com/article/getting-god-out-of-football/

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http://www.thenation.com/article/getting-god-out-of-football/

Good stuff.

Did he mention Cal?

:p

1st section of the article...

Quote:

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 Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers' All-World quarterback with Berkeley pedigree and long established hipster's snark, threw some shade on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson after Green Bay's 27-17 victory on Sunday. In the post-game version of sub-tweeting. Rodgers commented that God "was a Packers fan tonight," as he seemed to visibly fight a grin. Rodgers's comments, subtle as a blowtorch, are being read as a direct response to the garrulously religious Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson's comments after last year's truly "miraculous" come-from-behind playoff win over the Pack when he said that a Higher Power made him throw four interceptions because, "That's God setting it up, to make it so dramatic, so rewarding, so special."

Rodgers, upon hearing Wilson's comments in the wake of a bitter defeat, said, "I don't think God cares a whole lot about the outcome. He cares about the people involved, but I don't think he's a big football fan." Nine months later, Rodgers jabs back with a holy joust.

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BeggarEd;842550975 said:

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1st section of the article...

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Well Wilson really is an insufferable douche. I am surprised he isn't a Furd.

More importantly, what is God's alma mater and does he proclaim it in the pregame introductions?

ShareBear;842550984 said:

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Well Wilson really is an insufferable douche. I am surprised he isn't a Furd.

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I don't like him always invoking God at every turn, but OTOH, I would hardly say he is a douche. Do you know how much charity work he does and not because he has to. Big at Children's Hospital and I think he started a Domestic Abuse charity. I think he is a good guy who goes a bit far with some of his statements...

As Napoleon would say, "God is on the side of the team with the best quarterback."

Awesome article.

The funny thing is Aaron is quite a religious person. He just doesn't flaunt it like Tebow and Russell Wilson.

dajo9;842551000 said:

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More importantly, what is God's alma mater and does he proclaim it in the pregame introductions?

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Butte college.

hanky1;842551021 said:

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The funny thing is Aaron is quite a religious person. He just doesn't flaunt it like Tebow and Russell Wilson.

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Seems like he has a healthy attitude about it -- he's right, God probably does not care about the outcome of a football game.

Note to author: agnosticism is not atheism.

dajo9;842551000 said:

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More importantly, what is God's alma mater and does he proclaim it in the pregame introductions?

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Bethlehem School of Carpentry

sycasey;842551052 said:

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Seems like he has a healthy attitude about it -- he's right, God probably does not care about the outcome of a football game.

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My ex boss was a big Georgia Tech football fan who thought they walked on water. He also thought he was God!

Interesting stuff. Someone in the NFL said most players fall into one of two camps: Jesus Bible-banger or off-the-hook psychopath...because it's a crazy place with crazy pressure and it's either believe in a higher source or in yourself.

I personally don't like religion with sports and the whole god made it happen thing, so I like Rodgers perspective and that he doesn't wear it on his sleeve. I agree it's a personal and private thing.

That said, there's those sayings about throwing the first stone, staying humble, turning that cheek. So the comment was a bit snarky and douchey as well, especially when you consider he is also a self-proclaimed Christian and it's about another person's faith. Can't have it both ways...or you can but it looks cheap.

Final analysis: highly competitive Jesus guys mouthing off at each other, trying to get the edge. It's like the Sunni calling the Shiite too pious to get the edge, a bit ironic.

Full disclosure: I went to a HS that prayed for wins and ended team meetings and school ralleys with "Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!" When I heard that as a freshman I just about puked.

Cal_Fan2;842551007 said:

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I think he is a good guy who goes a bit far with some of his statements...

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He could also just be a big old douche who does charity work on the side.

When Rogers was " trying to decide " whether to come out early, he and/or the family spokesman made a point to mention that the family pastor was involved. So I guess the opinion of higher powers about football is important. This is the guy who would rather align himself - not because of humility - with a community college than with the #1 public institution in the nation.

OverUnder84;842551149 said:

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When Rogers was " trying to decide " whether to come out early, he and/or the family spokesman made a point to mention that the family pastor was involved. So I guess the opinion of higher powers about football is important. This is the guy who would rather align himself - not because of humility - with a community college than with the #1 public institution in the nation.

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u mad?

In his post game press conference he did mention a drill he practiced with George Cortez when he was "in college." Haven't heard his name in a while...

bearister;842551014 said:

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As Napoleon would say, "God is on the side of the team with the best quarterback."

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Or, as Stalin asked: "How many divisions does the Pope have?"

OaktownBear;842551068 said:

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Bethlehem School of Carpentry

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One of my dearest friends ever, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn, now deceased, was (having dropped out of the Communist Party due to Stalinism and his bad experience with Communists in the Spanish Civil War) working as a carpenter when he went down South in the 1960s to participate in Mississippi Freedom Summer, where he built some buildings, registered voters, and exchanged gunfire with the Klan. When he left at the end of the Summer, one of the Baptist Ministers with whom he had worked said something to him which still reverberates (even third hand): "This isn't the first time that a Jewish carpenter has come down here to help us."

Finally.

Well done, Arian Foster. Didn't Arian's mom post here a bit way back when?

ShareBear;842550984 said:

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Well Wilson really is an insufferable douche. I am surprised he isn't a Furd.

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He is an amazing guy and a role model who volunteers weekly at the Children's Hospital. You might not like him as a player but to not like him as a person is ridiculous. We need more guys like thiS- not less.

OverUnder84;842551149 said:

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When Rogers was " trying to decide " whether to come out early, he and/or the family spokesman made a point to mention that the family pastor was involved. So I guess the opinion of higher powers about football is important. This is the guy who would rather align himself - not because of humility - with a community college than with the #1 public institution in the nation.

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I don't have a dog in the fight, but you don't see a difference between seeking counsel from a pastor when you need to make an important life decision and thanking God for specific events that occurred in the football game?

beelzebear;842551115 said:

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Interesting stuff. Someone in the NFL said most players fall into one of two camps: Jesus Bible-banger or off-the-hook psychopath...because it's a crazy place with crazy pressure and it's either believe in a higher source or in yourself.

I personally don't like religion with sports and the whole god made it happen thing, so I like Rodgers perspective and that he doesn't wear it on his sleeve. I agree it's a personal and private thing.

That said, there's those sayings about throwing the first stone, staying humble, turning that cheek. So the comment was a bit snarky and douchey as well, especially when you consider he is also a self-proclaimed Christian and it's about another person's faith. Can't have it both ways...or you can but it looks cheap.

Final analysis: highly competitive Jesus guys mouthing off at each other, trying to get the edge. It's like the Sunni calling the Shiite too pious to get the edge, a bit ironic.

Full disclosure: I went to a HS that prayed for wins and ended team meetings and school ralleys with "Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!" When I heard that as a freshman I just about puked.

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Good comments.

These type of problems start with viewing this from the wrong perspective. Any Christian who thinks that God helps them win a football game for their own glory needs to recall why we exist in the first place. God is not some genie who is just a super-duper friend who gets us what we want in this world. In fact, one of the things that are promised to Christians is trials and tribulation, and definitely not some worldly material blessings after another. Those who think that God exists to give them worldly blessings will be led to the destructive prosperity gospel that teaches that God exists to glory us and get us all the riches in this world, as if this world is the ultimate prize and our goal is to live our best life now. No, we exist to glorify Him, and to shine His light on the world. True Christians understand that the things of this world are nothing compared to the love and fellowship of God that we already have through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, and the imputation of His righteousness to the undeserved and unworthy elect. True Christians will eventually repent when they fight over material things of this world, over hurt pride or over self-glorification. True Christians can't help but demonstrate to the world the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Christians reflect the type of love that God shines on us (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) - "Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insists on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." The new covenant through Jesus is two ways: We promise to trust in Jesus as not only our savior but also our Lord to whom we promise to faithfully obey; and He promises to forgive us when we fail. Anything we Christians do that does not come from our love for Him above all things and love for others as we love ourselves is a deviation from our promise to Him in our new covenant and requires His mercy to forgive us as He has promised to forgive. Arguments among Christians on something so trivial as who God favors in a football game is losing perspective on what we already have in Him and why we were saved in the first place.

There is also the matter of immature Christians. Those who are relatively new to faith may have a more simplistic view. I have a different take on it. I think God cares very much about an NFL game (or MLB, NBA, Little League, etc.) but not in the way we tend to care about them. I think we tread carefully when presuming to know the mind of God, but scripture does say that he cares about the sparrows, the lilies of the field, and even the hairs on our heads (apparently, that must mean He is caring less about me year by year). What isn't often shown is when sports figures give thanks to God even in the wake of defeat. I think God cares more about my heart and my actions than He does about my outcomes. It's a rather petty view of God to think He takes sides in sporting events.

With respect to Rodgers' approach versus Wilson, some people are just more likely to be quiet, while others more outspoken. I haven't seen the interview, but from what I've read I don't see anything sacrilegious or offensive in AR's comments, and I doubt RW would take them in any other way than a little ribbing over finally losing to Green Bay.

I thought it was Bethlehem Carpentry State. The original BCS.

OaktownBear;842551068 said:

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Bethlehem School of Carpentry

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calbear93;842551290 said:

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Good comments.

These type of problems start with viewing this from the wrong perspective. Any Christian who thinks that God helps them win a football game for their own glory needs to recall why we exist in the first place. God is not some genie who is just a super-duper friend who gets us what we want in this world. In fact, one of the things that are promised to Christians is trials and tribulation, and definitely not some worldly material blessings after another. Those who think that God exists to give them worldly blessings will be led to the destructive prosperity gospel that teaches that God exists to glory us and get us all the riches in this world, as if this world is the ultimate prize and our goal is to live our best life now. No, we exist to glorify Him, and to shine His light on the world. True Christians understand that the things of this world are nothing compared to the love and fellowship of God that we already have through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ, and the imputation of His righteousness to the undeserved and unworthy elect. True Christians will eventually repent when they fight over material things of this world, over hurt pride or over self-glorification. True Christians can't help but demonstrate to the world the fruit of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Christians reflect the type of love that God shines on us (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) - "Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insists on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." The new covenant through Jesus is two ways: We promise to trust in Jesus as not only our savior but also our Lord to whom we promise to faithfully obey; and He promises to forgive us when we fail. Anything we Christians do that does not come from our love for Him above all things and love for others as we love ourselves is a deviation from our promise to Him in our new covenant and requires His mercy to forgive us as He has promised to forgive. Arguments among Christians on something so trivial as who God favors in a football game is losing perspective on what we already have in Him and why we were saved in the first place.

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Without disagreeing with anything you say, the problem for us observers and commenters (of any religious expression, because it is, by nature, totally non-objective, and almost always ambiguous, looked at objectively - albeit nonetheless real and clear when experienced) is seeing the difference (in the moment) between (a) an athlete in a very competitive sport attributing his victory to the grace of the Almighty (not to the athlete's sole power), and (b) an athlete saying the equivalent of what the Kaiser's army had written on their helmets in WWI: "Gott Mit Uns" (which, as opposed to the other expression, does not denigrate, and/or even dehumanize, the opposition).

All NFL teams were formed with original sin. The teams struggle each week to be in God's grace and to avoid venial sins (penalties, ball deflation) and mortal sins( Ray Lewis, Aaron Hernandez). Each week, teams struggle for salvation and grace. The betting line is the summation of this duality between saint and sinner and represents the capacity for God's forgiveness also known as "the spread"

GB54;842551364 said:

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All NFL teams were formed with original sin. The teams struggle each week to be in God's grace and to avoid venial sins (penalties, ball deflation) and mortal sins( Ray Lewis, Aaron Hernandez). Each week, teams struggle for salvation and grace. The betting line is the summation of this duality between saint and sinner and represents the capacity for God's forgiveness also known as "the spread"

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That was outstanding GB54......good job....:bravo

mikecohen;842551232 said:

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One of my dearest friends ever, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn, now deceased, was (having dropped out of the Communist Party due to Stalinism and his bad experience with Communists in the Spanish Civil War) working as a carpenter when he went down South in the 1960s to participate in Mississippi Freedom Summer, where he built some buildings, registered voters, and exchanged gunfire with the Klan. When he left at the end of the Summer, one of the Baptist Ministers with whom he had worked said something to him which still reverberates (even third hand): "This isn't the first time that a Jewish carpenter has come down here to help us."

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Norm Abrams? Master carpenter for this old house? I heard Norm is now dean of BSC. That's a very nice story.

82gradDLSdad;842551319 said:

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I thought it was Bethlehem Carpentry State. The original BCS.

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Splitters!