What Is Her.meneutics?

The Christianity Today women's blog provides news and analysis from the perspective of evangelical women. We cover news stories and books related to international justice and evangelism, pregnancy and sexual ethics, marriage, parenting, and celibacy, pop culture, health and body image, raising girls, and women in the church and parachurch.

Her.meneutics is edited by associate editor Katelyn Beaty and online editor Sarah Pulliam Bailey.

Free Newsletters

books we're reading



« Addicted…to Facebook | Main | Where Someone Loves Us Most of All »

October 23, 2009

The Goal in Mind

Should athletes openly express faith in action, or is it distracting?

Elissa Cooper

The University of Minnesota apologized on behalf of its Goldy Gopher mascot for making fun of a prayerful opposing player last weekend.

A YouTube video shows the Penn State defensive end Jerome Hayes kneeling in prayer and the mascot taking a knee in front of him. “We have reiterated to Goldy the importance of exercising appropriate religious sensitivity in the future," he said in a statement. Penn State won 20-0. (h/t Eric Gorski)

Other accounts of faith and sports have appeared in several outlets recently, including USA Today’s recent coverage of Messiah College’s stellar athletic program. With less than 3,000 students, the Christian school in Pennsylvania has an undefeated Division III women’s soccer team that is ranked No. 1 and a No. 3 ranked men’s soccer team). Last season, both soccer teams and the softball team won NCAA titles, not to mention past national championships.

[The women’s team sings] more Christian songs in raucous harmony, laughing, singing and bonding all at once. The white cinder-block walls seem to reverberate, as if at a tent revival, until the women switch gears and end with the sweet, solemn I Love You, Lord.
And here the secret of their success is plain to see: Each wears a game face with joy on it.
"As Christians, we are asked to believe some pretty strange things that just defy logic, like Jesus was born to a virgin," athletics director Jerry Chaplin says. "If we can believe those things, how hard is it to believe we can win a national championship?"

Brady’s article on Messiah coincides with the release of Tom Krattenmaker’s book Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers and column in USA Today. Krattenmaker writes that some Christians, like college football star Tim Tebow, send a message that can be offensive to people. “If their take on God and truth and life is the only right one — which their creed boldly states — everyone else is wrong.”

After Krattenmaker’s column, News-Press columnist Sam Cook called for a separation of church and sports. “I don't know how many more ‘God bless’ comments I can stand from the 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback [Tebow]. Religion - except for the ‘Hail Mary’ pass - has no place in sports.”

Cook dislikes how religion distracts from the game, such as Scripture under Tebow’s eyes.
“Plus, his under-eye markings do more than cut glare. They serve as a prompt to television announcers - who then gush over Tebow's off-field accomplishments.”

Krattenmaker takes a similar critique at athletes who point to the sky to give credit to God after some victory. “Anyone who watches pro and college football or follows the drama of the baseball playoffs can't help but notice something else that often competes for our attention amid the passes, pitches and home runs: religion.”

“Players point skyward to the Almighty after reaching the end zone or home plate, star athletes voice thanks and praise to their savior after a big win, and sports heroes use their media spotlight to promote the Christian message. (See University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his eye-black, touting Scripture.) These are the outward signs of a faith surge that has made big-time sports one of the most outwardly religious sectors of American culture.”

How do you react to open expressions of faith in sports – Are they admirable, cliché, commendable, distracting, something else?

Share |

Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey on October 23, 2009 10:40 AM

Comments

Psalms 33:1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 1 Peter 3: 13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16. Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

Posted By: Larry | October 23, 2009 12:50 PM

Hm. Imagining the perspective of a faithful athlete, I can't imagine a justification for excluding my God from my athletic endeavors any more than I would ask/expect/desire Him to stay out of my marriage, or my leisure pursuits.

godspottingwithsheila.blogspot.com

Posted By: Sheila | October 23, 2009 3:42 PM

I pity those people defying the Lord. Their future are mentioned in the Bible. This old world belongs to them but the new earth & heaven belong to Us. When the Church taken out to Him, what will be their future. They are doing these because we are still here. God bless.

Posted By: andy padolina | October 24, 2009 1:39 AM

Post a comment:





Verification (needed to reduce spam):

tags

February 2012
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29