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PDF versionDoes God care who wins football games?
by Tom Gallagher on Jan. 12, 2012
The great NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who played from 1961 to 1978, has an opinion piece in today's Wall Street Journal describing his futile attempt to get God's intervention in three Super Bowl games. Tarkenton places the current excitement around Denver Broncos quarterback, Tim Tebow, an outspoken evangelical man-of-God, into perspective.
Prayer and faith have been a part of the NFL for decades. It's nothing new. Most team prayers before a game include the sacred quickly followed by the profane. ("Let's go kill those S.O.B.s!")
Tarkenton includes a funny story about Catholic Wellington Mara, the longtime owner of the New York Giants, who invited many priests into the Giants locker room.
God doesn't care who wins football games. But, Tarkenton concludes, it's good to be chattering about Tim Tebow, a great athlete and fearless leader, who is doing good things and not bad.
Tebow takes on the New England Patriots in a playoff game at 8 p.m. Saturday EST on CBS.
Correction. God only cares
Correction. God only cares about Alabama. Roll Tide!
Having come of age in the
Having come of age in the shadow of the Golden Dome, I have made sacrifice to Touchdown Jesus on more than one occasion. But wasn't it St. Paul who wrote: "Now that I am a man I have put away childish things."
Tebow is a marvelous athlete. Tebow's missionary work and philanthropy reveals a man who lives his faith off the football field. I enjoy watching him play. I hope that Tebow continues to confound the critics with his late game heroics.
I think it is safe to say that Jesus doesn't give a wit about Tebow's athletic prowess. And if Tebow wants to wear his religion on his sleeve, that's his business - he's an adult.
However, when the football gods turn against him as will probably, eventually happen in the form of some NFL linebacker planting his helmut in his chest one day (maybe as soon as this weekend in New England), does that mean that God will have abandoned him? I don't think so.
Tebow is also just as much a rookie as when it comes to prayer and spiritual maturity. He, like many so-called evangelical Christians [and not a few Catholics], have confused the Christ with the myth of Santa Claus. ["Please, Jesus, indulge my dream wish for how I want my life to be!"] Unfortunately, that's not the usual way life works out for almost all of us.
As my sainted sixth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Adelaide, pointing to the crucifix, would frequently proclaim: "Christianity is NOT for sissies."
I find you understanding of
I find you understanding of who Tim Tebow is as shallow as your attempt to catagorize his faith. Tim Tebow serves as an example for all of us on and, especially, off the field.
Not so, sparch! I'm in no
Not so, sparch! I'm in no position to judge either Tim Tebow's, or your spiritual life. In fact, I think I acknowledged Tebow's walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
I just find that better models or metaphors for God/Christ [you said, "example"] are found not in demanding coaches like Joe Paterno, or a proselytzing athletes like Tim Tebow, but rather in cheering fans who always encourage, who dance with you when you win, who cry with you when you fail.
I am reminded of a football
I am reminded of a football game that I watched a few years ago, Notre Dame vs. Boston College. In the last minutes of the game, there were players on both sides praying. Both were Catholic Colleges: does God prefer the Jesuits over the Fathers of the Holy Cross, or vice versa? With all the war and suffering in the world, does God really care about a football game?
in a word, no, but do NOT say
in a word, no, but do NOT say this in Austin . . .
Of course, God doesn't care
Of course, God doesn't care about who wins football games.
But judging from some of NCR's headlines on the subject, I'm inclined to think God cares intently about who wins--and wins big!--in the religious liberty battles.
That is: God's care about who wins big in the battle to have the "right" to discriminate.
These are the kind of issues that concern God, obviously--judging from some of NCR's headlines about these matters.
the most revolting (to the
the most revolting (to the point of vomiting) and obscene photo I see in our local Mexican daily is the foolishness, the fraud, the sacrilege, of our pro football players pointing to the sky after some achievement on the field.
what bizarre, play-warrior faith be this?
what absurd theology?
certainly not liberation . . .
God cares about everything if
God cares about everything if it involves man. He is looking at each individual man and how the game relates to their union with HIM. The game as a whole is not the issue, it is the players and the scheme of things. God hears the prayers of the individual players.
Amen, friend, amen.
Amen, friend, amen.
I'm confused about your
I'm confused about your comment, "God hears the prayers of the individual players".....how do you explain players from opposite teams praying for victory? and of course you know they do, they're probably bargaining with God, "if you let us win this game, I promise....." or even worse those who prayed to be kept safe from injury and they ended up with torn ACLs.....I have such an aversion to creating a God who in primitive terms, controls the activities of the world and nature, much like someone moving chess pieces around a board....we might as well be sacrificing 'virgins' to the volcano god seeking his/her favor for safety....the only form of prayer that has merit is one of gratitude...hence EUCHARIST "to give thanks"... why, do you say that you trust God and you firmly believe that HE/SHE will give you everything you need, not everything you want, THEN, why do you ask?
God already knows what you want, if you trust God, then God will give it to you.....how sad it is that we promote the notion of God giving us something based on the quality and quantity of our requests....like making 9 first Fridays so I can die a happy death.....is that not controlling God? or worse, that I can make HIM/HER happy or sad with my performance, if I could do that it would be called 'manipulation'...if I could control HIM/HER, then HE/SHE would not be God. The childish notion some have of God is that we can control HIM/HER through prayer...no doubt you will cite me, "he who asks, receives, he who seeks, finds, etc".....but just stop for a moment and think....if God is so good and I truly believe HE/SHE is, then why do we have to ask......haven't we already heard elsewhere by Christ Himself...."look at the birds of the air, the lilies of the fields..." Matthew 6:26, Let Go and let God, stop attempting to control HIM/HER.....we will receive all that we truly need, after all God is in control not us....when you see the bumper sticker on an automobile which reads, GOD IS MY CO-PILOT, tell them to switch seats! this is from the very best theology I have ever received, the 12 steps of AA. We need to stop making God into Santa Claus....the latter doesn't exist!
God hears the prayers of the
God hears the prayers of the just and which ones are inline with His will. He will answer the prayers that are in-line with His will. Don't have to over analyze it.
those in-line with God's will
those in-line with God's will give the ball to the other side, in Love, compassion and concern, hoping so for the joy of all.
God's will is to Love.
if God's love and mercy falls
if God's love and mercy falls upon the just and unjust, does this mean that God does not respond to the prayers of the "unjust"? just asking....
Yu have nailed it. AMEN.
Yu have nailed it. AMEN.
I guess women in sports don't
I guess women in sports don't have much of a chance with God, right?
They should not expect much - with God being a Him. Sort of stacks the deck, doesn't it?
the game can only relate to
the game can only relate to God by giving the ball to the "other" side and cheering their victory, with proper divine attribution, pointing to the sky.
otherwise, this is not the universal and eternal God, who is Love, who commands Love, not division of any kind, but all-self-giving generosity.
It isn't that god cares about
It isn't that god cares about football. This somehow casts God as part of our overall lives, as though we are at the center. God becomes a small piece of our lives.
In reality, we as the faithful understand that god is in all things. We try to acknowledge his prensence and blessing all the things we do when we see the unmistakable evidence that he is with us always. These times can happen when we are participating in our vocation or our avocations.
You better believe God cares
You better believe God cares who wins football games. God and I had a little friendly wager, and I bet on the Patriots. Now God owes me the release of five damned souls and 150,000 days indulgence. Now, God, will the Mavs repeat?
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