Anyone Else Sick of Religion Mixed With Sports?

27 posts / 0 new
Last post
bchouck's picture
Anyone Else Sick of Religion Mixed With Sports?

I've been a sports fan my entire life, but lately I'm finding it harder and harder to enjoy watching games or matches due to how much it irritates me to see the inane religious displays at nearly every event. Is it just me? I mean, a guy gets a measly, meaningless base hit in the 9th inning of a blowout loss and he crosses himself and points to the sky. Really? Or they interview the coach of a football team after a win and he says that first and foremost, he wants to thank God. Players gather before and after games to put on a big show of having a group prayer. Pitchers say a little prayer behind the mound before the game. I can't even count how many times a player on the winning side first wants to thank his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Even boxers that have just finished pummeling someone into a bloody pulp are getting in on the act; it's making me crazy. Do they really think God gives a shit, or that He helped them win; or that He prefers their team over the other? How arrogant and narcissistic is that?!? As hard as I try to ignore it, it makes me want to throw things at the TV and not attend games in person, not to mention lose respect for, and dislike, the players and coaches that do this. Do I need to just lighten up and try to ignore it? Please help me put this in perspective and be able to get back to enjoying the games!

Subscription Note: 

Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.

Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.

Old man shouts at clouds's picture
@ Jimmy

@ Jimmy

You are right mate, it is bullshite.

David Killens's picture
Yes, it's bullshit, but also,

Yes, it's bullshit, but also, you need to lighten up.

IMO one of the worst things "we" atheists may do is attempt to control others. Yes, it displeases us, it may bring on an icky feeling, but it is their right to express themselves. There are some atheists in nations where they live under threat to their lives, so we must always be aware that attempting to force you beliefs on others is just plain wrong.

I don't like it either, I think that whoever does it is a fool. But they have the right to look like superstitious fools.

CyberLN's picture
^^^ That! ^^^

^^^ That! ^^^

bchouck's picture
Um, I think I must be missing

Um, I think I must be missing something here, David Killens. Atheists attempt to control others? How so? I've seen very little evidence of that in my lifetime. And I can assure you that 'm not trying to control anyone or take away anyone's rights here! What are you referring to? I'm just saying that I'm irritated by religious expression at sporting events and was wondering if others are, too. Forcing my beliefs on others? How am I doing that? I would say that the athlete or coach that expresses his religious beliefs in front of millions of people on TV are the ones that are guilty of trying to force their beliefs on people, not me. I'm not calling for new rules or laws or anything. I actually thought I was just venting to a few hundred (possibly) like-minded people on an atheist website about it. And believe it or not, yes, I do respect their right to look like superstitious fools if the choose to, but I don't respect that right any more than my right to say something about the absurdity of it, even if it is dangerous to be an atheist in certain parts of the world.

David Killens's picture
Jimmy Neutron, I apologize if

Jimmy Neutron, I apologize if I inferred that you were attempting any control. I just wished to point out that the difference between expressing displeasure and attempting to control others is a very fine line in behavior.

chimp3's picture
I have never been a follower

I have never been a follower of spectator sports although I do enjoy watching the World Judo Highlights on youtube. So, whatever players and fans do at a football game is no business of mine (except when they are weaseling god into public schools).

algebe's picture
The only sport I watch

The only sport I watch regularly is the Grand Sumo tournament, which is literally a religious ritual. The referee is a Shinto priest, and there are elements of ritual, but these seem about as meaningful as a handshake to those involved.

The real driver is money. Winners in top-rated matches receive bundles of money thick enough to choke an elephant. It's all great fun. And sumo is the most sportsmanlike and gentlemanly sport I've ever seen.

chimp3's picture
I also watch Sumo on WHK

I also watch Sumo on WHK World Japan. My sport was Judo in high school. Sumo is the "heart of Judo".

Cognostic's picture
@Jimmy Neutron: RE: Sports

@Jimmy Neutron: RE: Sports and Religion
I find a few things really irritating. Locker room prayers. The team that god favors wins. Horseshit! Thanking god after a game as if there were a magical man in the sky that gave a shit about the outcome of a football game or the wishes of any single player while all his minions throughout the world have to worry about food on their tables or their children starving to death. Any god that gave a shit about the outcome of a sports event and favored it over they starving and dying is a complete ass in my book,

bchouck's picture
Music to my ears, Cog, music

Music to my ears, Cog, music to my ears! I couldn't agree more. Thank you for enhancing my point so eloquently.

Fleeing in Terror's picture
I'm in the middle of a book -

I'm in the middle of a book - "How we believe"

It states that humans are hard wired for survival in 2 modes - rational and magical.

When things are safe & predictable, the rational thinking rules.

when the environment is dangerous or unpredictable, the magical thinking kicks in. Sports is given as one of the biggest examples of magical thinking.

The Shipras on Everest believe that sex on the mountain can lead to death. The tourist being sent a copy of Play Boy resulted in a huge unhappy 'religious' debate.

The natives in the middle of the ocean had few 'superstitions' while near harbor and many when they were far from land.

David Killens's picture
This "rational and magical"

This "rational and magical" argument seems to make sense on the surface, but my personal experience disagrees. I have been in a few very hairy situations, even once in a full-blown airborne emergency. But instead of falling back on magic, I fell back on my training (which was extensive). And that all happened back in my theist days.

If you are rational, well-trained and equipped to handle emergencies, then there is no falling back on magic. It is not even the last resort.

Magic comes when ignorance steps into the situation.

Fleeing in Terror's picture
I agree, especially the part

I agree, especially the part about training. That would over ride the magical thinking.

bchouck's picture
Case in point: Eddy Pineiro,

Case in point: Eddy Pineiro, place kicker for the Chicago Bears, made a game winning kick in last night's game. Here's what he said on live TV almost immediately afterwards: "For everybody listening, man, if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you better start, because he’s real. I promise you that." He followed up that gem with this super insightful tweet later: "If you don’t believe in God you better start believing he’s REAL thank you Chicago!" Now please tell me, how in the world do I make that not irritate the living shit out of me? Yep, checkmate, I kicked a ball, this proves God is real. Wow.

David Killens's picture
I feel the same way, and we

I feel the same way, and we know they are blowing air our their ass.

If that irritates you NEVER watch the beginning ceremonies to a NA$CAR race, they trot out a pastor and he gives an invocation.

Attachments

Attach Image/Video?: 

Yes
Randomhero1982's picture
The only time I want to see

The only time I want to see religion mixing with sport is if we could release wild animals such as pumas, lions and tigers into the Vatican.

Could make it PPV and anyone getting out gets a little plastic 'gold' medal....

Kind of like a wild life version of 'The Running Man'

Could even get David Attenborough to commentate...

algebe's picture
@Randomhero1982: release wild

@Randomhero1982: release wild animals such as pumas, lions and tigers into the Vatican

There's a purpose-built venue for that just down the road from the Vatican.

Attachments

Attach Image/Video?: 

Yes
Fleeing in Terror's picture
Needs repair. Not functional

Needs repair. Not functional in current condition.

Up To My Neck's picture
Killens is absolutely correct

Killens is absolutely correct about NASCAR! They pray before the races, and actually have their own ministry that travels the circuit to provide church service for those who wish to attend. I do find it ignorant to give credit to a being for allowing you to win! It’s stupid as fuck! It does get old to me, as I’m beginning to hate more and more about religion. I guess just because you make it to big time stardom, doesn’t mean that you can’t be Christarded!

Fleeing in Terror's picture
I'd say it is more pagan than

I'd say it is more pagan than Christian. The pagan gods were all about bribes to line your pockets.

David Killens's picture
And this reeks of wealth. The

And this reeks of wealth. The Roman Catholic church is built on bribes.

Attachments

Attach Image/Video?: 

Yes
bchouck's picture
Are you and DKillens serious,

Are you and DKillens serious, Pirate Jack? That's crazy. I can only imagine the asinine contents of THAT pre-race prayer! On a better note, I went to pro baseball game last week and was pleasantly surprised that we weren't expected to sing along, or at least stand up, while someone sang "God Bless America" right in the middle of the game, as had been the custom for the past several years. So that was a blessing!

healthnut's picture
I agree that these religious

I agree that these religious displays are misplaced.

Cognostic's picture
@Praying should be an Olympic

@Praying should be an Olympic sport.

Perhaps we are all looking at this the wrong way. We all know praying and sports events go hand in hand. If there is a sporting event, there is a magic prayer session. These prayer sessions have been ignored by us for way too long. We just don't pay attention to them. BUT ----- Does God?

Perhaps the actual outcome of sports events are God dependent. What if the only reason God tunes into the games is to see which team offers him the best prayer. And then, based on that, God decides the outcome of all sporting events.

If prayers are that important, perhaps we should petition to make pre-game praying an Olympic sport. Obviously some teams are better at it than others. Why not give three judges score cards and bring prayer into the lime-light; the holy light of day!!

David Killens's picture
The Romans did integrate

The Romans did integrate praying into sports. They put christians in the Coleseum with wild animals, and if prayer worked, the christian survived.

Cognostic's picture
David Killens" OOPS! No

David Killens" OOPS! No Christians in "The Coliseum" Perhaps someplace else in some other sporting event but not in the Coliseum. If a Christian was ever killed in the Coliseum, his or her religion had nothing at all to do with it.

"we still have no clear evidence that Christians were executed inside Rome’s Colosseum for being Christian. Undoubtedly, some Christians were killed in the Colosseum, but as far as we can tell right now, their religion was incidental and they were simply part of the normal spectacles."
https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/rome/roman-colosseum-facts

Christianity was never very popular in early Rome. Not even during Constantine's life. There were no Christians to persecute. In the year 300 AD, Christianity was a minority religion in the Roman Empire, practiced by perhaps ten percent of the population. My understanding is that Christian persecution was at best regional and never an official policy of the Roman Empire.

There were some periods - After the burning of Rome by Nero and after the edict for all Roman Citizens to sacrifice to pagan gods by Delius. The issue is much more complex than anyone would ever get from a church sermon or a Saturday Night Movie.

Donating = Loving

Heart Icon

Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.

Or make a one-time donation in any amount.