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Charles Jaco has written opinion and commentary pieces for dozens of magazines and newspapers. Each week, read and comment on a fresh on-line version. The discussion page enables you to share your view points world wide. If you would like to make a comment go to the " Join the discussion" link below. If you would like to view past editorials visit the Editorial Archive.
Editorial: 1/21/2000 You might think the Super Bowl teams are being coached by Billy Graham and the Pope,
given all the religious jockspeak bombarding us. "I want to thank the Man upstairs."
(Like He's watching.) "I ask myself 'What would Jesus do?'" (Fake a handoff on a slant
right and go long.) Harmless? Yes. Annoying? Ditto.
More Americans than ever describe themselves as religious. But a smaller percentage
of us than ever actually attend church, mosque, or temple. Books on angels, life after
death, and faith fly off the shelves. But the number of us who say we're affiliated with
a specific religious demonination keeps dropping.
We're voting with our feet, and thereby partly agreeing with Jesse Ventura who
said organized religion is for weak-minded people. They key word here is "organized".
We as a people like to buy direct from the manufacturer, so our relationship with
the Almighty (assuming we beleive) tends to be one-on-one coverage.
The sports metaphor is apt because we're coming down to the wire in the NFL season.
And a number of athletes can't seem to stop running their mouths about their relationship
with one particular sect, i.e. Christianity. This is probably because the number of Jews
in the NFL is negligable and the large number of African-American players who've converted
to Islam are keeping quiet. No one's polled the Druids yet.
Public professions of sporting faith, like anything else, are tolerable in reasonable
doses. Pedro Martinez crosses himself on the mound. Mark McGwire points skyward after
breaking Roger Maris's record. Sandy Koufax refuses to pitch on the Jewish Sabbath or
on High Holy Days. Fine. These are strong men of some faith.
The problem comes when they confuse themselves with Saint Paul and feel compelled to
minister to the heathen. Take the Reverend Reggie White, late of the Green Bay Packers.
White is on record doing the usual brimstone hardshell number on homosexuals. One
supposes he's never heard what the Reverend Paul White of the white supremicist World
Church of the Creator might be saying about him.
Is God's love fairly inclusive of his creations, or does the Almighty resemble
Jerry Falwell in a Tinky-Winky snit? Does omniscient grace rain down on all--Muslim,
Bhuddist, Taoist, Animist, Christian, Jew? Or has Christianity cornered the market
like a theological Microsoft? And if Christianity is actually the only one true way,
does it mean God is an all-powerful Merry Prankster who has created people with free will
only to watch them fry if they make the wrong choice?
Theology aside, we have become a culture that can't shut up. We thank Jesus,
Allah, Oprah, and our inner child at every available opportunity. We are proud and
self-righteous about being gay, vegetarian, Christian, Muslim, ex-alcoholic, or
fat. I believe in so-and-so, we yowl, and I'm going to make you listen to me talk
about it.
A Midwestern ABC affiliate in a playoff city that shall remain nameless does a
smarmy piece on how many of the players on Our Team profess their faith in Our Lord.
The reporter stopped just short of suggesting that after the Super Bowl we mount
a Crusade to get Jerusalem back.
In the words of my old high school coach--shut up and play.
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