-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
If Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Bruce Arians has his way only “high quality” people will be part of the Colts’ organization. What determines a “high quality” person in Arians’ mind? A person who “cares about faith, family and football.” No atheists are welcome.
Arians’ blatant bigotry against the 15% of Americans who reject faith may pay big dividends on the football field. The correlation between great performance on the field and belief in God is evidenced with Tim Tebow. When Tebow wins, millions of believers attribute the win to Tebow’s faith and their belief in God is reinforced.
The former head coach, Jim Caldwell, now quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens, would quote the Bible’s New Testament in his pregame chats to the team. This kind of demonstration from the head coach excludes those players, if any, who don’t share his Christian faith.
Jacob Tamme, former tight end for the Colts, put it this way:
The Colts are known for having the reputation of a godly Christian example. That is because the coaches here set the Christian example.
The NFL has long been a leader in fighting bigotry and judging players based on their abilities. It is time the NFL stands up against the exclusionary tactics perpetrated by religious bigots. It is a stain on the NFL’s reputation.
H/T: Austin Cline, The Times-Picayune, Mike Florio, Stampede Blue.
Blouise, So much of organized religion is ritual and rote, that’s why I am religious but reject organized religion. And, while footbal players are all star superstitous, baseball players are OCD, Hall of Fame superstitous. That said, the most OCD athlete I have ever seen was the great goalie for the Flyers, Ron Hextall. I would be mesmerized the rituals he would go through after a save and sending the puck to the other end of the ice. I could give you some of the ritual but it would take too much time. But after watching him over time I kind of got it. Goalies have incredible eye hand coordination, eyesight and refelexes. It’s like having to be a neurosurgeon performing surgery on a busy interstate. These rituals were calming to him between saves. He needed to take comfort in the ritual in order to unwind and be ready for the next save. I made my living watching people and there are few things more fascinating.
VETERANS DAY 2012: Take a moment to remember:
http://youtu.be/AgYLr_LfhLo
That’s probably why the NFL won’t do anything about it and why it is important that the Christian Churches should.
mespo, Payton got caught. Players say this is fairly common. Or hopefully now, WAS very common.
From what I understand (keeping in mind that my father was a big wheel in the Hall of Fame organization and my next door neighbor, as a child, was the labor negotiator who helped the Packers and Browns get union representation .. i.e. I grew up surrounded by many very large professional football players), football players are very superstitious and each has his own game ritual. This form of Christianity sounds more like superstition ritual than religious faith.
Are The Colts God’s Team?
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Nope, that would be the Saints who smite their opponents with all manner of indignities (for pay) in addition to employing the jawbone of an ass — who is now suspended indefinitely.
As an atheist, I have long thought that giving God credit for what people have done disrespects the charity and kindness of people, and propagates the belief that people would be evil if not forced to be kind by God’s strong arm.
Tebow cannot win a game single-handedly, he needs a team. Giving God credit for his win disses the contribution of his team, his coach, the staff that keeps the books and pays the bills and negotiates the contracts. The game is won by everybody, whether you are the quarterback, the second assistant coach, the janitor or the CEO of a company.
If the win is given by God, so is the loss, and a belief that you have been punished when you have really just been incompetent is wrong-headed and toxic. The win is not a gift from God, it is a reward for working harder and smarter than the competition, and that translates to everybody on the team that put in the extra hours, extra effort, and creativity needed to get there.
Amen!
Reminds me of that chicken guy. … what was the name … Chick-fil-A?
The religious bigotry of fundamentalist Jesus folk is more of a problem for Christians than it is for atheists in the exact same manner that Wahhabism is more of a problem for Muslims than anyone else.
It is their Christianity that is being perverted and they should be landing all over this idiot. Any football player who claims God is on their side is committing heresy in that no true Christian would dare claim to know the mind of God unless, and this is the truly funny part, that player is an atheist.
While I am a Cowboys fan, I thought it was a little presumptuous that they called themselves Americas team, though they had some good reasons for that, mainly the cheerleaders. So it seems like almost blasphemy to proclaim oneself GODs team. Incredible! By the way, I hope the Colts cheerleaders will reflect that new found Christianity and have them dressed in floor length skirts or dresses. THAT will sure show their piety. It might turn off some fans, but who cares, since it is for GOD to cover up what he has made.
Of course, when we played other Catholic schools how could God choose a favorite! Chuckle.
MikeS, Absolutely. It’s the evangelical aspect of religion and to a lesser degree the evangelicalism, as it were, of atheists that is the problem. However, I have empathy for the evangelical atheists somewhat because they feel under assault, and it’s not paranoia.
I played football @ a Catholic HS. Our priest was a wise man. He would say before every team prayer, “God doesn’t care who wins this game, we pray that everyone on the field play their best because “The Lord helps them who help themselves.” And we pray that no one on the field get injured.” It seems religion has devolved since I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s.
Jospeh Piazza, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
I can’t wait until they play in the outfits of bishops and priests.
MikeS, I have a good friend who is a Jet’s fan. He goes to all the games w/ his daughter. I feel his pain and yours. Before getting rid of Tebow you need to get rid of that blowhard coach. Sean Payton is a free agent!
Vince Lombardi’s motto was “God, family, football.” However, he believed religion was about social justice, not just going to church[which he did every day]. Lombardi felt the prejudice Italians had to endure back then. It took him much longer than it took wasp coaches to get a head coaching job. That job was w/ the pathetic Packers, a job no one wanted. We all know how that turned out. This injustice made him profoundly sensitive to the much worse prejudice black players were experiencing. He quickly drafted black players and had the most black players in the league. Lombardi, according to ALL players he coached say the man was the most fair and color blind coach they ever had. He stood up to the commissioner and other owners when one of his black players wanted to marry a white woman, a big f@ckn’ deal in the mid 60’s. All that said, a person who understood the TRUE meaning of religion like Lombardi should have the same empathy for atheists that Lombardi had for black players. Atheists have it rough in our culture. I deplore the evangelical religious people as obviously many people here do. However, it is wrong to paint all religious people w/ that broad brush. Besides Lombardi, I submit MLK and MalcolmX.
“Vince Lombardi’s motto was “God, family, football.” However, he believed religion was about social justice, not just going to church[which he did every day]. Lombardi felt the prejudice Italians had to endure back then. It took him much longer than it took wasp coaches to get a head coaching job”
Nick,
Vince’s only problem was that the NFL coterie bestowing sainthood upon him
used his words out of context to underline their own macho perspective. The “winning is the only thing” for instance was Vince expressing the true nature of the NFL and pro sports in general. Vince was a friend and supporter of JFK for instance, yet from his deification after his death you would think him Nixonian. The idea that God watches over athletes and sports contests is not only ridiculous, it is in its true sense blasphemous, since it is demeaning of any concept of God. The truth is, however, that Arians use of his public piety is probably as much PR ploy as it is belief. I’ve know many truly pious, saintly people in my life and for them their religion, while practiced daily and deeply, was never worn on their sleeves and proclaimed for all to hear.
As a Jets fan I am very sympathetic to the needs of those religious Colts. It seems to me that given their moral stance they would want the most pious of players to quarterback their team. That being the case I propose an immediate trade of Quarterbacks, we will give them Tim Tebow and $10 million, for Andrew Luck. We will also fully pay off Tebow’s contract. It’s a win/win for them. They get Jesus’ quarterback and his blessings to catapult them to the Super Bowl and we get a good Quarterback, who isn’t willing to wear his faith on his sleeve. An added blessing of course is that he is still a virgin, wishing to remain chaste until marriage, so he can keep his mind exclusively on football and above his beltline.
Colts and the Godly Chrstian example of bashing into other human beings, that is rich. Never heard or Read of Christ playing foot ball or suggesting that his followers do so. People who make these kinds of statement show their ignorance of Christ’s teachings. As to the intolerance of his position, its is blatant and obvious. He has the right to his position and I have the right to criticize. I also have the right to not watch the games in which the Colts play and encourage others to do the same. Until we are a theocracy people also have a right to be unbelievers or believers at their choice; jobs are not permitted to be allocated on the basis of religious belief.
I have faith in horses and particularly young colts. This has nothing to do with Dog or God (however one spells it). So, if I was a Colts fain then I would say I had faith n the mature colts not the old hags or young colts out of the birhtin barn.
Yep…. And America’s team…. The cowboys must be the mark of the beast….. They haven’t won a Super Bowl since Jerry Jones bought them…..
Nal,
You don’t know this coach to be a bigot because he uses his reference points to do his job. Where is the harm and injustice? Has he said that athiests won’t make the team or have playing time? Athiests aren’t harmed from hearing biblical references. I find the comments of people that espouse entitlement programs off putting, but I don’t claim bigotry when I hear it. There seem to be a disproportionate number of athiests on this blog, I don’t claim bigotry because they espouse their views. I only call foul when they begin to criticize, not analyze, and disrespect the beliefs of others. I don’t read that happening in the story you have posted above.
I think being offended by everything undermines the “rightness” of a position in those times when we need to identify and eradicate injustice.
To address a larger theme for those that participate in this blog, let’s consider the Butterfly Effect. If we practice intolerance and reactionary criticism here, then it will exist all over the world. If we want tolerance and reasoned discussion in the NFL, then let’s practice it here.