Christian Athletes

[GMoose]

I know that it is about more than just winning. But I've never understood why athletes are so adamant on pushing God into sports. This might sound harsh, but do they think that God loves them more, so he's going to help their team win? If god were involved I don't think he would be providing an edge for either party. Besides, I'm pretty sure that's an NCAA violation

[redout22]

Normally athletes thank God for their abilities and how much he has blessed them with there "God given talent". I have never once heard an athlete say I thank God because he loves me more than the other team and thats why we won.

[HuskersNow]

I've always wondered what Christian athletes say when they go up against other Christian athletes in competition and don't win despite praying. Do they say, "Did we not pray hard enough?" "Maybe it's God's will to have us lose." Or maybe, "God doesn't love me!" Of course, most of them don't think that prayer is completely pointless and doesn't have any effect on whether they win or not.

 

In fact studies have demonstrated that intercessory prayer doesn't help at all.

 

See link:

This won't stop theists from trying

[Husker_x]

Because if there is a supreme overlord of the cosmos out there, I'm sure the fortunes of sports teams on our little chunk of rock is his primary concern. The other question you have to ask is, since win, lose, or draw it was presumably his will, and he already knew the result beforehand, why bother praying in the first place?

[Landlord]

I am a Christian athlete, and will respond, but I have three minutes until work so it will have to wait until after! God have mercy on your souls until then

[Ponderosa]

As a Nebraska fan, are you serious? Or were you just making a 'funny' ? I'll go with serious.

Agree or disagree with their beliefs - most, if not all, ask for the opportunity to play their best and let the chips fall where they may:

 

Beyond the Final Score: There's More to Life Than the Game & More Than Winning: The Story of Tom Osborne by Tom Osborne

 

Or

 

"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory." [Religious or not - similar in formation]

 

Or

 

The Prayer

 

Started in 1997 by Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter, it is recited by the players in the locker room before coming on the field.

Fans love it too, especially here.

 

Dear Lord,

 

The battles we go through life,

We ask for a chance that's fair,

A chance to equal our stride,

A chance to do or dare,

If we should win, let it be by the code,

Faith and Honor held high,

If we should lose, we'll stand by the road,

And cheer as the winners go by.

DAY BY DAY, WE GET BETTER AND BETTER

THE TEAM THAT CAN'T BE BEAT, WON'T BE BEAT!

 

[Amen]

 

As for the "pushing" bit.

 

But I've never understood why athletes are so adamant on pushing God into sports.

Why not just rephrase the statement/question: But I've never understood why athletes are so adamant on bringing muscles/brains/athleticism, etc. into sports.

Again agree or disagree - they see God as a source of strength. If a person believes in God - why would they leave God out? [Rhetorical question]

And further I suspect they ask God for help in private as well. Which wouldn't be seen as it is um...private.

 

Or did I just suckered (again) by a little trolling?

 

Perhaps I am mistaken and Landlord will provide better answers.

[74Hunter]

I've always wondered what Christian athletes say when they go up against other Christian athletes in competition and don't win despite praying. Do they say, "Did we not pray hard enough?" "Maybe it's God's will to have us lose." Or maybe, "God doesn't love me!" Of course, most of them don't think that prayer is completely pointless and doesn't have any effect on whether they win or not.

 

In fact studies have demonstrated that intercessory prayer doesn't help at all.

 

See link:

This won't stop theists from trying

IDK what others pray about, but for me, it was not whether to win or lose, but it was to maximize my ability, to be my best, and to make sure that no one suffers serious injury. I'm sure God does not care (for the most part) who wins games.

 

Every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "No."

[HuskersNow]

Every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "No."

 

So if I pray for a sick person to heal and he does then God answered my prayer with a yes, but if he doesn't heal then God said no. The problem I have with that is that it is unfalsifiable. You can't prove that God intervened in any way.

[Husker_x]

Every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "No."

 

So if I pray for a sick person to heal and he does then God answered my prayer with a yes, but if he doesn't heal then God said no. The problem I have with that is that it is unfalsifiable. You can't prove that God intervened in any way.

 

[Blaze1up]

I'm not one to be considered religious but I do believe in the power of prayer. I think the athlete is praying for themselves and teammates and giving respect to God not to win or lose.

 

http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,193084,00.html

[GMoose]

I'm not disrespecting Christian athletes at all. It's just difficult for a person like me to understand the thought process. I would even go as far to say that I often admire the hope/motivation/whatever that christians as a whole draw from prayer. And this may sound harsh (please don't be offended christians) but asking for God to allow you to play to your full ability is a cop out in my eyes. The way I see it it's the players responsibility to play as well as they know they have the ability to. I'm not a big fan of excuses.

[HuskersNow]

I'm not one to be considered religious but I do believe in the power of prayer. I think the athlete is praying for themselves and teammates and giving respect to God not to win or lose.

 

http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,193084,00.html

I read that article and it in no way supports the belief that prayer is effective.

 

An excerpt from the article:

According to Targ, the prayed-for patients had fewer and less severe new illnesses, fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalizations and were generally in better moods than those in the control group. The technique, she believes, can even work on nonhuman species. In a speech, she described an experiment performed by another group in which remote healing was used to shrink tumors in mice. And, she reported, the greater the distance between healer and mouse in that experiment, the greater the effect! The connection, Targ suggests, "could be actuated through the agency of God, consciousness, love, electrons or a combination."

 

Mayo Clinic researchers have found no such connection. They reported last month that in their trials of distant prayer on 750 coronary patients, they found no significant effect. Why the difference?

 

Skeptics suggest that subconsciously, or perhaps consciously, Targ is emulating practitioners of the paranormal. With preconceived notions about the outcome of an experiment, they generate reams of data from tests that are not rigidly controlled and then sift through the data to find numbers supporting their original thesis, while ignoring anything to the contrary.

[huskertim]

I know that it is about more than just winning. But I've never understood why athletes are so adamant on pushing God into sports. This might sound harsh, but do they think that God loves them more, so he's going to help their team win? If god were involved I don't think he would be providing an edge for either party. Besides, I'm pretty sure that's an NCAA violation

 

 

I think your presumtion is erred. The athletes in question aren't pushing God into sports, they are bringing themselves into sports. The fact that they are christians, jews, muslim etc. merely informs thier view of the world. I am a christian (not a very good one mind you) so when I go to work I bring my icky christian views with me. When I go to McDonalds, I wolf down my double cheese with a christian viewpoint. Even when I drink my 6 pack (or so) of Amber Bock in front of the x360 in my underwear all piss off because my wife isn't "in the mood" and frankly I'm kinda bored, I do so with my christian viewpoint informing my decisions. What I'm saying is that these guys are just expressing who they are in the way the know best.

 

I understand how this evangalizing can be grateing. God knows I don't want to hear Connor Oberst's latest whinnings about immigration either but, that's the price of watching him in concert. Keep in mind two things though, 1; you don't have to listen and 2; if we restrict everyone's right to say something someone else dosen't like then eventually we will all be silent. I for one will not be silent.

[eliot1171]

Every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "No."

 

So if I pray for a sick person to heal and he does then God answered my prayer with a yes, but if he doesn't heal then God said no. The problem I have with that is that it is unfalsifiable. You can't prove that God intervened in any way.

 

If you're looking for proof or evidence of something, religion is not the place to look. It's not a science experiment.

[Husker_x]

Every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is "No."

 

So if I pray for a sick person to heal and he does then God answered my prayer with a yes, but if he doesn't heal then God said no. The problem I have with that is that it is unfalsifiable. You can't prove that God intervened in any way.

 

If you're looking for proof or evidence of something, religion is not the place to look. It's not a science experiment.

 

And yet people make all these amazing conclusions about darn near everything, including how athletes were able to harness their abilities or beat another team. Clearly magic is the only possible explanation.