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Religious Displays & Sporting Events

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

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So this runner won the gold medal in this years Olympics.

After she crossed the finish line she dropped to her knees, reached under her jersey, and pulled out this piece of cloth and covered her face with it.

Then, as the camera came closer she held the cloth up towards the camera for all to see exactly what it was.

Why do athletes do this? Should it be allowed?

Is it disrespectful to others?

If "god" helped you win, does that mean that "god" prevented the others form winning?

Of course I find it much much stranger when an MMA fighter thanks Jesus or god after beating the snot out of another human being, but this runner
went a bit farther in my opinion and I really had to question the reasoning behind it.

Why make such a public display?
 
Ehhh. She is super religious and believes god helped her win so she wants to flout it, in which she has the right to do so.
 
So if a winning athlete pulled out a piece of cloth with this religious symbol on it

pentagram2.jpg


that'd be fine also?
 
Some people are humble enough not to praise themselves for winning. It may have been a way for her to demonstrate that the glory belongs to God. Obscuring her own face with an image of the Madonna and child after earning a gold medal is an amazing act of faith and humility. It is the antithesis of showboating and boasting.
 
Its laughably narcissistic to think that god would come down from the heavens and bring divine intervention to alter the outcome of a sports match. That said, it doesn't hurt anyone and it shouldn't be banned either. Athletes are allowed to be a little silly in their moment of triumph.
 
I tend to think of religion as a personal thing.

Not something to be advertised.
 
Doesn't bother me... no sillier than a lot of other things people do. Perhaps her belief really did help to set her mental state to a place where she could achieve more.
I do think waving a Satanic flag would stir up a lot of controversy though... as would any symbol that's not very 'mainstream'. If Michael Phelps came out and said, "Yeah, I smoke pot... and I LOVE SATAN!" It would probably crash his endorsement schedule.
 
I see no reason to take offense to it or any other gesture of religiosity. Would we be offended by an athlete who pulled out a cloth that had a picture of their daughter, husband, coach, or country emblem/symbols on it? Not likely. So why feign outrage over a religious symbol?
 
Dragonfly said:
520120810143444001_t607.JPG



So this runner won the gold medal in this years Olympics.

After she crossed the finish line she dropped to her knees, reached under her jersey, and pulled out this piece of cloth and covered her face with it.

Then, as the camera came closer she held the cloth up towards the camera for all to see exactly what it was.

Why do athletes do this? Should it be allowed?

Is it disrespectful to others?

If "god" helped you win, does that mean that "god" prevented the others form winning?

Of course I find it much much stranger when an MMA fighter thanks Jesus or god after beating the snot out of another human being, but this runner
went a bit farther in my opinion and I really had to question the reasoning behind it.

Why make such a public display?
Click to expand...

Meh, there's not much to this. She was free to do so and it's not really that big of a deal. Nothing to get worked up over.
 
Not worked up. Haven't lost any sleep over it.

Just wondering why anyone would "need" to do that?

I'd be much more thankful to my parents, family, friends, community/country (if the country helped pay for me to be there), athletic trainers, coaches, physicians,...

You know, people (actual people) who truly played an active role in helping me get there?
 
Dragonfly said:
You know, people (actual people) who truly played an active role in helping me get there?
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that, for her, the folks in that picture qualify as that.
 
Dragonfly said:
(actual people) <--- did you miss that part?
Click to expand...

If you're religious, you believe those were actual people. For a Christian (catholic/protestant), the virgin Mary and Jesus existed just as sincerely as Isaac Newton.
 
tessaesque said:
If you're religious, you believe those were actual people. For a Christian (catholic/protestant), the virgin Mary and Jesus existed just as sincerely as Isaac Newton.
Click to expand...

"were" and "existed" : past tense.....

verses the "actual living people" that helped you get there.....
 
Dragonfly said:
"were" and "existed" : past tense.....

verses the "actual living people" that helped you get there.....
Click to expand...

Many great scientists in the modern age have been inspired by Newton and his ideas. Should we just trivialize and dismiss anybody who's dead on the premise that they can no longer effect our lives?
 
Why is "that god" so mean as to impair the rest of us to such an extent that we'll never be able to perform at that level then?

Her trainers, coaches, and family are surely MUCH more responsible for her being that kind of runner.
 
Dragonfly said:
Why is "that god" so mean as to impair the rest of us to such an extent that we'll never be able to perform at that level then?

Her trainers, coaches, and family are surely MUCH more responsible for her being that kind of runner.
Click to expand...

To you, maybe.

But why are you arguing about what somebody else feels? You aren't them, you have no control over them, and your ideas may or may not be right for them.

Her having faith and submitting to her God or other deity causes you and society no harm in and of itself, so I don't understand why you're so set on trying to discredit her beliefs or displays. It doesn't effect you, so why do you care so much?
 
Dragonfly said:
Not worked up. Haven't lost any sleep over it.

Just wondering why anyone would "need" to do that?

I'd be much more thankful to my parents, family, friends, community/country (if the country helped pay for me to be there), athletic trainers, coaches, physicians,...

You know, people (actual people) who truly played an active role in helping me get there?
Click to expand...

I already explained that.
 
Mo Farah thanking God after his Gold medal win.

mo-farah-prostrating.jpg


He came to Britain as a child, so when asked if he would rather run for Somalia;

“Look mate, this is my country. This is where I grew up, this is where I started life. This is my country and when I put on my Great Britain vest I’m proud. I’m very proud.”

article-2187081-148026DF000005DC-853_470x423.jpg
 
Meh. Her victory, her celebration.

If it was my victory though, it would have dragons on it.
 
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