Dear Kurt,
Sorry about the Super Bowl loss. You played pretty well (except for that goal-line INT, of course), and that Larry Fitzgerald is a joy to watch. You did a great job of leading your team back against the mighty Steelers. It wasn't a great game, but it was a great fourth quarter. Thanks.
And, you were gracious in your interview after the game. In general, you seem like a good guy. But there was something missing last night, wasn't there? You see, I remember you being interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after you led the Cardinals to a win in the NFC Championship Game. Before responding to Bradshaw's question--about you being the third oldest quarterback to reach the Super Bowl--you insisted that you needed to thank your Lord up above. "I gotta say thanks to Jesus," you said. I was tempted to write you then, but I think I've probably made my case here and here. But last night, you didn't say anything to Jesus. Why is that?
Let's see, you're a fundamentalist Christian, yes? This should entail a few core beliefs: biblical inerrancy, Christ died for our sins, evangelical efforts to spread the gospel, and so on. This list should also include, I think, that God is always present, both in times of success and failure. Thus, if Jesus is worthy of praise at moments of victory, then the humble Christian should be obligated to praise Him similarly at moments of defeat. Or, does glory only go to God when it has gone to you first?
This is why proclamations of faith after sporting events bother me so much. Your devotion to Christ is premised on the idea that you should be humble before God. Yet the choice to declare thanks only after a win undermines that very premise. Does the need to evangelize suddenly disappear when your team loses? So, unless you're prepared to thank Jesus after every game, win or lose, maybe you should consider not saying anything about your faith at all.
Sincerely,
The Agon
Monday, February 2, 2009
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4 comments:
Jesus is obviously a Steelers fan
That is also bothersome to me as well. I didn't pick up on Warner's omission - but it's hard to think of any athlete thanking God post-defeat. I think what gets me is that there is no need to thank God through a video camera, is there?
If God exists, then he hears your prayers - both vocal and silent, right? I've been to (Roman Catholic) church a fair amount of times, and as I recall, there is plenty of silence reserved for praying.
Instead, an athlete's act of self-broadcasting his/her faith just seems a shallow exercise that is more self-righteous than anything.
As a complete aside, I really enjoyed the sports-themed week of In Media Res. Like this blog here, a really cool way to extend academic thought.
Jesus may love the Steelers, but remember, his daddy loves the Colts.
Thanks, Stephen, for stopping by here and over at In Media Res.
I agree that we're not likely to see an athlete thank God after a loss. But that's precisely the point: if the message is about faith, why does victory or defeat alter it?
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