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Thread: Football and Faith
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Re: Football and Faith
Speaking on the replies about whether prayers are directed towards swaying the outcome of a game:
I know that the prayers are not directly saying, "Dear Lord, make us win today!"
The prayers are well intended usually stating how "we pray you keep both teams safe" and "allow us to play up to our abilities that you have instilled in us."
I acknowledge that I was off base there.
I greatly appreciated Coach Harbaugh's remarks about respecting his players rights to believe what they wished and to share their opinions freely. It seems backwards to me that he would then go and turn around to make a blanket statement like this.
The majority of Ravens players and coaches are probably some form of Christian. But his statement is unfair to those that aren't. It's not a huge deal but it can hurt to feel like you are an outsider because of your beliefs.
I think there are numerous types of hobbies or activities that are great to be team wide morale builders. I don't think something like religion should be one of those things.
I guess it comes down to personal preference. My preference is for our favorite team to not alienate anybody, accidental or otherwise.
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Re: Football and Faith
I appreciate that this has remained pretty respectful. Tough topic obviously.
There's no hard evidence that the organization would favor a Theist player over an Agnostic or Atheist player.
I would certainly say that it's possible, even from a subconscious standpoint. Harbaugh, Newsome, and Decosta have been very open about the fact that they look into a players upbringing and background when they are scouting them. They tend to bring in players who have persevered tough times. It's not unthinkable to reason that faith has come up in these conversations before.
I think that's probably one of the last things they would even consider looking at but if all other things were equal who would Harbaugh be more likely to take?
This is completely hypothetical but I think it merits discussion.
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11-30-2012, 02:50 PM #28Steve Flacco, Apparently
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Re: Football and Faith
I don't think Harbaugh is referring to just any God though. I haven't heard him relate any stories to the media about Muhammad or Krishna. Over the past five years I have heard him recall countless biblical stories in press conferences and locker room speeches.
I guess I should have put 'Christianity' in place of 'religion'.
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Re: Football and Faith
Muhammad is a prophet, Muslims and Christian's believe in the same God. Not trying to argue, just trying to stay factual.
But I haven't heard (not saying there aren't any) of Harbaugh talk about Jesus. My Main point though is there is a difference between between spiritual and religious.
1. Believe in God
2. Believe in God and Jesus was His son or b) Believe in God and Mohammed or etc.
3. Believing in a specific religion, baptist, catholic etc.
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11-30-2012, 03:17 PM #32Regular 1st Stringer
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11-30-2012, 03:21 PM #33Hyperbolic curmudgeometer
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Re: Football and Faith
Please don't put words in my mouth. I made no "claim", not even a conjecture--I simply wondered "out loud" if there is any relationship. Is there any basis for thinking there is? There wasn't until Harbaugh "opened the door" to that sort of speculation by needlessly making the situation so public as to be nearly unavoidable.
Please ignore ActualSpamBot, he clearly did not understand my post.
I have no problems with an individual's beliefs so long as he doesn't go out of his/her way to foist them on others. But when the head coach of a sports team that represents my home town (not an avowedly religious institution like Notre Dame or TCU or Southern Methodist) goes out of his way to institute in his operation, not just a spiritual structure but a religious structure associated with one particular religion, and then goes out of his way to publicize it, it is neither "shrill" nor "militant" for a non-believer to express deep misgivings.
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11-30-2012, 03:40 PM #35
Re: Football and Faith
Actually, I agree with him. I think his post is well thought out and written. I do agree that some of his views and/or fears may be on the extreme side of thinking, but what he fears is not unheard of. I certainly hope that these things aren't happening within the organization.
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11-30-2012, 04:15 PM #36“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt
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