Saturday, January 21, 2006

The Ersatz Religion of Football

Susan Arnold has an astute commentary on the liturgical year and devotional practices of football on her web log. I highly recommend this. The Denver Post should have some of my comments in a similar vein in Sunday's paper.

2 comments:

  1. There is a difference between worshipping idols (like sports teams and athletes) and enjoying hobbies. It's a difference that many of us don't care to consider though, in the midst of our fanaticism. We ought to be weary of idols that get in the way of our desire for God. The idols of today are many: Sports, money, sex, work, health and fitness, knowledge, on and on. I am a sports fan, but I always try to remind myself that it's "just a game", and that I must keep my eye on Christ before all other things. I suppose as long as we can maintain balance in our lives, and keep our priorities straight (God first, family #2, then the rest) then being a sports fan can align with a Christian worldview.

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  2. My pastor's diary from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans notes the Super Bowl in the same way that the (Western) Christian and Jewish holy days are listed. Not even Eastern Orthodox Easter is noted the way that the Super Bowl is (which I complained about once, but nothing happened). To be fair, it's a practical idea to note it in the pastor's diary, because scheduling anything else on that evening would tend to be a losing battle. But it does indeed highlight how sports have taken on liturgical significance.

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