Religion in the Shape of a Pig Skin

Tebow

January 9, 2012

Dale Earnhardt was undoubtedly one of the best Nascar drivers in history. Before every race he would lower his head and say a prayer, sometimes with a Chaplin present. Apparently Earnhardt had a very strong belief in Jesus Christ. However, he didn’t make the news every day because he said a prayer before he entered his race car, or thanked God when he won. Earnhardt’s rise to fame happened because he was an amazing Nascar driver, not because every news channel in America focused on
the fact that he could pray. This is America after all, we all can pray whenever and wherever we choose ~ However, I
was raised with the logic: there are 2 conversations you should never have in a public setting: religion and politics.
Personal beliefs are just that, PERSONAL beliefs.

I am a sports fan! Football, Baseball, Nascar you name it. And yes, I love the Steelers, but I also like the Saints (I believe that Brees is one of the best QB’s playing today), and a little piece of me still loves to see the Bengals succeed.  Dalton, Locker, Newton, AJ Green, and YES, Tebow all had amazing rookie seasons! Denver Bronco’s McGahee played an awesome game last night too (which is very hard to say because he’s a former Raven), I’m sure if someone watched the tape and focused on him, it would be said that he contributed to the win, but so far, I haven’t heard anyone mention that fact. There is no “I” in team!

I watch the game of football because I enjoy the sport. When the game of football becomes overshadowed by one person’s personal convictions and beliefs, and the media loses sight of the rest of the team, and the point of the game becomes lost in the rhetoric….we all lose something. Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu is most often mentioned by fellow players for his spiritual devotion, Polamalu, famous for his long hair and huge hits, actually prays during the action. Polamalu hasn’t overshadowed his team, or the game of football. The Steelers star said in an interview, he's cautious not to push his religious beliefs onto strangers.  “It can lead to resentment and that it not what you want. There is also a sense of arrogance sometimes when people are really hearty, evangelizers, and that is opposite of what faith is. Like, ‘I know this better than you.’ There are a lot of pitfalls to that." Ben Roethlisberger points to the sky after every touch down. Do you know why? More than likely you don’t, unless you’ve read extensively about the Steeler’s QB. Roethlisberger doesn’t point to the sky to
acknowledge his religion, he points to the sky to honor his late Mother who passed away in a car wreck when he was 8 years old. His PERSONAL belief.

Perhaps it’s time for the media to steal a play from the Steeler’s play book of life or the bible:

Matthew 6:5   And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.  Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:6   But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

~ Rhonda Reedy (Owner Paradise Graphix)


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