Well, obviously my 2004 request to God for no more sky-pointing in televised sports events was met with deaf divine ears, probably because God doesn't exist, so has no ears (nor anything else, of course.)
Because here's Brady Breeze, safety for the Oregon Ducks football team (number 25), lifting his eyes skyward, along with his right hand, following his recovery of a fumble by the Wisconsin punter which he ran in for a touchdown.
Being a big Oregon fan, living as I do in Salem, about 60 miles north of Eugene, the home of the University of Oregon, naturally I was thrilled by Breeze's touchdown. And with the nail-biting 28-27 win that Oregon came away with, even though it seemed that Wisconsin outplayed Oregon for most of the game.
But when it came time for Breeze to make some remarks after he was named defensive player of the game, I wish he had kept his questionable theologizing to himself.
Breeze said on ESPN that the fumble recovery was a "gift from God." He then went on to use the word "blessings" several times in the rest of his remarks.
Hmmmmm.
I deeply doubt that Wisconsin players, and their fans, consider that Breeze scooping up the ball for a touchdown was a divine dispensation from God.
Assuming that God exists, for the sake of argument, it seems extremely unlikely that God would look down from heaven and decide that Oregon needed a break at that point of the game, so God made the Wisconsin punter drop the football so Breeze could recover it.
Of course, religious believers typically don't engage in this sort of reasonable logic. They just like to thank God for good things that happen to them, choosing to ignore the fact that often one person's good fortune is another person's bad fortune.
For example, a believer might say "thank you, God" when a car pulls out of a parking space at just the right time for them to pull into it. Meanwhile, a person in a car behind them is disappointed that they have to keep on looking for a parking space. And both people could be devout Christians.
Here's an idea: religious believers should stop talking about what God does or doesn't do for them, since they have no idea whether (1) God even exists, and (2) what God is up to assuming God's existence.
Will they act in accord with that good idea? Of course not. But that won't stop me from continuing to criticize sky-pointing and thanking God for fumble recoveries.
Nearly all sports teams and individuals tend to base their inspiration on some higher powers influence. If it's a Muslim boxer vs a Christian whoever is the victor will invariably praise 'his maker' for being in his corner, unless he's an atheist boxer or MMA athlete he's going to be punting his personal go to divine being.
Soccer players, Rugby players, track athletes etc etc will raise their eyes skyward after a victory and thank the heavenly apparition for their prowess and good fortune for bestowed favor for their win. It's a kind of incentive for putting in the extra effort.
Much like the crusaders trekking across Europe to go wrest the holy land from the bad guys in the middle ages, doing the Christian God's bidding vs the Muslims God.
Often the entire team will have a collective prayer before the game and then go down in a huddle, win or lose, after the game is over to give thanks to their respective God for giving them the inspiration and strength of effort for their do or die endeavor.
When it goes good it's 'lords will' and when it don't then its 'lords will' also. Gives them the opportunity to have a 'higher power' share in their endeavors and good or not so good fortune.
Posted by: Whodunit | January 01, 2020 at 10:10 PM
Brian,
First reaction to your article —>🤣.
While Whodunit has provided a dryly accurate explanation, I agree with you—the whole thing is so stupidly annoying. Praying to God for victory in war or competition is not understanding the concept of a higher power that unites us all. Let’s just call this higher power love. The word God has too much negativity associated with it. But I guess that’s why they pray to their Gods—to see who has the most powerful “God”. 🙄
Posted by: Sonia | January 01, 2020 at 11:12 PM
@For example, a believer might say "thank you, God" when a car pulls
@ out of a parking space at just the right time for them to pull into it.
Brian Ji, don't worry about "sky-pointing". It's only a ruse to enlist a
bit of divine help for a worthy charitable cause.
Reminds me of Ishwar Puri's story about an Irishman who promises
God he'll give up whiskey and go to Mass faithfully if a parking
spot appears. When one does, the Irishman crosses himself and
utters "Never mind, Lord, I found one!
Posted by: Dungeness | January 01, 2020 at 11:23 PM
It’s pretty off-putting and illogical for me too, but I guess who cares.
This is one of the reasons why I’ve never liked religion - and it adds fuel to the separate tribalism fire of ‘us’ v ‘them’. Seems to stem even more from certain types of religions which maybe propagate the belief that their group of believers are special or chosen. Some of the biggest atrocities all committed in the name of religion.
Posted by: Georgy Porgy | January 01, 2020 at 11:48 PM
Hi Brian Ji
I think you misunderstand. When these guys point to the sky, it's not to say they are great. It's the opposite. It's to say "What? We caught the ball! We're incompetent! No way! This is a miracle! Hey everyone, see me pointing to God? That's me telling the world we are total losers who just got an undeserved and random act of kindness from God!"..
"Wow, that was cool. I can't do anything like that. That is proof there is A God, because I already know I'm a doofus!.... Me make a touch down? No way. Wisconsin is so beyond our crappy team! What, we won? No friggin way! Total proof of God."
When his car has a flat tire, he can also point with a smile to the sky. And say "Thanks God for reminding me I'm just another Shmuck! Just like I was yesterday! When you let me catch the ball and let my hands carry it to the winning touchdown! Yeah that wasn't me. I'm a schmuck. Just like the guys on the other team. That was just you. Because no way can I do that cool stuff. That was just you. And how cool you are! "
When he gets caught embezzling funds he can point to the sky with a smile.
When he misses a pass and the opposition wins he can point to the sky with a smile, and in all events, say "thanks"..
The sky pointing is really just a declaration of "I'm a complete loser. This event was a complete freak of nature."
Posted by: Spence Tepper | January 02, 2020 at 06:58 AM
From that perspective, we should all have our fingers pointing up all the time.
Life? We can breath? Our heart is beating? Total random act of kindness. No way can we do any of those things.
Posted by: Spence Tepper | January 02, 2020 at 07:06 AM
@ From that perspective, we should all have our fingers pointing up all the time.
@ Life? We can breath? Our heart is beating? Total random act of kindness.
@ No way can we do any of those things.
But, if God is within us and not some wish-granter in the sky,
then the Irishman is right: "Never mind, Lord, I found one". :)
Posted by: Dungeness | January 02, 2020 at 09:47 AM
Hi Dungeness
If God us within us, then even "I" don't exist.
Posted by: Spence Tepper | January 02, 2020 at 11:42 AM
Sports can be a great leveler especially around attitude and expectations.
Often times the favorite team can lose against an underdog purely because it is a good opportunity for karma to show its impact and get involved.
I remember watching Arthur Ashe dismantle Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon final 1975. Ashe was the complete no hope underdog. Connors was the reigning champion and no. 1 rank. Ashe was ranked 6th and around 10 years older.
Connors was brash young aggressive and expected to win comfortably.
Ashe out psyched Connors by changing the pace of the game and placing strategy above power and speed.
I remember distinctly watching Ashe between games he would sit quietly and collect his thoughts focused his attention and almost meditating calming his nerves focused on his concentration.
Connors by contrast fidgeting and hyperactive his attention far from centered or calculated, and couldn't find his groove.
Ashe won convincingly against all odds which was against all form books and expectations.
It was one of those 'karmic' type wins where poise outplayed power, and quiet resilience out witted brash aggressiveness.
Posted by: Whodunit | January 02, 2020 at 12:55 PM
One Saturday years ago, I was at a Eugene hotel conference room for some event. Next door was the U of O football team having some sort of rah rah meeting with Christian prayers. I was shocked. Made me sick. Where is separation of Church and State?
Posted by: Aileen P. Kaye | January 02, 2020 at 01:49 PM
@ If God us within us, then even "I" don't exist.
They say even God laughs at a good Irish joke now
and then though.
Posted by: Dungeness | January 02, 2020 at 02:57 PM
Ashe won convincingly against all odds which was against all form books and expectations.
It was one of those 'karmic' type wins where poise outplayed power, and quiet resilience out witted brash aggressiveness.
Posted by: Whodunit | January 02, 2020 at 12:55 PM
I think it’s called being in “the zone”. ‘The Power of Flow’.
Posted by: Sonia | January 02, 2020 at 03:33 PM
Hi Aileen
You asked
"Made me sick. Where is separation of Church and State?"
Gone, right with the separation of church and hate.
Posted by: Spence Tepper | January 02, 2020 at 04:24 PM
Didn’t see Ashe and connors a bit before my time , sounds like a great match. I saw connors do something like that to McEnroe when roles reversed.
Posted by: Georgy Porgy | January 02, 2020 at 05:18 PM
What about the pledge of allegiance in school? One nation under God. Some people get all worked up over that. Just be thankful you don’t live in the South.
Posted by: Sonia | January 02, 2020 at 05:37 PM
Isn't God saluting God here. We are It God are we not.
Posted by: Arjuna | January 02, 2020 at 05:59 PM
1975? I was 3... 🤔 Yeah, I don’t remember that game either.
Karma only makes sense in sports if you’re referring to “cause and effect”. But if you think one team is destined to win or lose then you’ve just taken all the fun out of the game. Ugh. 😑
Posted by: Sonia | January 02, 2020 at 05:59 PM
Well if karma don't have anything to do with the outcome (cause and effect) then it doesn't have anything to do with anything else in the universe.
Ashe had to beat Connors at Wimbledon final 75 in spite of all the bookmakers making the wrong call. Same as Oregon had to beat Wisconsin in spite of dominance through the game. The line defense had to fumble and wide receiver had to scoop it up against the tide and run in the touch down.
Karma had seen the play before it happened, the players and fans and bookies and pundits hadn't seen it yet.
That's the excitement of the play to come witness the results as they unfold, but outcome was a gimme in spite of the action and reaction happening before disbelievers eyes.
As the big bang mushrooms before it collapses back on itself so does every action bear its reaction in the macro or micro sphere within its realm of activity.
These players thinking its a gift from God should rather come to realize where the 'gifts' origin is. It's most definitely not from God but from the lord (law) of action and reaction, or the balance act of some kind of fine distribution between winning and losing, given or taken, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain.
But then that's seen from the macro perspective, the micro organism goes about its business within the overall governance of the play before the unseen curtain is lifted for the show.
Reminded is the story of the Mahatma who visited the bazaar.
His disciple asks, 'please show me the mind'.
The Mahatma says nothing but dips his finger in a jar of honey and smears it on the wall.
A swarm of flies settles on the honey about to enjoy their unsuspected feast.
A lizard basking in the sun observes the flight of the flies and scurries across the wall to partake a feast of his own.
The store owners cat darts across the courtyard pouncing on the lizard. As the customer who's purchasing wares' dog attacks the shop owners cat.
The shop owner reacts by beating the dog. The dog owner in turn bursts into anger admonishes the shop owner which results in the entire village taking sides and pandemonium ensues.
The Mahatma smiles, turns to the disciple and asks 'any other example of the mind you need to see'?
Posted by: Whodunit | January 03, 2020 at 02:01 AM
Ice hockey being a case in point.
The puck will ricochet and travel at speeds almost too fast for human reactions yet the name of the game is adrenalin and ferocious action and some barging off the ball (puck) to gain some ascendancy.
Sure skill and luck has something to do with the outcome, as does ferocity and brute overbearing aggressiveness.
Ultimately it's almost as if the puck has a haphazard random mind of its own, or the trajectory of the strike will rebound to the opportune point of contact to beat the goalkeepers defense.
It's like randomness in action, and the war zone is the culmination of the intensity of the input.
The greater the aggressive tendency to dominate the space of action, to beat the opponent to the strike of the puck will tend to have, by a conglomerate percentage of the play, a favorable result. But even this is subject to the overriding designated effect of the overall result.
As did Oregon profit by the fumble of the Wisconsin line defense in the heat of the war.
Posted by: Whodunit | January 03, 2020 at 02:21 AM
Wow, you’re really passionate about sports. I’m not. Your concept of Karma is rather rigid. Time is more elastic... you know, that parallel universes thing. Only the final outcome of all souls returning home is destined. You can delay it but ultimately it will happen. Doesn’t matter really. It’s just your opinion vs my opinion and neither are all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Posted by: Sonia | January 03, 2020 at 10:23 AM
Then again... why do we get those weird feelings that something is about to happen. 🧐 Like my husband is going on a trip to Vegas next week. I really don’t want him to go, not because I can’t handle a week alone, but because I’ve had dreams that he’s going to die. Although the dreams are quite bizarre. For some reason he’s dressed up like a cat in the dreams. 🤔
But I have a weird feeling about. Kind of the same as the last time I saw my friend before she died. She was really worried about her son and was on her way to Santa Fe to visit him (he had a lot of problems and really depended on her). I gave her a hug and said he’s really lucky to have you and then I just started crying inexplicably. I’m not a “crier” so that was a very ominous sign. After her return from Santa Fe she got hit by a car and died instantly. I really loved her and miss her but I’ve never mourned her death for some reason. It doesn’t feel real. It never has and it’s 2 years later. Strange...
Who can say.
Posted by: Sonia | January 03, 2020 at 11:44 AM
"Only the final outcome of all souls returning home is destined. You can delay it but ultimately it will happen. Doesn’t matter really. It’s just your opinion vs my opinion and neither are all that important in the grand scheme of things."
How do we know that we have a "soul". We know that we have something called "mind" because this is the word we use for the functions of the brain. Each person has their own opinion about everything that they have learned right from birth being taught and instructed about how and what life is all about. The brain is like a computer and it continues to learn right until old age and then it starts to malfunction as we become more senile.
"Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, great contemporary teacher, exhorted his disciples saying: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the experts there are few.” This concept expressed in the words of Suzuki Roshi, conveys the state of no judgment or better of no pre-judgment, which students of Zen should come to develop, an unconditioned mind open to every new experience that life can offer. Because the root of our suffering lies in locking into our expectations, not being able to welcome the other or accept difficulties and differences, not understanding that life is not the small island that our ego has created by infiltrating our ideas, our religion, political opinions and everything that appears to be permanent. Life is instead a vast sea that includes and embraces everything, even other islands."
Posted by: Jen | January 03, 2020 at 12:32 PM
Jen,
I like what you’ve written. Actually I enjoying reading most of the comments on this site because everyone shares such vastly different perspectives. Right now I’m going to watch ‘Little Women’ (the remake with Meryl Streep) with the whole fang damily at an art theater here.
Then we’ll get home, watch a Bollywood movie (just to balance things out) and after that I’ll have time to do a little more research on all your Zen references. To be honest, I’m not well educated in that area.
Gotta go! It’s movie night! 🎥 🍿 🐪
Posted by: Sonia | January 03, 2020 at 01:11 PM
No I'm using sport to illustrate how action and reaction, law of karma, plays out in life as on the sports field.
Every action is the result of an equal and opposite reaction. As above so below.
Man pits himself against himself, almost as God does.
There are some genuinely exceptional type of sport disciplines which uplift human endeavors beyond the limits of their physical abilities.
Eg. athletics and gymnastics where the human physique is honed and refined and pushed to its exquisitely unique capacity. When the human spirit will drive the human body to its fullest in searching to achieve its zenith of endurance and strength and commitment to attain its maximum capacity.
There is some exceptional beauty in human nature when it reflects in it's physical expression to its fullest.
Posted by: Whodunit | January 03, 2020 at 05:02 PM
“As above so below.”
Didn’t realize you’re a Wiccan too.
“There is some exceptional beauty in human nature when it reflects in it's physical expression to its fullest.”
Yes, and unfortunately it’s all so temporary. But there’s always a new athlete... a new team to get excited about.
Posted by: Sonia | January 03, 2020 at 10:56 PM
GP-
Blame works both ways, you know. What you failed to realize is I’m NOT blaming GSD anymore. I’m not blaming him for anything that’s happened in the past and I no longer have a problem with him, for once. And I’m not paranoid. Annoyed, not paranoid.
I think you’re good at alienating people. You should take a good look in the mirror and save the hasty and rash comments for it. They might just backfire on you one day.
Or live your life alone...
Not once in any of the comments I posted yesterday did I attack Gurinder. And yet you reacted this way. You don’t know me AT ALL. If I’m “paranoid” then you’re hyper-sensitive.
But you know what, I’m not really upset about it. Not upset with you. Not upset with him.
Posted by: Sonia | January 04, 2020 at 12:15 PM
Do you know who ultimately wins the game? The one who never gives up.
Posted by: Sonia | January 04, 2020 at 12:36 PM