One of my more frequent complaints about Christians is the way in which they will attribute anything they consider 'good' to God, and yet refuse to also assign to him the blame for anything bad. Take, for example, this.
If this claim is true, then many of these professional football* players believe that their ability to play well is a gift from God. Do any of them ever ask why they in particuar were granted this gift, or why God would give anyone at all football skills? Do they ask why God makes everyone else physically inferior to themselves? Or why their supernaturally gifted ability can only work if they spend a great deal of time and effort in practice and exercise?
There is a much more rational explanation: They are just at the very best end of the range of natural variation in athletic ability. If they were not, they wouldn't be professional footballers. But, no, this brings back my initial criticism: The tendency to attribute anything good to God.
This isn't quite the worst offender though. That honor goes to a women in Haiti, name unrecorded, who was trapped under rubble when the earthquake hit and pined in place by a crushed arm. When she was finally rescued a few days later, her first action was to pray in thanks to God for saving her. God gets the thanks, and yet somehow escapes blame for an earthquake that is even known in legal circles as an 'act of God?'
That story is reliable, not just some anacdote. I saw her on the TV news.
*Or as I like to call it, handegg.
n a recent interview with CNA, Fr. Peter Gallagher, chaplain for the Indianapolis Colts, discussed his experience working with the team and explained that many of the members recognize their talent as “a gift from God” and play with gratitude for it.
“It's been my experience with the Colts that a lot of these fellows have a very strong spiritual life and a good, solid prayer life,” Fr. Gallagher explained on Wednesday. “They've come to realize that while they're professional athletes,” their accomplishments “really are a gift from God and in a sense, they are playing in gratitude for that gift.”
If this claim is true, then many of these professional football* players believe that their ability to play well is a gift from God. Do any of them ever ask why they in particuar were granted this gift, or why God would give anyone at all football skills? Do they ask why God makes everyone else physically inferior to themselves? Or why their supernaturally gifted ability can only work if they spend a great deal of time and effort in practice and exercise?
There is a much more rational explanation: They are just at the very best end of the range of natural variation in athletic ability. If they were not, they wouldn't be professional footballers. But, no, this brings back my initial criticism: The tendency to attribute anything good to God.
This isn't quite the worst offender though. That honor goes to a women in Haiti, name unrecorded, who was trapped under rubble when the earthquake hit and pined in place by a crushed arm. When she was finally rescued a few days later, her first action was to pray in thanks to God for saving her. God gets the thanks, and yet somehow escapes blame for an earthquake that is even known in legal circles as an 'act of God?'
That story is reliable, not just some anacdote. I saw her on the TV news.
*Or as I like to call it, handegg.
Labels: Earthquake, faith, football
posted by Suricou Raven at 11:16 PM
2 Comments:
Considering they lost, clearly they weren't grateful enough.
It's time once again for that regular segment of the Bob&Tom Show: "Lord, Help our Colts".
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