BSC's in pro sports

An OP/ED here:

Imagine working in an office where volunteer Christian chaplains maintained a steady presence, meeting one-on-one with your co-workers, organizing Bible studies and chapel services on the premises, reaching out - sometimes subtly, sometimes not - to the unconverted with the imperative to accept Jesus. Such is the state of affairs in major league sports, which has become conspicuously religious in this generation.

It is certainly no coincidence that pro athletes often gesture to God during play and frequently credit the Lord for their touchdowns and home runs. These displays go hand in hand with the efforts of the evangelical sports ministries that have been hard at work to Christianize the sports world. The aim: to cater to players' distinct spiritual needs and, more important, to use the tremendous influence of sports to bring the evangelical Christian message to the public.

The evangelical outreach is particularly well-organized in baseball, where a ministry based in Pennsylvania called Baseball Chapel provides chaplains for all 30 major league teams, for all their minor league affiliates and for many communities in baseball-loving Latin America.

The evil of Christianity is indeed trying to turn our passion for sports into another cog in their power and money machine.

And yes.. again my frame of reference is that all organized religion is nothing more than a institution of power and money. They don't give a fuck about your soul. They care about your wallet..

And aren't they clever to start trying to brainwash our sports heroes? If they can assimilate role models, they can expand their base...

But just like at the Air Force Academy, and many other places, they are letting the power go to their heads. They are showing their true colors.

In case you missed it, a small furor erupted near season's end after the appearance of a Washington Post feature on Baseball Chapel. The story included a vignette in which Washington Nationals outfielder Ryan Church mused about the sad certainty of Jews going to hell for not accepting Jesus, a notion Church said was taught by team chaplain Jon Moeller. Upon publication of the piece and protests by a Jewish leader, Nationals President Tony Tavares suspended Moeller and issued a public apology.

What I don't get is why this asshole apologized. He does mean what he says. He thinks Jews are going to hell for all eternity. Same for Muslims, or atheists, or anybody that does not support his institution.

So now he is also a hypocrite in addition to being a racists intolerant asshole.

Why do professional sports teams have any chaplains in their team? Why would they allow that?

But before we start patting the author of the editorial on the back, we have to read the last sentence.

Don't kick out the evangelical chaplains. Just give them some company - and competition.

I was with the guy right up to that point. His argument isn't that the insane people have their grips on weak minded athletes. His complaint is that only the Jebus freaks are in the clubhouses. He want's a rabbi, or a imam, I guess maybe a monk.. a whole heard of religious freaks.

I can just see that happening at my job. It would be anarchy, and I'd throw the biggest fit you can imagine. Thankfully that's not the case. There is no religious freak show going on where I work, praise Gorak.

I just thought I'd post this as another example of the Christian freaks attempting to hijack our culture. They are fucking with our sports now.. and if they weren't crossing the line before, they sure as hell are now..

Just noticed there is a "letters" section related to the OP/ED. I like this one.

Should believers be silent?

It is with some disdain that I read about the proselytizing controversy in pro sports. Why? Because I dislike the typical response many people have to Christian religion, or any other dogma for that matter. In our world of relativism, I doubt many people will understand that an idea or concept can be true - even if it is unpopular or politically incorrect.

As a Christian, I cannot help but confess that the Bible is clear: Trust Jesus Christ or, unfortunately, be separated from God for eternity.

The Bible does not differentiate whether an unbeliever is Jewish, Muslim or some other religion. If chaplains believe this, as I do, what should they do with that information?

Should they keep it to themselves, as Tom Krattenmaker's commentary would suggest? Should they water it down and just say, "God loves you," and hope you figure out the rest? Which is a more loving response: Tell the truth, even if it is initially offensive but eternally rewarding, or risk one's eternity?

I know it is very unpopular, but what if the biblical Christian perspective is correct? What if, as is noted in the Bible, only those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord will enter heaven? And what if, as the Bible also notes, the responsibility to share God's plan to the masses is in the hands of those who have accepted Christ? Should it be suppressed because it happens to be unpopular?

Now it is my duty to proselytize. Earlier it was my duty to weigh the facts.

Every person should have that same opportunity!

Joe Mattera, Hilliard, Ohio

Make no mistake. There is a large number of Christians that believe this way in the United States. There is no difference between them and the Muslim extremists that fly planes into buildings.

Well, there is a difference. The Christians have a hell of a lot more money, and a lot more power, and control the United States government. When they blow shit up, they wrap it around the flag and call it "freedom and democracy". When they kill women and children, they are a lot more effective at it. Hell, they're incinerating the innocent with chemical weapons now. How much more would it take before they haul out the nukes?

The body count is skewed way in favor of the Christians right now.