On Sunday, Christian baseball fans will stream into Dodger Stadium for what is becoming more common fare at professional ballparks across the country — “faith day.”
Following the Dodgers vs. Rockies game, fans with special tickets will gather in a corner of the parking lot for a concert by the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, an appearance by characters from the “Veggie Tales” Christian television program and testimonials by several devout Dodgers. The purpose, according to event organizer Brent High, is to promote the Gospel of Jesus.
High and his Christian events-promotion company, Third Coast Sports, have been organizing faith days and faith nights around minor league baseball for years. They reached the major leagues last season with three events at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, and will be in 10 major league cities this season. The event at Dodger Stadium will be the first in L.A.
These events, which blend religion and commerce, are the product of a partnership between High’s company and host teams. Third Coast undertakes energetic outreach to evangelical churches, getting baseball-loving church members (and, more important, their unconverted invitees) to turn out for the game and a special religious program. Believers nourish their faith and perhaps extend it to others, and teams welcome the typical surge in ticket sales and action at the merchandise and food stands. The result, according to High, “is happy teams, happy churches.”
But not everyone is so happy.
If the author and the faceless critics he mentions are offended by the name of Jesus, they should stay out of ballparks and go to progressive Episcopal churches.
“Sports franchises are quasi-public resources”; hence we need to ban religion from sporting events. Church-state separation, don’cha know. Can’t run the risk of offending anyone under any circumstances, at any time, in any place. Oh, except for evangelical Christians and devout Catholics. That’s in the constitutional fine print somewhere, I’m sure.
Sounds to me like “practicing your piety among men, in order to be seen by them”.
#3,
Or, people could just be having a good time. Imagine…
In regards to the article, it strikes me that the ability of the athletes to practice their faith–even if it’s in sometimes theologically uninformed ways–is being set at odds with the right of the viewer to “enjoy their sports without a dose of in your face religion.” Now, the thing is, some organizations and players are much more mature in how they go about praising God, but I don’t think many can be accused of being insincere or just looking for praise–in fact, I’d say they get more frowns these days because of it, both because gestures are faith based and because organizations are going after any sort of emotional display that might rile up fans or sponsors–after all, the almighty dollar trumps the Almighty in most American’s lives every time.
But, all this is to say, it seems like a bunch of silliness to get upset about things like this–the liberal/secular equivalent of the SBC boycotting Disney because of ‘gay day’ (worse in my mind, but then, I’m not very liberal or secular :-p).
But seriously, why should it matter if Joe Blow atheist doesn’t like what someone says in the post game… I’m sure the fans of the losing team dislike it for completely different reasons and nobody seems to care.
I’ve often questioned the wisdom of christians participating in sports. My father grew up in a time when sports were looked down on as wasting of precious time given by God. It either takes away from the worship of God or of one’s service to men. “Sports” produces no food for the hungry, houseing for the needy, nor clothes for the naked. I would rather cheer on a good bricklayer or truckdriver than a sports hero anyday.
DonGander
DonGander,
You have a point. But, personally, I often question the wisdom of Christians participating on blogs. My father grew up in a time where playing with computers were looked down on as wasting precious time given by God. Making comments on blogs produces no food for the hungry, no housing for the needy, nor clothes for the naked.
Seriously, though, I must echo the comments of #4. What’s so wrong with having a good time? When you’re done flogging yourself, or feeding the homeless, please let us know! đ
#1 – ” . . . they should stay out of ballparks and go to progressive Episcopal churches.” hahahahahaha. That is sooo funny.
Hey, Rolling Eyes, I have taken a poor person and made him rich – several times. That is “a good time” for me. I’d do it more if it weren’t for the tax burden that I bear.
It appears to me that you somehow relate “When youââŹâ˘re done flogging yourself” to my obedience to God’s word. If I read you correctly, I lovingly correct you. I wish to cloth you with wisdom where now you are naked.
“I have taken a poor person and made him rich – several times. That is ââŹĹa good timeââŹÂ for me.”
Then, good for you.
“It appears to me that you somehow relate ââŹĹWhen youââŹâ˘re done flogging yourselfââŹÂ to my obedience to GodââŹâ˘s word.”
No, it only appears I made a joke. You did NOT read me correctly.
“I wish to cloth you with wisdom where now you are naked.”
Oh, spare me. Learn to take a joke. Or, why don’t you just tell me all the other ways in which you are superior to me?
#6, DonGander, I believe that God has raised some to be great athletes, and then uses their “status” to give them a platform to share the Gospel with the unreached.
Jesus also tossed the men of business (the money changers) out of the Jerusalem temple and he wasn’t too gentle about it. Nuff said!
I suppose you would be against Eric Liddle running in the Olympics, too?
It amazes me, on another topic, how people who paint themselves in the colors of their favorite team, often stripping to the waist to do so; decorate their houses and cars in team logos, pennants, banners, etc.; know the batting or field goal stats of every member of the team for the last 40 years, can then turn around and castigate Christians for getting too ‘fanatical’ about their religion.
#13. This is to larf. I have thought of this often, but the irony seems not to get to most people in this matter. There’s no fanatic like a sports fanatic (and mind you, I am a Red Sox fan and watch all the Patriots games that I can.)
PLease send me you email address again. I managed to dump it in an extroardinary fit of incompetence, unusual even for me. Larry
DonGander,
Even God himself rested on the seventh day. Perhaps God takes in a baseball game during his sabbaticals.
Wellllll, the Bible does begin with:
“In the big inning”.