Why don't athletes praise God when they lose?

[NulliuSINverba]

Definitely. For a time I considered telling people to remember Matthews 6:5.

I cannot tell you how many times I've daydreamed about going to a sporting event and holding that specific chapter and verse up on a placard.

It's certainly on my Top Ten Alternatives to John 3:16 list.

 

[Augustus]

Because the Bible tells them so:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." ~ Job 1:21

"... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." ~ 1 Peter 4:16



"... I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." ~ Psalms 34:1

Q. - If you believe that God actually gives a rat's *** about who wins a damned football game, then aren't you obliged to conclude that the winning team was supported by God? Doesn't each victory reflect the will of God? Aren't Christians supposed to accept (and even love and cherish) the will of God?

Q. - How can it ever be a negative if you believe that the victorious team has God's Favor? Are you saying that God promotes negative outcomes?

If you sincerely believe that the victor has God's favor, shouldn't you praise God for giving victory to the other team? It was God's Will, after all. Or is it only God's Will when your team wins?

Try this:

"Thank you God for letting the other team gratuitously mention your name in the post-game interview for a change!"

"You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said." ~ Job 2:10

Go thou and do likewise.

We'll agree to disagree then because I think you are taking an excessively pedantic approach to these teachings.

Strangely enough its usually only fundamentalists and atheists arguing against religion that tend to adopt a highly pedantic and extreme literalist approach to religious texts. To be honest, even if you take a literalist approach to the verses you quote, I'm not sure that even supports your assertion that unless they specifically and unequivocally thank God for granting the other team victory without altering their praise by any type of qualifying statement or rephrasing of their devotional statements, they are being hypocritical.

Why do we have verses like this anyway? Basically, they are to help you deal with uncertainty and to be resolute in the face of adversity

Going back to the pagans, their Gods were imperfect, fickle and capricious. This reminded people to be cautious and avoid hubris, everything is in 'the lap of the Gods', so respect the role of fortune/fate/luck in deciding events. Don't assume that previous good fortune will mean continued good fortune and don't assume that being the most 'worthy' will always bring you reward.

When we move to monotheism and a divine and just God, we can't rely on His caprice to justify negatives, so they have to be put into a larger narrative of testing and self-development, or be seen as punishment for sins. God does not give you negatives without a reason, you need to discover the reason why He 'punished' you. He gives you a negative outcome for a positive reason

You seem to be equating a team winning with them being the 'most worthy', but even the Bible cautions against this:

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

So the idea that the most 'worthy' team always wins is not correct either.

Anyway, all of the verses you quote basically say 'be thankful for what you receive and remember every cloud has a silver, so focus on that instead of wallowing in self-pity'. Accept defeat with the same grace as victory.

Plenty of sports people thank God in defeat, see it as part of God's plan, etc. This clearly fulfils the spirit of these verses (and, despite your protestations, probably also the exact most literal possible interpretation). Just because they choose not to express their praise in exactly the manner that you personally and subjectively decide that they should, doesn't make them hypocrites.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

We'll agree to disagree then because I think you are taking an excessively pedantic approach to these teachings.

Where in the world would religion be without excessive pedantry?

Strangely enough its usually only fundamentalists and atheists arguing against religion that tend to adopt a highly pedantic and extreme literalist approach to religious texts.

"Bingo!"

By all means, please offer up your less pedantic ... less extremist ... warmer ... fuzzier ... feel-good alternative interpretation of:

"... I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." ~ Psalms 34:1

And if you could somehow sponge away the words "at all times" and "always" I'd be much obliged.

Also, I'll confess that although I've scoured the Bible for scriptures that urge Christians to only praise God when they directly benefit, I've come up short. Perhaps you have a shinier, happier concordance at your disposal?

To be honest, even if you take a literalist approach to the verses you quote, I'm not sure that even supports your assertion that unless they specifically and unequivocally thank God for granting the other team victory without altering their praise by any type of qualifying statement or rephrasing of their devotional statements, they are being hypocritical.

If we accept the claim that God cares about or influences the outcome of sporting events (and I'm certainly not suggesting that we should), then it seems unavoidable that the losing side should happily concede that the other side won because of God's Will. As God cannot produce negative outcomes, then doesn't it make sound practice to glorify God's Will at all times (as per the cited scriptures)?

It doesn't strike me as the least bit out of line to expect Christians to thank God for granting victory to the other team if they're willing to invoke Divine Agency when they're on the winning side.

If you really think that losing Christians are somehow entitled to a temporary "Get Out Of Praising God At All Times Free" Card, you're going to need to elaborate ... because your objections are failing to convince.

You seem to be equating a team winning with them being the 'most worthy'

I'm not. I'm suggesting that's what professional athletes do.

but even the Bible cautions against this:

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

Wow. Put that up on the locker room wall. Go team.

"Do you still wanna sing the Hallelujah Chorus, or is now not a good time?"

So the idea that the most 'worthy' team always wins is not correct either.

If that's true, then does it not follow that the winning side has erred in thanking God for the victory?

I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for an athlete to bust out the Ecclesiastes and basically exclaim that they won because they were unworthy.

Mind you: I've heard countless athletes attribute victory to pure luck. But that's another thing altogether.

Anyway, all of the verses you quote basically say 'be thankful for what you receive and remember every cloud has a silver, so focus on that instead of wallowing in self-pity'. Accept defeat with the same grace as victory.

Actually, most of them neglected to mention thankfulness. They're mostly concerned with praising God irrespective of the situation.

Plenty of sports people thank God in defeat ...

Name ten. Thanks.

And try to see if you can find quotes that specifically thank God for defeat.

Just because they choose not to express their praise in exactly the manner that you personally and subjectively decide that they should, doesn't make them hypocrites.

Pardon me, but I didn't write the verses that admonish Christians to praise (and/or express thankfulness to) God at all times. Don't try to pin that voodoo on me!

Setting questions of sincerity aside, all I'm really suggesting is that there's nothing in the Bible that indicates praise should ever be dependent upon the outcome. Typically, it appears that the only time God enters the minds of professional athletes is when they're doing their victory lap or they've got a camera in their face.

 

[Augustus]

Setting questions of sincerity aside, all I'm really suggesting is that there's nothing in the Bible that indicates praise should ever be dependent upon the outcome. Typically, it appears that the only time God enters the minds of professional athletes is when they're doing their victory lap or they've got a camera in their face.

I agree that winners are much more likely to thank God, although I think that it is pretty natural. They are probably also more likely to thank other people as well though 'I'd like to thank God, my parents, my wife who is always there for me.' Whereas a loser is probably more likely to reflect on where it went wrong.

While I'm not a massive fan of listening to athletes going on about God either, I suppose it makes sense from their point of view. If you are a believer and thank other people but not God, perhaps that could be seen as being 'ungrateful'.

As to how consistent they are in their praise, I think you would have to take into account both public and private praise, which we obviously can't do. But it is not hard to imagine that many athletes with their egos and sense of entitlement are not exactly going to be overly ready to thank the Lord for a defeat. I just don't think that it can be said to apply to all sportspeople.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

I agree that winners are much more likely to thank God, although I think that it is pretty natural.

Is that a purely biological, scientific natural, or a created-in-God's-image natural?

They are probably also more likely to thank other people as well though 'I'd like to thank God, my parents, my wife who is always there for me.' Whereas a loser is probably more likely to reflect on where it went wrong.

Which brings us all the way 'round the playing board and back to the "Praise God All The Time" square. Feel free to collect your $180.00 and roll again when you're done with the praising.

While I'm not a massive fan of listening to athletes going on about God either, I suppose it makes sense from their point of view. If you are a believer and thank other people but not God, perhaps that could be seen as being 'ungrateful'.

That's the first time I've ever heard thanking people (but not a god) described as being "ungrateful." In fact, that makes me wonder if there's any real cause to thank other people at all if God is manipulating the outcome of the sporting event.

But it is not hard to imagine that many athletes with their egos and sense of entitlement are not exactly going to be overly ready to thank the Lord for a defeat. I just don't think that it can be said to apply to all sportspeople.

You know what else isn't hard to imagine? That athletes (with their egos and sense of entitlement in tow) would generally make a mad rush to attribute their losses and setbacks to the will of God rather than to any personal shortcomings of their own.

 

[Blackmarch]

Q. - Why don't athletes praise God when they lose?

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full." ~ Matthew 6:5

Setting scriptural admonitions against religious grandstanding aside, does it ever happen that an athlete on the losing side of a sporting event praises God for granting victory to the other team or another athlete?

I suppose that it might happen all the time ... but I've never seen it. It seems that praising God for granting victory in the world of sports is strictly reserved for winning scenarios.

I know some that do. they just aren't in any of the big leagues.

 

[Jainarayan]

Personally, I think it's flaunting one's religion and grandstanding. A discreet sign of the cross or clasping of hands is far more sincere than getting down on bended knee on a football or baseball field. "Wow, look at how pious I am!" I'm proud of my religion too, and I wear a hammer pendant, but you won't see me getting down on one knee and making the Sign of the Hammer in the gym when I make a tough lift.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

I know some that do. they just aren't in any of the big leagues.

So there are athletes who'll praise God's decision to grant victory to the other team ... but they're all left wandering in the deserts of the minor leagues?