In Theory: Athletes thank God for the gold
The Rio 2016 Olympics are underway, and in the lead-up to the games, several athletes have discussed the importance of their faith.
Swimmer Katie Ledecky told the Washington Post how her Catholic faith is a central part of her life, and that before races, she’ll say a prayer.
“The Hail Mary is a beautiful prayer and I find that it calms me,” she said.
In an interview with Billboard, gymnast Gabby Douglas said her workout playlist includes several “uplifting” Christian music acts.
Sports psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais said that while he doesn’t believe in divine intervention in sports, faith and spiritual belief can have profound impact on performance, according to Bleacher Report.
“Spiritual belief and a rich theological foundation help people understand the ability to trust and believe in themselves and a higher power,” said Gervais. “Because of that, when we add a level of belief and trust into our daily living, let alone our competitive mindset, we can experience a sense of freedom in whatever we do.”
Q. What advantage, if any, do you think an athlete derives from his or her faith?
Iunderstand and respect that people believe different things. And, if it comforts or helps someone to give up their personal power, that is their prerogative. More power to them ... so to speak. However, it seems it should be personal, not public. It’s somewhat annoying to me that people proselytize at a sporting event. Preaching or extolling religion in front of a national audience feels more like they trying to convince someone — likely themselves.
I hate to redirect the conversation but, religion at the Olympic Games brings up a couple of important issues that should be addressed. First of all, while giving a mouthpiece to religion, the media has largely ignored and even actively hidden any reference to homosexuality, equally present at the Games. In fact, while divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson praise Jesus and quote bible verses on camera, Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black, the fiance of diver Tom Daley, is duly ignored. I would imagine his presence would be newsworthy. An article on the Huffington Post addresses NBC Sports’ gay problem.
Secondly, as an atheist, I understand I will be surrounded daily with religion. I am constantly explaining faith to my children, which is fine. But, watching sports should be a good time to take a break from this, sit back and just cheer the athletes. Apparently, that is not the case. If I were religious, I wouldn’t want athletes winning gold and then claiming there is no god and that fact drove them to win. It would be quite inappropriate and insensitive to believers. But, instead of an analysis of their dives, we sit through an interview praising Jesus from Boudia and Johnson.
To answer the question, yes, one of the benefits of faith is that it relieves the need to confront reality. You don’t have to accept the that you might win or lose, that your success is up to you and your abilities and not some higher power. It’s a kind of high and can definitely play a role in relaxing you, leading to a victory. It is definitely a freeing and calming feeling. But, it is a feeling you can just as easily achieve by having a true faith in yourself rather than an imaginary higher power. Then, it becomes a much more substantial and substantiated feeling as well.
I would rather hear Simone Manuel, the first African-American woman to win an individual medal in swimming, take full credit for her amazing and historic achievement. Instead, her first words were all glory goes to God. No, it goes to her and her hard work. She deserves the glory and other young athletes should know they can do it to, regardless of what they do or don’t believe.
Joshua Lewis Berg
Humanist Celebrant
Glendale
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Katy Ledecky speaks for all of the faith community when she says that prayers calms her. It should calm all of us. My only concern is when prayer is used by athletic programs to fire up the players against their adversaries on the playing field, court, etc.
When I was a coach, I was asked to pray for victory for my team. I was taught that we cannot take sides, so I got in the habit of walking the periphery of the soccer field we were on and praying, in Hebrew, a phrase that translates as, “ Let it be God’s will.” My intent was that the game be played how God would want the game to be played and that whoever was meant to be victorious would be and whoever was not, would not. I also prayed to God that all who entered the field healthy left the field healthy. After praying my prayers, I felt calmer.
I am certain God answered my prayers positively. I know because in eight seasons of coaching high school soccer, only twice did players have to be taken off the field with serious injuries.
Rabbi Mark Sobel
Temple Beth Emt
Burbank
All competitive athletes have things that compel them to excel. Whether it’s for personal glory and the prestige they will garner in their community, or whether it’s a patriotic pride that boosts their resolve to come away victorious, high-caliber athletes all have something that drives them.
If the highest ambition is temporal fame and accolades, it will fade and one day be forgotten. If it’s for race and nation, then perhaps it will be republished to encourage those of the next generation, but it too will eventually be supplanted by newer competitors with contemporary fans. And yet the ultimate sports fan is the God of the universe, whose glory is seen in every human achievement, and whose memory of those moments never fades. He is the maker of our forms and faculties, and whatever we can do with excellence, we do because he has granted us the capacity to explore and push ourselves to that extent. We are amazed that one person can jump higher than most of us, or swim faster than most, or run faster, lift heavier, shoot, flip, row or whatever else with humanly awe-inspiring superiority, but in the end, God saw it all before it happened, and still asks every Olympian, “Do you love me?”
Early in life we all think we will live forever. If we are the best at something, we are the very best! But slack for a moment, add a couple of years of life, or tack on some employment and family responsibilities, and all that was considered best will be bested, and what is left to us will be a tarnishing bauble and an old newspaper photo that proves we were really something at one time.
For the contestants spiritually attuned to the truth of all this, there is certainty in every endeavor. If they win they give God his due. If they lose they thank God for allowing their adventure. If they pray, they know he hears, and if they fill themselves with his words, they are energized in the knowledge that “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). You see, win or lose on earth, and it only matters if God is your fan. If you don’t compete for your fan, there is no medal of any lasting value beyond the few years we survive this life. Christian athletes compete with eternity in mind, and their reward will neither rust nor be eaten by moths (Matthew 6:19-21). Tell me that’s not an advantage!
Rev. Bryan A. Griem
Tujunga
Centuries before the Torah, Bible, Koran or even the idea of monotheism existed, the Bhagavad Gita was created in ancient India, around 500 B.C.E. It includes this passage: “Man is made by his beliefs. As he believes so he is.”
And I’m sure long before that the earliest (unrecorded) humans had already hit upon the reality that our mind, soul, spirit — call these electrochemical impulses what you will — can have an important influence on our body.
Faith in a higher power is of course one focus that this force can take, but we also see that religion need not be involved. People who believe that they will respond better to medical treatment, hence the placebo effect. Patriotism or protest are other possible motivators to strengthen and inspire us.
Any athletes reaching the Olympic level have made enormous sacrifices and put forth extraordinary efforts spanning years. Believing in something that helps you believe in yourself seems essential to me.
Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose