The gods of sport
I see a religion in our midst complete with sanctuaries, (stadiums), ministers (players), elders (team owners and staff), tithes (ticket prices or on-line viewing fees), worshipers (including the 'amen corner' fanatics and quiet type moderates), and various idol images (posters, jerseys, flags, and various forms of promotional team supporting paraphernalia). Teams enter into covenant with worldly businesses like alcoholic beverages hosting their commercials for financial subsidy. They subject us with questionable half time shows that appeal to the flesh and evils the world clings to or politically motivated messages that are usually objectionable. Players are constantly in trouble with the law and their relationships. Fans loose self-control on many occasions of their behaviors and words fueling strife. Let's take a closer look into what sports promote in their fans and team players.
Definition of Competition The act of seeking, or endeavouring to gain, what another is endeavouring to gain at the same time; common strife for the same objects; strife for superiority; emulous contest; rivalry, as for approbation, for a prize, or as where two or more persons are engaged in the same business and each seeking patronage; - followed by for before the object sought, and with before the person or thing competed with. Some Related Words: antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, championship, clashing, collision, competitor, concours, conflict, contention, contrariety, contrariness, corrival, cross-purposes, cutthroat competition, disccord, dissension, emulation, enmity, event, fractiousness, friction, game, gamesmanship, hostility, inimicalness, jockeying, lifemanship, negativeness, non-cooperation, obstinacy, one-upmanship, oppugnancy, perverseness, recalcitrance, refractoriness, rencontre, repugnance, strife, striving, struggle, tournament, tug-of-war, uncooperativeness, envying, warfare.
Types of Competition Basically there two types of activities that are referred to as "competition":
Antagonistic: When, whether for want or greed, two or more people try to obtain the same thing,
In Sport: True sports are competitive. The most proficient athletes like to pit their skills against others in competition. The ultimate sporting competition is the Olympics. The victory of one is the loss of others. Victory is achieved in beating (killing) others.
I can't find evidence of the Fruit of The Spirit. In Scripture, I can't find any person who chose to attend with nonbelievers and subject themselves to the behaviors of the crowds or align themselves with them through 'participation provisions' ignoring the separation from the world.
Matthew 29:1 So the Disciples went to Greece to cheer their favorite gladiator teams.* ??? No, but putting their hand to the plow they didn't look back.
