If actor Russell Crowe knelt and prayed to Jesus before each scene in a movie....?

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Bartolome_Casas

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That would be cheesy and ridiculous right? Perhaps a case of someone misusing the Faith to draw special attention to themselves for egoistic reasons, right?

Then why isn’t all this true regarding similar behavior done by performers in** other forms of popular entertainment**, such as the NFL?

NFL games don’t mean anything. They are entertainment for masses just like soap operas and circuses. They are just commercial enterprises, just like casinos and cruise ships. Right?
 
Why is it cheesy and ridiculous. Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos kneels and prays after a game. I don’t think it’s cheesy and ridiculous. It comes from his heart. Who is in a position to judge that?😛
 
Bartolome_Casas said:
That would be cheesy and ridiculous right? Perhaps a case of someone misusing the Faith to draw special attention to themselves for egoistic reasons, right?

Then why isn’t all this true regarding similar behavior done by performers in** other forms of popular entertainment**, such as the NFL?

NFL games don’t mean anything. They are entertainment for masses just like soap operas and circuses. They are just commercial enterprises, just like casinos and cruise ships. Right?
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Unless the NFL game is staged, you can’t compare it to Russel Crowe praying on set. Russel can do as many takes as he wants, while the football is live and there is no second take. If the player performs badly, there is no replay.
 
I don’t know… I tend to say a prayer before everything I do (doesn’t matter how ‘unimportant’ the thing may be). It’s just my way of remembering God in the stressful moments of my day and praising Him when things are over.
 
I kneel almost every time I pray in private - no reason not to do it in public either, though I simply don’t like drawing much attention. It just shows he’s not afraid to be a Christian in public. 🤷
 
Here is Jesus’ worthy opinion on the matter of showy praying:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6

Reinforcing that, here is Jesus gave a very similar command concerning public displays of charitable giving and religious fasting.

Here is my unworthy opinion on the matter:

Ostentatious, showy, out-of-the-ordinary, non-customary, repetitive, public, on-national-TV displays of charitable giving are done FOR A REASON.

Ostentatious, showy, out-of-the-ordinary, non-customary, repetitive, public, on-national-TV displays of religious piety are done FOR A REASON.

NFL players on the football game field are not like soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, or on the beaches of Normandy to protect American lives and freedom.

NFL players are fighting on the football game field, but are fighting for immense personal, private wealth and immense public fame, all in exchange for providing diverting entertainment to a mass audience.

NFL players are not, in playing their game, serving their country or their God, any more than you or I are serving God or country when we are playing a game of wiffle ball in our back yard.

NFL players, like all business persons involved in businesses that earn them multiple millions of dollars per month, are just serving their appetite for huge amounts of money and fame. If NFL players wanted to help others for a living, they could become a school teacher or a church deacon, or join Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity (I think they might have a branch for men).

If the whole NFL season were canceled the effect on security and freedom of American citizens would be ZIP. It would be the same as if a certain soap opera or TV detective drama were canceled. NFL games are just fluff, just suspenseful entertainment, just like greyhound races and slot machines.

Yet, there is no doubt that some people in the NFL do want US to think of them as BRAVE HEROES, just like soldiers who are veterans of foreign wars, like 9-11 firefighters, like police officers, like school teachers, like the holy martyrs who died for the Catholic Faith.

Ostentatious displays of prayer by players in connection with their pro sports games is part of a strategy to make us think of them as unselfish braves heroes, rather than think of them as what they really are: Highly paid entertainers, just like Hollywood actors, just like reality TV stars like Kim Kardashian and her sisters.

The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes: “Vanity, vanity, it is all vanity.”

Does anyone see the point of view I am seeing, and the feelings that arise from that point of view?

Did Jesus speak those words of His above in vain?
 
I agree with you, but, would you object if a plumber knelt to pray, or a lawyer, or a policeman before they started their shift?

Maybe it’s intended as a form of witness. Maybe they aren’t praying to win, maybe they are saying “Thank you Lord for blessing me so abundantly. May I use my gifts to your will”? We don’t know, because how can we judge the heart of another?
 
I hardly ever watch football, but did see the snl clip making fun of Tebow. If I saw someone in quiet, humble silent prayer on the football field I’d think it quite refreshing. Make fun of the dolts who celebrate themselves whenever they make a touchdown instead.
 
Bartolome_Casas said:
Here is Jesus’ worthy opinion on the matter of showy praying:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6

Reinforcing that, here is Jesus gave a very similar command concerning public displays of charitable giving and religious fasting.

Here is my unworthy opinion on the matter:

Ostentatious, showy, out-of-the-ordinary, non-customary, repetitive, public, on-national-TV displays of charitable giving are done FOR A REASON.

Ostentatious, showy, out-of-the-ordinary, non-customary, repetitive, public, on-national-TV displays of religious piety are done FOR A REASON.

NFL players on the football game field are not like soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, or on the beaches of Normandy to protect American lives and freedom.

NFL players are fighting on the football game field, but are fighting for immense personal, private wealth and immense public fame, all in exchange for providing diverting entertainment to a mass audience.

NFL players are not, in playing their game, serving their country or their God, any more than you or I are serving God or country when we are playing a game of wiffle ball in our back yard.

NFL players, like all business persons involved in businesses that earn them multiple millions of dollars per month, are just serving their appetite for huge amounts of money and fame. If NFL players wanted to help others for a living, they could become a school teacher or a church deacon, or join Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity (I think they might have a branch for men).

If the whole NFL season were canceled the effect on security and freedom of American citizens would be ZIP. It would be the same as if a certain soap opera or TV detective drama were canceled. NFL games are just fluff, just suspenseful entertainment, just like greyhound races and slot machines.

Yet, there is no doubt that some people in the NFL do want US to think of them as BRAVE HEROES, just like soldiers who are veterans of foreign wars, like 9-11 firefighters, like police officers, like school teachers, like the holy martyrs who died for the Catholic Faith.

Ostentatious displays of prayer by players in connection with their pro sports games is part of a strategy to make us think of them as unselfish braves heroes, rather than think of them as what they really are: Highly paid entertainers, just like Hollywood actors, just like reality TV stars like Kim Kardashian and her sisters.

The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes: “Vanity, vanity, it is all vanity.”

Does anyone see the point of view I am seeing, and the feelings that arise from that point of view?

Did Jesus speak those words of His above in vain?
Click to expand...
I think you’re taking it way out of context - are we forced to say “wow, that guys praying, neat!”? No. If one doesn’t like it they can quit watching football - there is nothing morally wrong with praying in public [cite me *official Church teaching if you want to convince me, as I disregard personally-interpreted Bible verses] or in playing football, thus there is no reason to complain about it other than pet peeve. God didn’t say it was wrong to take a pigskin from one side of an arena to another for a living. It may seem an easy job but having more money and better lifestyle sort of entitles you to greater responsibilities that don’t relate to sports at all.

Another thing is, you basically seem to be assuming that all celebrities and athletes are of the same mindset: make money, get rich, become a god, etc. They’re just occupations that habitually bring the worst out of some people. Tebow, so far, has managed to receive criticism for showing his faith, and when compared with the countless other celebrities and their controversies, I think nit-picking about him is quite crass.

As for these athletes who you say impose themselves as just as great as our military, there probably are people like that, but you must realize the point above - not everyone is of the same mindset.
 
I wonder if Russell Crowe kneels and prays after each time he throws a phone at the hired help? Maybe he should. Aren’t we instructed to be bold in our faith? If it turns out Tim T. is showboating then I agree it is awful, but if not, well then more power to him.
 
I watch soccer a lot. It is very common for players to make the Sign of the Cross when entering the field, leaving the field (win or lose), scoring a goal, etc… I even see referees sometimes make the Sign of the Cross after they blow the first whistle to begin the game, and after the last whistle is blown to end the game… I think it is all beautiful:thumbsup:
 
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