October 24, 2007


IMPEACH BUSH


IMPEACH CHENEY

GO RED SOX

I'm not a Red Sox fan ordinarily. In fact, I usually root against the Red Sox. But I'm for the Red Sox in this World Series because I'm an American League fan and because I don't like the mix of religion and sports propagated by the Colorado Rockies. According to Rockies management, they want players with "character," which translates into being their version of a Christian. I don't like religion in politics and I don't like it in sports. This article by Dave Zirin is linked at www.thenation.com:

Have the Rockies really turned over a tolerant new leaf--as the Times report suggested--or is this merely the sin of spin? Relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt said, "When you have as many people who believe in God as we do, it creates a humbleness about what we do. I don't see arrogance here, I see confidence. We're all very humbled about where this franchise has been and where it is now, and we know that what's happening now is a very special thing."

Humility and confidence are fine--indeed, novel--traits in an athlete. But the troubling part of that statement is the assumption that Christianity by definition brings character to the table. Maybe it's because I live in Washington, DC, a town full of politicians who blithely invade other countries with other people's children and deny healthcare to millions of kids and say they are guided by God. Maybe it's because I find a team using a publicly funded stadium as a platform for an event originally dubbed "Christian Family Day" exclusionary and a gross misuse of tax dollars. (Later, the events were renamed "Faith Day" to sound more inclusive.)