Reggie White: Evangalists prostituted me!!!

[LynneSin]

You know, although a diehard Eagles fan, I grew weary of Reggie White's preaching while he was in the NFL. After reading this article, I found a great deal of respect for the guy (although still challenged over that homosexual comment he once made).

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/03/reggie_white/index_np.html
(requires subscription)

Rushing for Jesus
Reggie White used to thank God for helping him sack quarterbacks. But before his death, the football star confessed that sports trivialized faith and religion. Will his message be heard?

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By Tom Krattenmaker


Jan. 3, 2005 | When I interviewed pro football veteran Troy Vincent last spring for my research on religion in sports, I asked how he accounted for the rise of Christianity in the National Football League (a cause that the Pro Bowl cornerback Vincent has helped advance). Vincent was quick with his answer: Reggie White. A whole constellation of factors has gone into the growth of faith in the game over the past two decades, but Vincent was certainly right in the sense that White, his former Philadelphia Eagles teammate, "the Minister of Defense," brought new legitimacy to the now prevalent practice of Christian sports stars using their status as a soapbox from which they evangelize. Never before had a Christian player combined such on-field achievement -- White was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 times -- with such outspoken proclamations of faith and unabashed proselytizing.

That is why it is so interesting, and in my view important, to pay attention to the dramatically different stance on religion that White developed after his playing career, which came to public attention just before his death on Dec. 26.

[ClintonTyree]

1. It's always cracked me up.....................

to think that Gawd prefers one Sports Team over another. :eyes:
People that throw a football, bounce a basketball, hit a ball with a bat are a bunch of damned lunatics to think that if there is a god, he/she/it singled them out to be his/her/it's emissaries.
With all the other crap going on in the world, sports comes pretty close to last on the list of priorities. Of course that's my opinion, other people consider it their religion.

[Prodemsouth]

2. Yeah and they are keeping the sabbath holy on Sunday aren't they

"Will his message be heard"- no because he loner played/plays.

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. he said in one of his last interviews

with someone from ESPN that the comments he made to the Winssconsin Legislature was the biggest mistake he ever made in life and I think he really meant that.

He was also studying Hebrew, trying to distance himself from the narrow-mindedness of evangelical christianity.

[arwalden]

7. Everyone Keeps Mentioning This...

... yet seems to have actually seen it. Although they may have heard an anecdotal account of it "happening".

Frankly I have my doubts that it happened. And if it did happen, then it was a bit too understated and mumbled (essentially) to have had an effect that would have MATCHED the negative effect his bigoted and homophobic speech had.

If this happened, his sincerity is suspect.

One can't just mumble a pythonesque "sor-ry" and be on his way believing that everything is forgiven and all is right in the world. One must actually be accountable for their words and the damage they cause.

Reggie White did none of those things. He just wanted it all to blow over.

Wimp.

[Wapsie B]

4. One thing that gets me is

why does it seem like it takes a deathbed confession like this to renounce his actions? The damage has already been done. However I do applaud Reggie for repudiating the fundy xian athletic movement.

Another is that why is it if there's religion in sports and such an open display of piety it's always of the konservative fundy variety?
There must not be outreach programs by the Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists,etc..........

[Tweed]

5. Those religions are not like the Pharisees

Jesus was against the Pharisees because he called them on their religious intentions. The Pharisees made it obvious to everyone that they were religious by making open and public displays of monetary contributions to the church. The Pharisees would also talk on and on about religion and call people to be be more religious and live more righteous lives while they themselves lived lives of comfort and wealth.

When Jesus came, he preached against the Pharisees. He said the best religious actions were anonymous. The only person that needs to know of your piety is God. Anything else is just for show. The Catholic Church is rooted in this tradition and most Churches that broke directly from the Catholic Church take on similar actions. The fundamentalist churches typically broke off from other churches that had already broken off. You had somewhat of a dilution going on. It's kind of like how you make a copy of a copy, the third copy sucks. Now I'm not saying the Catholic Church is perfect or anything, but you get my point.

If Jesus came back today, I feel he would immediately speak out against all the fundamentalists. They make huge declarations of faith while living in wealth and luxury from the donations they gather from their congregation. The similarity between the Pharisees and the evangelical churches is hilarious and sad at the same time. If people only read the Bible closer they would see the comparison.

So that's the long answer. In a nutshell though, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and other Churches that are a degree or so away from Jesus and St. Peter don't think that God cares for the team either way. When those school's sports team pray, they are more likely to pray for safety while playing and yeah maybe to win, but they don't blame Christ one way or the other in the end.

[Wapsie B]

6. I agree.

What I was trying to get at is how many mainstream Christians are in pro sports? There don't seem to be outspoken mainstreamers in the bigs, only konservative fundies. If I were in there I'd be tempted to tell people not every Christian athlete has these public displays of piety.

[LynneSin]

8. But how was this a "Deathbed Confesson"?

From what I read, it's not like Reggie White knew his time was up. The man was only 43 years old and I'm sure he expected to live much longer than he actually did.