A Lesson From History
Millions of Americans find immense pleasure in watching overpaid, grown men play children's games, often on the Sabbath day. This opiate bears striking resemblance to the grisly, yet highly entertaining "sports" the Roman Rulers provided their people during the decline of the Roman Empire. The stadium sports were one of many distractions that kept people from revolting against the Roman government's de-bassing of the currency, inflation, and wars of aggression. All the former were factors contributing to the downfall of the once dominant Roman Republic. The stadium sports provided a perfect outlet for the universal cravings of decadence, violence, and entertainment. We the people of the USA have an obsession with "bread and circuses" much like the Roman people and our rulers, as theirs, have the ability to gratify the neurosis, thereby distracting us from the de-bassing of our currency, inflation, and wars of aggression.
A Lesson From the Bible
Then, there are those pesky 10 Commandments. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy". I do not claim perfection. I'm just one seeking to live my beliefs better each day. To my chagrin there have been a few years I watched the Superbowl. I can't remember any of them. I don't feel enriched because I watched them. I certainly didn't feel the Sabbath day was kept holy by my indulgence. Certainly we can find alternative ways to spend positive quality time with our family, while serving Him to whom we owe all.
Wait! There are those great commercials. You all know them, the "best of the year." Who can forget the simi-nude women playing in the lingerie bowl? Or perhaps we relish the more memorable, humorous advertisements aimed at enticing us and young teens to purchase beer? Or possibly we feel glued to the set drawn in by the busty woman promoting some new ".com" company? Isn't it interesting how we remember the important things, the sexual undercurrents, the crude commercials, or the "wardrobe malfunctions."
In many respects these are the things the world considers to be holy. So in one sense we are keeping the Sabbath day holy by partaking of the Superbowl. Who's Sabbath day is the question, and our personal decision. We make simple choices like this everyday. It is the sum of all these diminutive decisions that determine our divine destiny. This has become an easy decision for me.
Reasons to Watch
Here are the top reasons I believe God watches the Superbowl. Or maybe not.
1) The commercials are hilarious.
God likes humor. He wants us to be happy.
2) A wonderful time to have a family get together.
God loves families. He can't think of another more edifying reason to congregate.
3) It's a day of rest to sit and watch the pre game, the game and the post game.
God enjoys of bit of rest from labors. In fact we are commanded to rest.
4) Hey, there are some Mormon announcers, players, possibly coaches in the Super bowl.
God roots for Mormon's, right?
5) There will be plenty of meat, processed food, and soda served at your neighbors party.
These are certainly the kinds of foods God loves to partake of and they are prepared and processed with thanksgiving.
The Duty of a Father
Men are leaders of their family charged with providing, presiding and protecting. Acting in this role, how can we allow this type of influence into our homes? Does this type of Sunday worship bring us closer to God or mammon? We cannot serve both (Matt 6:24). What are we teaching our children through our modeling? The Sabbath day is holy only until Superbowl Sunday, playoff Sunday, or big game Sunday comes around... Are we educating ourselves, our children and our spouses, or letting the media do it for us?
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11 Are we men? Or are we weak creatures who cower and seek after the lusts of the flesh?
Let us use this Sunday, not as a day to celebrate men running around after a ball, or enjoying beer advertisements or to view scantily clad women; rather let us use this Sunday to rest, to spiritually recharge, to enlightenment our families through education and service, to help others and to be better people.
Does God watch the super bowl? No, he doesn't, but many of the members and leaders of his church do. Where do you stand? Let's not participate/support in the greatest commercialization the Sabbath day has ever seen.
Brent's Musings
3 comments:
I've enjoyed your blog for awhile now, but lately there's kind of a tone of superiority and self-righteousness that is rather off-putting. I know quite a few people that don't have TVs in their homes or who limit sugar and junk food, but their blog (and I'm sure their lives) is light hearted and fun to share. Your tone just feels so judgmental and, in a Christian, that's not a very good witness. Just saying....
I appreciate your honesty and response. This post was written by my husband, his tone and style is a bit more confrontational and exposing than mine (the abortion post was his as well) but I support him 100 percent. I have strict editing requirements :) I agree the title would have been better changed to "we" as "you" sounds accusatory. You may want to skip the "Brents Musings" in the future :) But I don't lay this on him at all.
I never try to impose my beliefs on anyone else, and I am always appreciative when someone challenges me on them. It provides me an opportunity to evaluate what I am doing and make sure I am congruent with my beliefs. I would love to hear a good strong argument for watching the Superbowl. But maybe that wasn't the jist of the problem, just your overall feeling of the blog.
This blog is not written with the intention not to offend anyone. Although my blog is public, my main audience is my immediate family as a sort of journal. Especially in the New Year my husband and I decided we wanted a record for our children on hot button issues. We talk about them so much, but don't get an opportunity to write them down. I think only 1 or 2 members of my family read my blog. My mom doesn't even read it. I'm sure they would have been very offended by this post as well!
I have always been a person of strong opinions. I also don't shy away from expressing them. I do not have a problem with the decisions people make for their personal lives, it is just my opinion we should be able to stand behind our decisions with our knowledge, morals, religion, logic etc. I give anyone a huge amount of respect who does so.
I try not to do things just because someone else is. And believe me, it seems like I am finding something everyday that I need to decide for myself "Is the way I am acting justified by my beliefs." It is a never ending journey. I try to approach things with humility, but clearly I become passionate. Sometimes I feel like the Lord just needs to take me by the reigns and pull me in a bit.
cont. I don't ever claim to have the truth for everyone. Except in religion. As I do believe there is only one church with the full truth, and that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Of that, I will never make an apology. It doesn't mean if you aren't a member you aren't a good person. That is the only area in my life where I know I am 100% on the mark. Everything else I try to always keep in a learning process. My heavens I cringe about some of the things I've done in the past and I am sure I will look back in the future and and say to myself "what was I thinking?" But this is only because I try to keep learning. So please, knock me off my high horse and if I sound like I am preaching give me something to feast my mind on!
I am glad you were brave to comment as I have clearly offended you as of late, and many others I am sure. I will comment on being judgmental. As individuals and as parents we must make judgments all the time. So you bet I will judge harshly the things for my family, over which I have stewardship. Everything else I leave up to the Lord. I just hope I can adequately explain the reasons I make the judgment calls I do. Is someone a bad person because they make different decisions than I do? Certainly not. Is someone "bad" or not as good as me because they watched the Superbowl, or because the eat processed food and meat every meal of the day? No. But does that mean I will change my actions to be like theirs? No.
My blog has never taken on a single focus like recipes, or homeschool or nutrition, because I'm not trying to create a following. I do however love the comments and the friendships and commonalities I have found with readers of my blog. I hope we can continue to learn from each other. And like I said, please call me out and help me see a different way. I am never afraid to try and think differently.
I don't have an agenda. Only the truth. Thanks again Lissa.
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