Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Religious Persecution in the NFL

It all started with Tim Tebow, but let's start with last Sunday.

In week two of the NFL season, Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin, III was injured. As he ran towards the sideline trying to pass the ball to a player down field, he took a bad hop and dislocated his ankle. Head Coach Jay Gruden is optimistic about his return, but it's a matter of "wait and see" at this point. Thankfully, their backup quarterback, Kirk Cousins, came in and played very well, taking the Jags to a 41-10 defeat and a 0-2 record. 

Kirk Cousins, out of Michigan State (GO SPARTANS!) is the son of a preacher. His dad is the Sr. Pastor at Discovery Church in Orlando, Florida. RGIII, out of Baylor University, and a Heisman winner, is the son of two US Army Sergeants and is a military brat. Not only are they both quarterbacks, they are both Christians, just like Tebow. 

This past Sunday, however, I think RGIII understood how Tebow must've felt while he was playing in the NFL. Just before giving an interview, he was forced to turn his shirt inside out because it said "Know Jesus, Know Peace" across the front of it. They said he had to be wearing a Nike t-shirt, however fellow Redskin Ryan Kerrigan was wearing a t-shirt that said "Five Four Clothing" on it and they didn't make him flip his shirt inside out, so what's the deal? That's a really stupid lie when you think about it. Peyton, Eli, Tom Brady, Drew Breeze, they all wear suits. No where on their suits does the word NIKE or the Nike "swoosh" appear. I'm sure RGIII didn't like the idea, but they told him to do so, and I'm sure he feels horrible about it, but he had to give the interview, so what was he supposed to do? He's under contract!  

Tebow, who led Florida State to a Championship and then played for Denver, was quickly traded to the Jets after Peyton Manning was released by the Colts and signed by the Bronco's. Tebow is out of the NFL but is now a part of the Good Morning America team and is a co-host for SEC Nation. I saw a greatness in him, that got snuffed out by circumstances that he could not control. In spite of all that, he's making a very good life for himself. His co-hosts say it's like "traveling with a rock star," when they make the rounds covering college football together.

Personally, I believe that Tebow was persecuted, not just because he would take a knee and pray, he was persecuted because he was never supposed to be here in the first place. Tim's mom was pregnant with him when she was diagnosed with cancer, and rather than go through the life saving chemotherapy treatments and having an abortion, which is what her doctors recommended, she decided to have Tim first and then go through chemotherapy. She lived to tell, which says a great deal about her faith. Now this persecution and radical "network Jihad" against Jesus has happened to Robert Griffin, III. I remember watching Ray Lewis after a game on ESPN coming out in a shirt that read "Psalm 91" on it, and he was allowed to sit in with Young, Dilfer and the rest of the guys after the game. No Nike requirement there? So what's the deal? I've watched players from both teams at the end of a game go to the center of the field, take a knee and begin to pray. When that happened on NBC just last season after a Sunday night game, they quickly cut back to an announcer who was upset about a call the refs had made on the field. No, no no, you can't show players actually kneeling and praying! NOT ON NBC! OH NO! LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY! 

Considering the Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald and Adrian Peterson incidents, is it so awful to allow a player to sit in an interview wearing a shirt that says "Jesus" across the front of it? If you ask me the NFL could use a little more "Jesus" in it! As role models these guys need to play clean, and live cleaner than other folks. The money they make and the clauses in their contracts about personal behavior say so! Rice, Hardy, McDonald and Peterson should be deactivated until further notice. If they get their acts together, maybe they can come back next year. Michael Vick went to jail for 21 months and he was given a second chance, but he had to do his time first! What's happening in this sport right now is really annoying the crud out of me. We allow wife/fiance/girlfriend beaters and child abusers to do their thing, but oh no, you can't wear a "Jesus" shirt! That's not allowed!

What a joke. Why are they so afraid of Jesus? Are they more afraid of offending people than they are of disciplining their own players?

If you ask me, these guys all deserve a switch to their backsides, along with huge NFL fines, and a year on the bench at home, watching the games with the rest of us. Maybe that will teach them a lesson that they won't forget and instead of acting out badly as they have, perhaps they will find redemption and forgiveness through Christ and then begin to act more like Tebow, RGIII and Kirk Cousins and other players who are faithful to Christ, even if the NFL isn't.

As a side note, there is one player, Devon Still who is a defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals who's entire family needs our prayers. Devon's little girl Leah just completed 4 rounds of chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumor in her stomach known as "neuroblastoma." The Bengals signed Still to their practice squad so he wouldn't lose his benefits, and Leah's treatment will end up costing them over 1 million most likely. Last week, he got to play and the Bengals scored a victory against the Falcons, 24-10! That must've felt wonderful for Devon because it's been a tough road for him and his family. I should know. Our 26 year old daughter, who is one full year and one month older than Devon, went through stage 4 cancer like Devon's daughter Leah is going through now. She is only 4 years old. Our daughter was 18 months old when she was diagnosed. She relapsed, and became a stage 4 like Leah, Devon's daughter and she's now a college grad, 26 years old and lives on a street called "Devon Way." Weird coincidence huh? I've been praying for his little girl and I hope you will all join me in praying for her too. They were supposed to find out today if the tumor had shrank enough for them to remove it via surgery. Please remember Leah and her family in your prayers? Devon is a great role model for kids, not like these other jerks, and I hope that his daughter comes through with flying colors. God Bless the Bengals for keeping him on and taking care of him through this trying time.  

I've got to say it. I love football, baseball, NASCAR and hockey. However, this horrible persecution of Christian players in the NFL is starting to really tick me off. It should tick off every Christian all across the country. Maybe we need to get loud and proud and let the NFL know exactly how we feel about it! Maybe it will effect change, because in my humble opinion, Jesus should NEVER be sidelined!

Chris Norman, who played with Kirk Cousins at Michigan State is a guy who instead of getting drafted into the NFL, decided to put God first and go to seminary instead. There are a few guys in the NFL who could learn a thing or two from Chris Norman, his journey and his decision to serve God! Heck, we could all learn from his story, so here it is!

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