The danger of the sacrifice of the intellect
Here's an interesting proposition:
Professional athletes are often criticized for their behavior; whether driving drunk, smoking pot, beating their wives, or setting off firecrackers, pro athletes in the United States are constantly admonished that they are role models for young people, and called upon to conduct themselves as such. Many athletes, especially once they're caught up in a controversy, defend themselves by claiming they aren't role models for anyone, but that's always a difficult claim if one is a superstar with thousands of kids wearing their gear, imitating their moves, and affecting their speech.
Okay, one thing they're not called out on, though, is being religiously crazy.
Last season, an MLB player named Josh Hamilton set a record by driving twenty-eight home runs in the All Star HR Derby. And afterward, he gave an awkward speech/interview thanking God for his success. And you know, I can almost understand it in his case; he apparently had recovered from what was thought to be a career-ending heroin addiction to find success on the second go-round. But, still, it was a tremendously awkward, even bizarre moment.
And occasionally, you hear a mixed martial arts fighter, or a boxer thanking God and Jesus for their victories, and that's a little tougher. Because while I can understand the idea of someone thanking God for the fact that they get to have the career they do, I just don't see the point in suggesting it was God's will that you kicked the shit out of the other guy. It doesn't make a lot of sense.
Now enter Kurt Warner, the quarterback for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. He's Super Bowl bound, and, well, of course we can send our congratulations, and probably also our condolences as the Cards are expected to get wiped all over the field.
But here's some
footage of Warner drawing a picture of God for the forthcoming documentary
God in the Box.
The guy is something else on the football field; at thirty-seven he can still drop jaws and burn defenses. But off the field ... well, yeah, he's, uh,
something else.
His expressions of faith present an interesting question. Is one necessarily being a good role model in proselytizing? That is, does the mere fact of evangelizing set a positive example? Or is there something more, like what you say and how you say it?
For all Warner's appearance of giving certain issues of faith deep thought, it's ridiculous. There are more clips available at the film's website, and, well, they're kind of strange. I mean, yeah, I hear this kind of stuff on a regular basis if I stick my head out and look for it, so I don't think it's uncommon. But is it
right?
And some of the drawings of God are interesting, too. But more to the point: In the past, philosophers have done some impressive work on the subject of God. Sure, there's Anselm's ludicrous proof of God, and the Cartesian circle seems nothing more than a stoner's rambled waxing. But at least they were
trying.
So while some might suggest that evangelizing Christ is setting a positive model, what if that proselytization sets a really low intellectual standard?
I believe it was Aquinas who wrote that the sacrifice in which God most delights is that of the intellect. But is this
really what he meant?
This is one of the dangers of faith our atheistic neighbors see. Religious faith seems to constantly be dulling itself in order to present the appearance of greater accessibility, but there comes a time when one legitimately asks, "Yeah, but do I
really want to be like them?"
Maybe it's good for rallying the faithful, for preaching to the choir as such. But this kind of ... um ... yeah,
stupidity does no real good, and if it wins any hearts and minds for Jesus, is might be a pyrrhic victory.
Look, it's not my business
what Kurt Warner believes. Except that he wants to make it my business. And yours. And yeah, we ought to be glad that there's
something in the world that makes him want to
do good things for other people, but would he do it if he didn't feel compelled to by God? Is the fact that some things just need to be done insufficient?
This brand of faith seems a dubious role model.
