Church v. baseball

[nitrites620]

i think that in certain cases i.e. easter that church def. comes before baseball but in other cases like any other sunday that baseball is just as religious as church.

[BOOBOO]

QUOTE(Mwalls14 @ Apr 2 2007 - 09:05 PM) 826428558[/snapback]I respect your opinions and beliefs, but I do not agree that the TSSAA allowing games to be played on Wednesday or Sunday for that matter implies a lack of respect for religion.

 

The country was founded under the concept of separation of church and state. When we created a free public education system, they continued to echo those sentiments.

 

Now you can be upset that prayer isn't allowed in schools, and baseball games are played on Sunday. That's fine. That's your belief, you feel strongly about that, and you're not wrong.

 

My point is that you're not alone. Christianity is not the only religion in this world, nor is it the only religion represented in our school systems. Your complaints are probably shared by Jews and Muslims alike. You can't force your beliefs, or your religion on people who don't want any part of it or don't share your beliefs.

 

That's why the school system and the government are (in theory) blind to religion. It's something you do on your own time, because of the freedom you enjoy. When you force your rules on others, you ignore the reason people first came here.

 

I'm not trying to argue, because I don't have any more answers than anyone else. What confuses me about your point is this. First it's baseball. Does it bother you that people have to work on Sunday and miss church?

 

I will Pray for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[ut18vols]

QUOTE(Winners Inc @ Apr 2 2007 - 10:39 PM) 826428642[/snapback]I hope the first thing that pops into a person's mind when they hear "church" on this forum is not "steeple". The legalism of walking in the doors of a building and calling that church because of the architectural design, the choir, and the pews is a greater shame than choosing to play baseball on a Wednesday or a Sunday. In fact, it's no shame at all to play ball on these so called "designated days of the Lord". A theme throughout the New Testament (especially Galatians) is to stay away from the legalism of Judaism and to worship the Lord wholly in everything we do. The church is the body of Christ, which consists of two or more people gathered in the name of Christ. Personally, every night I used to step foot on the field to play baseball on a Wednesday night, I knew I was gathered with atleast one member of the body of Christ to fellowship with and devote our time to playing for the Lord. I've read it a few times tonight in this forum that church was designed for the Lord to give us a couple hours to devote our time to him completely. Well, if two hours is all you're giving him all week, you are certainly not living the life you are intended to live. Colossians 3:23 says to work at everything with all your heart as if working for the Lord. Displaying our God given talents on a playing surface can be the greatest time of worship and fellowship offered to us throughout a week. Besides, lots of churches have various group studies throughout the week on days other than Sunday and Wednesday. Church can, and should, be experienced every day of the week.

 

 

Well said

[Mwalls14]

QUOTE(BOOBOO @ Apr 3 2007 - 06:40 AM) 826428725[/snapback]I will Pray for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

 

Please don't

[ksgovols]

Very good post Winners Inc.! The building should not define someone's spirituality. There are many ministries where sharing fellowship and Christ occur. A baseball field is just one of them. How we choose to open our hearts and our minds to God shouldn't be restricted to a certain building at a certain time on a certain day in my opinion. As I said before, in many cases such restrictions are just another way of 'keeping score'.

[bigchief]

QUOTE(Mwalls14 @ Apr 3 2007 - 10:17 AM) 826428866[/snapback]Please don't

 

I will pray for you too, whether you like it or not.

[Solomon]

When I first saw that the semi-finals and finals were on a Sunday, I legitimately wondered how it could be because I had just always assumed that there was a TSSAA rule probably dated back to the 50s that said no games on Sunday. In a way, I'm still surprised there isn't.

 

I think, because of where we are in the middle of the Bible Belt, that tournament organizers, coaches, etc. should realize that Sunday morning church is important to many people and should probably not schedule any games that would cause a conflict out of repect if nothing else. It may not be that big of a deal everywhere, but alas, this is Tennesse, and it is here if nothing more than the cultural significance of it.

 

I think Winners Inc. summed up a lot of my thoughts pretty well. Church is more than a building where you go onr or two hours a week. It's what Christ put in place to advance the Kingdom of God! It's the people who make it up who are to build up each other and have each other's back! Corporate times together of meeting, worshiping, and learning are needed, but too many people stop right there. It's so much more than that.

[XBOX]

I have a few points on this issue. First, don't think that I am a non-God person b/c I am not.

Our school board has a policy where we can't participate in an athletic event on Sunday without approval (Emergency Situations). Some churches have Wednesday services and some do not. There are some churches that have services throughout the week. I do not agree with any idea of not allowing schools to play on Wednesday. Here is something.......our public school does not allow Sunday games but you see private, christian-based schools playing on Wednesday and Sunday. What about that? It is not baseball's fault that one has to miss practices b/c of church related issues. I had one miss yesterday b/c he had church practice. What do you do? I had a kid tell me he had to leave on a Wednesday practice to go to church. I asked him what would he do if we played tonight. He told me he wouldn't be at the game. How does a coach handle issues that come up on days that are not Wed. or Sun.? We have 21 kids. That's 21 different lives. I can't make everyone happy and try to put together a program. People seem to make baseball the bad guy. I love God and church, so don't take it that way, but it gets frustrating when everytime you turn around someone has something going on except the committment they made to this "extra-curricular" activity. Are they wrong for their decisions........I don't think they are, but what do you do? We don't have Sunday practices. I have had two in six years (both b/c we were in state tournament). It's like politics...............there is no one correct answer............and you can never win an argument on this issue.

[GoOwls314]

QUOTE(ksgovols @ Apr 3 2007 - 12:07 PM) 826428913[/snapback]Very good post Winners Inc.! The building should not define someone's spirituality. There are many ministries where sharing fellowship and Christ occur. A baseball field is just one of them. How we choose to open our hearts and our minds to God shouldn't be restricted to a certain building at a certain time on a certain day in my opinion. As I said before, in many cases such restrictions are just another way of 'keeping score'.

 

 

like i said in my first post, it depends on where you want to be with God and how you think you can get closer to Him. For me, church isnt just being in a building. when we turn off the lights or go outside one night and sing (we sing acapella) I feel like it is just me and God and it is an amazing feeling. Thats not to say that you cant do that in the woods while doing grunt calls. A church doesnt mean a building, or a preacher, its people that come together with the same beliefs and try to better understand how to live the way their God wants them to live or desires them to. Those people who just come to punch the ticket, they are no Christians, they are as you said, hypocrites.

 

It all comes down to, why are you going? Are you going to punch the ticket, or are you going to worship God? I want you to ask yourself though, are you going to baseball just to have fun, or are you going to glorify God? When you strike out are you cussing or are you hussling off the field and rooting the next guy on? If you say youre going to glorify God on the field, then thats fine, but do it, dont just say it. James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if not accopanied by action is dead." If you are then thats fine, but dont say youll do one thing then do another. Or at least dont do it on purpose because we all screw up every once in a while.

 

And as far as the people "keeping score," sorry for them but none of us have earned anything as far as heaven is concerned. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Instead we have been GIVEN grace and have no right to say we are any better than anyone else because we go to church more or something like that, why? because we arent. Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

[score3]

This has turned into a huge discussion about believers and non-believers of God. I can tell you just about all of the people on Loretto's roster attend church every Sunday, including the coach himself. Any other time, every one of those boys would be in church. It was a personal decision for those who wished to play, and I do respect their decisions, playing or not playing.

I think this thread needs to be locked because no one is going to agree on the topic, and it appears to me some of you are putting down the Loretto community not thinking alot of our players don't go to church or aren't right with God. Thanks for reading!!!

[ksgovols]

Good post GoOwls. I think we are in agreement. We just circled around it from a different perspective. It's about walking the walk. There are folks that rarely darken the doors at church that live an exemplary life and know their God and there are 'men of God' who have the morals of a snake. We're all going to have to answer for our shortcomings.

 

I'll say this. I've worked on alot of church building projects. They're made of the same materials that any other building is made of. It's the people inside that make the difference or more likely, what's inside a person's heart.

[ksgovols]

QUOTE(score3 @ Apr 3 2007 - 01:10 PM) 826429004[/snapback]This has turned into a huge discussion about believers and non-believers of God. I can tell you just about all of the people on Loretto's roster attend church every Sunday, including the coach himself. Any other time, every one of those boys would be in church. It was a personal decision for those who wished to play, and I do respect their decisions, playing or not playing.

I think this thread needs to be locked because no one is going to agree on the topic, and it appears to me some of you are putting down the Loretto community not thinking alot of our players don't go to church or aren't right with God. Thanks for reading!!!

 

 

You're way off base score3!

 

Noone has mentioned Loretto specifically until you did. Putting down the Loretto community is the furthest thing from anyone's mind from what I've read. There's nothing wrong with debating the subject. Why should the thread be locked? Why should it be a taboo subject? Who on this thread has said they were a non-believer? I think most posts have been respectful and straight forward.