I know I don’t call very often, but this Sunday the Steelers are in big trouble. You know already that they’ve lost Aaron Smith for the season, and last week they lost Charlie Batch and Troy, and Ben has a concussion, so they’re down to their third and fourth string QB’s against those darn Ravens.
Could you possibly find a way to help out the Steelers today? I know it would probably be too much to ask to make Dixon throw for 400 yards or run for 3 TD’s, but please smite Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Joe Flacco with some sort of injury, or even make them lose their footing and/or drop the ball on key plays?
I don’t know if it’s wrong to ask for favors like this, but you know that today’s a key game and Cinci won so we really need this one.
American “football” sucks. Praying for a team in that kind of unworthy sport is kind of like praying for Power Puff Girls on Sunday evening. The church officially frowns upon it but you won’t be going to hell on that account. Anyway hell would be an improvement on wasting your Sunday watching the Steelers.
If we can assume these are xtians praying for their team, then according to this Bible verse it is wrong:
Presumably the players are on the field of a packed stadium and not behind a closed door?
I always thought this was a bit of a douche way to shove a religion in everyone’s face. So, can you believe I agree with the Bible on this point?!? :eek:
For an atheist standpoint, of course the question is pretty moot. But if I were to don my old believer hat (in the closet since the 80’s, maybe I’l find my skinny ties there too), it’s at best superficial and at worst praying for misfortune to others. If I were god, I would not be pleased.
Why not? All it says is, in effect, is “hey God! I know my team isn’t good enough to win on their own merit, but if you could cheat on their behalf, that’d be really cool. Thanks”. Who could possibly object to that sentiment?
From one of several possible Lutheran viewpoints go ahead; nothing wrong with the idea. Just remember that sometimes the answer is “no” and sometimes Viking fans living within listening distance of Heinz Field are praying Pittsburgh gets crushed so this year isn’t a repeat of the Superbowls of the 70s.
In the OP’s case, praying to Roger GODell to add an extra zero to the referee’s paychecks has served them well in the past. Wait, no, its still working presently! Derrick Mason got held in the endzone and whaddya know, another non-call for the Steelers!
Joe Flacco* dies and goes to Heaven, and he meets God. God looks at him and says, “Well, Joe, you were a good quarterback, and a decent person, you’re going to have a special treat here in Heaven, that not many get. You’re going to have your own house.”
So Joe is set up with a nice bungalow, painted black with purple and gold trim, with the Ravens’ logo painted over the porch, a good sized yard, an above ground pool, and he even gets his own car.
Well, for the first few weeks, Joe’s pretty happy. Until, one day, he decides to take a spin around the neighborhood, and drives past this enormous black and gold mansion, with a stained glass Steelers’ logo bay window in the front, Terrible Towels in every window, huge in-ground pool, etc. And if that isn’t enough, there’s this HUGE pimped out SUV, black and gold with Steelers’ bumper stickers all over the back.
Well, naturally, Joe’s pretty pissed, so the next time he sees God, he goes off and he says, “You know God, I was a DAMNED good player, and a pretty decent person to boot. And yet, that asshole, Ben Roethlisberger gets a better house than me. What gives?”
And God looks and him, rolls his eyes, and says, “Joe, that’s not Big Ben**'s house. That’s MY house!”
I see this sentiment almost weekly from people around me. Specifically my mother and my grandmother. My mother goes to this huge church where every Sunday is like a rockstar concert for middle aged women, with celebrity pastors and all, and the gist of every sermon seems to be “take a look at Kim Yu-na or Shin Ji-Ae or Other-random-successful-Korean-Christian, they succeeded because their parents prayed for them harder than anyone else’s parents! Your child can be immensely successful as well, if only you pray hard enough. It is a fervent prayer free for all out there, may the most faithful win!” I don’t think they ever address what happens when two equally heartfelt prayers are at odds.
I think praying for personal gain never works, as “God helps those who help themselves.” Therefore, praying for misery on your opponent should work better.
