Religion and boxing. Is it cool or not so much?

Mike Tyson: "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. ... I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!" Can someone tell me whether this is just roid rage or some cult belief that Tyson belongs to? I always understood this (and maybe I was mistaken, please educate me) as some kind of ritual (that he learned in the all-male prison) where they praise Allah while performing gay sexual acts ("eat his children") which reminded me of orthodox jews who perform what they call oral circumcision (= praising Jehovah while drinking penile blood): According to Jewish custom and traditions, newborn Jewish boys are ritually circumcised at eight days of age, and complications are generally very rare. However, a small number of Orthodox rabbis advocate an ancient practice in which the circumciser sucks the blood from the infant's circumcision wound until the bleeding stops, a ritual known as metzitzah. http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/guide/20061101/rare-circumcision-ritual-carries-herpes Is here anyone who can confirm that I am mistaken and Tyson does not belong to such a sect? I can clear this up, I hope. I have a son, born in Israel, and as is our tradition, he was circumsized on the 8th day. The Mohel, (circumsizer) a deeply religious man as all these geezers are, carried out that function of taking a drop of blood from the wound. What he did was to use very narrow glass pipette to suck that drop up. It was too tiny to other than mildly coat a small lower part of the pipette. I was holding my son on my knee, and, although I couldn't bear to watch the act, I kept my eyes on theMohel and saw exactly what he did. Speaking to him later, I asked him about this, since blood in any form is strictly forbidden to Jews. He said that there is a very ambiguous sentence in the Torah which, when interpreted by the Sages of ancient times, according the the traditions and customs, they worked out that this was the way to go, and at the same time they were carrying out the principle of the intention in the simplest way, even without really understanding why. As a sidebar (which you probably don't want) meat over 3 days old is forbidden, and when meat is prepared, it must be made kosher. This is done by repeatedly soaking the item in water and washing all the blood away. Then is it exposed on a draining board for several hours, having been well salted on both sides,(salt sucks out blood) then finally washed off and ready to prepare as food. Sorry folks for this long dissertation. It was just to clarify a few things which maay not be generally known. I haven't yet figured out if it is permitted, when a boxer has a bleeding eyebrow, nose, or cut inside his mouth, (as Corrales had in one of his fights which caused a stoppage) and the blood runs into the mouth, whether this is excused or not.................?? (Maybe some interviewer will ask Foreman or Salita??) This is common in Judaism, and Jews don't actually follow all, or even many, of the precepts in the Torah. The sages, many centuries ago, after discussing every word and every possible meaning that might be God's wish, would (sometimes after centuries of debate,) adopt a certain interpretation, and keep it. We actually live by the precepts of the Sages, therefore it is "Rabbinic Law". Again.....sorry folks.

Mike Tyson: "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. ... I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!" Can someone tell me whether this is just roid rage or some cult belief that Tyson belongs to? I always understood this (and maybe I was mistaken, please educate me) as some kind of ritual (that he learned in the all-male prison) where they praise Allah while performing gay sexual acts ("eat his children") which reminded me of orthodox jews who perform what they call oral circumcision (= praising Jehovah while drinking penile blood): According to Jewish custom and traditions, newborn Jewish boys are ritually circumcised at eight days of age, and complications are generally very rare. However, a small number of Orthodox rabbis advocate an ancient practice in which the circumciser sucks the blood from the infant's circumcision wound until the bleeding stops, a ritual known as metzitzah. http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/guide/20061101/rare-circumcision-ritual-carries-herpes Is here anyone who can confirm that I am mistaken and Tyson does not belong to such a sect? Tyson is just out there. He was talking trash, and already a bit of a loon to begin with. Lewis had no kids at that time, and Tyson knew that. He even referenced that later as to make a comment about the "Lewis is gay" rumors.

I could less what anyone does with their religion as long as it isn't being used to help justify mistreating people. Hell, it probably even gives gives some fighters an edge. If you truly believe God has your back I think that could give someone a mental edge.

Mike Tyson: "Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. ... I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!" Can someone tell me whether this is just roid rage or some cult belief that Tyson belongs to? I always understood this (and maybe I was mistaken, please educate me) as some kind of ritual (that he learned in the all-male prison) where they praise Allah while performing gay sexual acts ("eat his children") which reminded me of orthodox jews who perform what they call oral circumcision (= praising Jehovah while drinking penile blood): According to Jewish custom and traditions, newborn Jewish boys are ritually circumcised at eight days of age, and complications are generally very rare. However, a small number of Orthodox rabbis advocate an ancient practice in which the circumciser sucks the blood from the infant's circumcision wound until the bleeding stops, a ritual known as metzitzah. http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/guide/20061101/rare-circumcision-ritual-carries-herpes Is here anyone who can confirm that I am mistaken and Tyson does not belong to such a sect? I think you are putting more into it as such. I just think it was Tyson being Tyson and hyping the fight. He sometimes said horrific lines. He had just learned about the muslim religion and that's probably why he put Allah in there.

Discomfort for other people's proud religious beliefs is always rooted in self-hate and pathetic self-esteem. A real confidant established man is never made uncomfortable. Bingo. Why the hell are you worried about another mans religion for? If it makes you so tight, turn off the TV until round 1 starts. Pathetic.

I just realized something NSB =Atheists wow

I hate all religion as I find them to be pathetic and a major waste of time. But I also know that religion and boxing is a contradiction. I doubt that the thing that "wrote" the ten commandments put no killing, stealing etc but I allow fighting? I also ask myself if when a fighter kills another, do they think "God" gave them the strength to do it, and are they happy with the fact that they just broke one of those commandments? Your first problem is that you're trying to make sense out of something (religion) that is inherently illogical. That said, as long as you keep your beliefs out of my life I couldn't really care less. Which is why I don't bat an eye about any athlete or celebrity proclaiming his faith every time a mic is in his face. And I'm definitely not going to sit around and waste my time trying to make sense out of it.

I hate all religion as I find them to be pathetic and a major waste of time. But I also know that religion and boxing is a contradiction. I doubt that the thing that "wrote" the ten commandments put no killing, stealing etc but I allow fighting? I also ask myself if when a fighter kills another, do they think "God" gave them the strength to do it, and are they happy with the fact that they just broke one of those commandments?

nothing wrong with what ward does. a real atheist ignores that stuff, not be offended by it. lmao, so fcking true. i find it hilarious whenever these self proclaimed atheists act like religious militant groups themselves, censoring anything that relates to religion... sounds like denial to me. i mean c'mon most people are atheists because we can't stand talking about religion... why the hell would you want to keep bringing it up then?

the only time it will bother me is during an interview when the fighter gets asked a question and they'll give too much credit to god and very little or none to themselves. interviewer: so how did you train for this fight? fighter: it was all god. he gave me the strength to get this victory. interviewer: did your diet change at all? did you feel you were at 100%? fighter: god gave me all the nutrients i needed. god me got me through this tonight. interviewer: who would you like to fight next? fighter: whoever is meant to fight me, god will put him in front of me. interviewer: are you religious?

And just to add, I'm pretty sure that no religious fighters (at least those who are even remotely good) believe that they can succeed without hard work.

If Ward or any other boxer believes god has a hand in their victory then its actually pretty amusing. Modern religion is really about what people want and if they get it then its thanks to god. I'm actually a practicing Muslim, but I would think that most people would use the opposite argument. For example, if something bad happens to someone who's religious, they might say, "Well, everything happens for a reason. Maybe God wanted me to learn from this experience." Similarly, for people who live difficult lives, religion comforts them by telling them that the afterlife may be better. People who have everything they want/need in life are more likely to let religion fall to the back-burner, I think. On topic, I don't have a problem with fighters praying in their corner or thanking God. It's actually kind of humbling to see boxers, some of whom are extremely cocky, "admit" that they couldn't have won without God.

religion is never cool. resulted in too many innocent deaths and sustains large amounts of idiocy throughout the world.

Im from the uk and i find it rather amusing....i can honestly say i dont know anyone who believes in god or a religious icon and when a boxer starts talking about their faith after a fight its normally met with a "for ****s sake......turn the tv over now."

Basically I don't really care, but if it spoils my enjoyment it bothers me. An example is if a fighter is so obsessed with a supreme being that it clouds his vision. I would have posted the infamous Holyfield interview but Threadstealer has already posted it: ^^^a clear example of clouding of vision. He cannot say anything but God helped me and so on and so forth. How about telling that you prepared for this and that and did such and such? He could have said that God helped me do this and that instead. :nonono: As for Ward and others a have no problem in them having a strong faith if it helps them be good rolemodels. But his nickname SOG's. :D

Would you like it if a fighter had a "George W. Bush" t-shirt? Or a t-shirt that says "Republicans suck"? It's very understandable that people don't want the boxing ring to be used as a propaganda tribune. Neither for politics nor for religions. You don't have a right to be shielded from another person's opinions by silencing them. What happened to just, you know... ignoring something you don't want to hear or see, especially if it isn't remotely harmful to you?

nothing wrong with what ward does. a real atheist ignores that stuff, not be offended by it. This. It's not hurting anyone. If you don't believe in it or agree with it then ignore it and move on with your life. You're not watching him sacrifice babies or trying to convert infidels in the name of his faith; he's simply proclaiming his own personal beliefs. It's bound to happen when you put a camera and a microphone in someone's face and ask them questions about how they feel. If his harmless displays of his faith bother you, that's your problem. You're the one with the hang up.

why does anyone care?

Would you like it if a fighter had a "George W. Bush" t-shirt? Or a t-shirt that says "Republicans suck"? It's very understandable that people don't want the boxing ring to be used as a propaganda tribune. Neither for politics nor for religions. "I'd like to thank Glenn Beck for this victory."

this thread should be in the lounge cause it barley has anything to do with boxing and people r just gonna argue about religion as usual.