Do you believe God gives a fighter strength?

[Bring It On]

Politely, I think this is a cop out. People's actions spring from their worldviews (or are restrained by them). To seek to sidestep the connection between the atheistic philosophies of Hitler and Stalin and their ghastly actions is, I believe, unsupportable. The argument is not invalid. In fact, as everyone knows, when Stalin's brand of communism was forced upon the multiplied millions he tyrannized, atheism was compulsory at the risk of death or the gulag. Of course what he did was "in the name of atheism". Let's be honest about it.

I'm sure they both liked ice-cream as well.

If you don't see the difference between someone saying that I need to kill those people because my God told me to, and saying that I need to kill those people because I hate them (while being an atheist, or a religious person for that matter) then there is just no point continuing.

There could, possibly, exist some kind of higher power although I find it extremely unlikely. But believing in the different fairy tales called religion is just depressing. Furthermore, how someone can think highly of that awfully evil man depicted in the bible as "god" I just can't understand.

[Bring It On]

It's 2:37 a.m. where I am, fellas. I'm off to bed! Cheers, everyone. And (seriously) may God bless you in ways you thought impossible.

God wants me dead, so I don't find that very likely.

Last weekend I did something so horrible that he thinks I should be stoned to death; I worked.

32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.
33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation;
34 and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
36 So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

[boliodogs]

I don't think God if he exists would get involved with boxing or have any effect on the outcome of fights. If a fighter's faith that God is on his side gives him confidence that might make him perform better. I wish fighters would leave God completely out of it and keep their beliefs to themselves. It seems arrogant to me to say God favors you over your opponent. Guerrero is really annoying to me with all his God stuff.

[boliodogs]

I will say I see nothing wrong with a fighter saying a prayer that God will keep both his opponent and himself safe from injury.

[shingle]

A fighter wins he thanks god for giving him strength etc etc if in the next fight he gets battered or knocked out he say`s it`s what God wanted, you just can not win with this religious mumbo jumbo, we are now in the 21st century and we still have up put up with people still believing in such nonsense, in 200 years or so the human race will look back at our era and laugh at our beliefs just like we look back now and laugh at the believers of myths and witchcraft.

[Bring It On]

A fighter wins he thanks god for giving him strength etc etc if in the next fight he gets battered or knocked out he say`s it`s what God wanted, you just can not win with this religious mumbo jumbo, we are now in the 21st century and we still have up put up with people still believing in such nonsense, in 200 years or so the human race will look back at our era and laugh at our beliefs just like we look back now and laugh at the believers of myths and witchcraft.

I wish I could agree, but religion will live on I'm afraid.

[sterling]

what the hell has this forum came to now? god isnt going to stop someone from getting punched in the face by a better fighter.

[Kris Silver]

My friend, religion has been around far longer than sport. Just on that basis itself people should respect one's religious views. If a fighter says "Thank God" in his first sentence after a win or loss then whats the big deal? No boxer from any religion should be disrespected because of their love for their religious beliefs.

to praise a prominent figure in many people's personal lives and be offended by it?

My friend,

I did not say I dis-respect one's religious views - I said my preference and judgement is for it to be private, not broadcast and pushed nationally in the media within the medium of sport.

I did not say I was offended by them praising their god - I'm saying that element of their lives has no place filling a lot of a sport media interview. His opponent and scores of people are spending 40 hours a week working tooth and nail to compete in and promote a sport, only for him to spend nearly half of a post fight interview instead promoting something completely different, in religion.

[DreamFighter]

must suck if you believe this but then keep getting beat up.

Although in support of religion, most fighters (tomato cans aside) go into fights believing they will win and have the strength to win...this is certainly not light years ahead of someone believing God is giving them the strength to win.


If you tink about it, no one can possibly know they are going to win going into a fight, so the belief that they will win is equally irrational regardless of whether it stems from God or your own self belief.

[The Noose]

must suck if you believe this but then keep getting beat up.

Although in support of religion, most fighters (tomato cans aside) go into fights believing they will win and have the strength to win...this is certainly not light years ahead of someone believing God is giving them the strength to win.


If you tink about it, no one can possibly know they are going to win going into a fight, so the belief that they will win is equally irrational regardless of whether it stems from God or your own self belief.

Exactly.

Religious belief in regards to boxing is no more irrational than self-belief when a fighter is a massive underdog.

They both believe in something which many other people think is impossible. In fact, there are many more people who believe in a god, then believed Douglas would KO Tyson.

Im not saying therefore God probably exists. But when it comes to belief, its silly IMO to call religious people ******, or deluded when we all sometimes rely upon faith. It gives us hope, and hope is a vital part of life when we are struggling.

Way too easy for us with comfortable lives to look down upon others and claim intellectual superiority, when in fact we cant see the forest for the trees.