God, sports, and nationalism (aka "military worship") are all ways of controlling people who are easily manipulated (aka the gullible). These three things you have identified were also used by the Roman Empire to control people.
Though in those days, it was about the Coliseum and gladiators. As Noam Chomsky says, "Sports plays a societal role in engendering jingoist and chauvinist attitudes. They're designed to organize a community to be committed to their gladiators.". Only now it's quarterbacks and pitchers, running backs and forwards. None of it matters, but it's something for the mindless masses to be distracted with and pleasured by while the people in power do what they like to stay in power.
Some more observations by Chomsky:
"CHOMSKY:... When I'm driving, I sometimes turn on the radio and I find very often that what I'm listening to is a discussion of sports. These are telephone conversations. People call in and have long and intricate discussions, and it's plain that quite a high degree of thought and analysis is going into that. People know a tremendous amount. They know all sorts of complicated details and enter into far-reaching discussion about whether the coach made the right decision yesterday and so on. These are ordinary people, not professionals, who are applying their intelligence and analytic skills in these areas and accumulating quite a lot of knowledge and, for all I know, understanding. On the other hand, when I hear people talk about, say, international affairs or domestic problems, it's at a level of superficiality that's beyond belief.
In part, this reaction may be due to my own areas of interest, but I think it's quite accurate, basically. And I think that this concentration on such topics as sports makes a certain degree of sense. The way the system is set up, there is virtually nothing people can do anyway, without a degree of organization that's far beyond anything that exists now, to influence the real world. They might as well live in a fantasy world, and that's in fact what they do. I'm sure they are using their common sense and intellectual skills, but in an area which has no meaning and probably thrives because it has no meaning, as a displacement from the serious problems which one cannot influence and affect because the power happens to lie elsewhere.
Now it seems to me that the same intellectual skill and capacity for understanding and for accumulating evidence and gaining information and thinking through problems could be used -- would be used -- under different systems of governance which involve popular participation in important decision-making, in areas that really matter to human life... a specialized knowledge in these areas is not beyond the reach of people who happen to be interested."
The difference being, the information about the sports teams is all there for everyone to analyze and make an opinion about. The information about politics is intentionally obscured and difficult to obtain any objective information about; it always comes through certain channels.
That's regarding sports. Military/nationalism is about brainwashing people into regarding the hegemony as looking out for them, and to disagree with the hegemony being an act of betrayal or treason. When in fact, the opposite is true: acting against the interests of the people is a treasonous act against democracy.
Religion is also very similar, it takes the same easily influenced and naive type person to swallow the whole dogma, at least as an adult. Part of the issue is that most people are indoctrinated as children, when they have no defenses as they have very limited reasoning and just believe whatever they are told. However, most parents come clean about Santa Claus, but religion is a more convincing mythos, since it requires no presents to be delivered, no acts or anything to be maintained, everything from rainbows to cancer remission can be attributed to Jesus or Krishna or whatever you choose.
Indeed most people don't see the connection between sports and religion - at least here in the US. I am always surprised to see how gullible people are when religion is put into the mix.
I think those in power will use the concept of God as a way to manipulate the masses.
People see sports as a coming together of the community - it serves as a sort of social cohesion. Religion also serves this purpose for many. Add these two together and now you have a powerful and very emotional connection where people become invested in "their team"
As for the military it is the same thing but more powerful ; it is important to form a mental connection between God and the military - those in power need to continue with their financial and political adventures abroad ( aka "war") and cannot afford to have competent people questions their motives. They will often throw God in the mix so as to encourage more people to get on board with the war machine and to discourage dissenters from speaking out ; anyone who criticizes the industrial military complex is not only a traitor to the nation but against God himself.
Actually most americans hate what the government has done with the military especially since they surrendered in Afghanistan and then murdered a family with a drone strike, and now you have these woke recruitment adds with LGBT garbage in them and its the laughing stock of the world. Enlistment numbers are at record lows, and this is after a bunch of people left because they were forcing the covid vaccine on soldiers... so yeah
I do agree with you in part but its not as true as it used to be.
Lol, uxerxvi tries to agree with me but outs himself as a homophobe instead.
Nah, mate. The world knows America for what it is - an imperialist country with its hands in nearly every world conflict for years, started by its egotistical politicians for their corporate overlords.
Get outta here you stupid homophobe, your opinions are disgusting.
Oh no, it's far from the only one. Just the one that is most obviously corrupt and yet faces no consequences because it has the rest of the world at nuclear gunpoint.
This is all to typical. Someone questions your opinion, you proceed to get angry and call them names while you all echo chamber each other. There is no discussion, the fact your 31 years old makes it even sadder.
Because without god would we be able to play sports? And we would not be free in america without the military? NO so you should be thankful for those things?
I’ve always found this very strange. A) it has ZERO to do with the game (except if it’s the Olympics, or some other “Team USA” type of thing; and B) I go to other large gatherings, such as concerts, often in the very same venues with roughly the same crowd size, and there’s no anthem beforehand. And sports has nothing to do with patriotism, so I just don’t really get the custom, why it’s particular to JUST sports. Feels like it has no place in that situation, should be more for parades or functions pertaining to the government, that’s the only place it would feel appropriate.
Professionals sports leagues are not providing a public service. They are businesses, plain and simple, and everything they do is about making money. Their main target demographic is white, Christian conservatives, and they've calculated that pandering to that group is going to earn them the most fans, and therefore money.
Because Christianity was built into our founding doctrine. What you think “endowed by their Creator means” you can’t have the system of government we have in the United States and not have a religious moral people. Why do you think in large bar Democrats hate the constitution because the constitution is religious by nature
So much for separation of church and state! Lol but yea its pretty obvious they use sports and religion to keep people dumb and distracted while they brainwash them with all kinds of messages for example to join the military and go get that sweet sweet cash and resources of other countries under the guise of bringing freedom and shopping malls to said countries lmfao 😂
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Seems extremely weird and I totally agree. It’s almost a uniquely American phenomenon — the linking of sports & god. AS FUCKING IF some dumb ass deity would give two shits about whose team won, …. it’s so self centered and narcissistic.
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It’s Biblical as one prays to Creator God for their protection and success. Ultimately, God is Sovereign in all things. Read through Kings snd Chronicles in Bible.
Never understood it either, it does not make any kind of 'rational' sense for me. Praying before a sporting event 'for the protection of the athletes" ?
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most people believe god so they bring god into their lives whatever they do sport and military.
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I don't think they are that closely tied together. I go to sporting events sometimes and there is zero discussion of God. Same if you watch it on TV. Sure, sometimes some players pray, but that's it. Same with "military worship." Occasionally sporting events will honor the military, but not always and that's not "worshipping."
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