The Olympic Dream

A Renaissance of Unholy Oneness

by Berit Kjos - 1996

and Olympic spirits and global illusions

The spirit behind Zeus, the ancient god of the Olympics, would have been pleased. Never has so large a flock sung his hymn and cheered his sacred flame. Never have so many people celebrated a timeless ritual involving earth-centered spirits and the "tribes" they inspire. And never have so many international heroes been idolized for their physical prowess, regardless of moral character.

Never have so many nations cheered the dream of global oneness. Awaiting a spiritual and physical renaissance "powerful enough to unite the world,"1 the Olympic dream was born in 1896 when Frenchman Pierre deCoubertin revived the ancient Olympic games. Now, on its 100th birthday, the dream burns stronger than ever, fueled by wishful thinking, globalist propaganda, and the utopian ambitions of the United Nations.

Few dare burst the politically correct bubble by telling the truth: that oneness without God contradicts all of history's warnings about the cruelties of human nature and the tyrannies of godless rulers. That truth had no place in the opening ceremony on July 19, 1996. Instead, the crowd of 83,000 in Atlanta cheered as five "Olympic spirits" wrapped in silvery cloth and masked as sun gods rose out of the earth. Representing the five regions and colors of the world, they writhed like serpents while chanting mystical invocations to "summon the tribes" of the world.

The five tribes came. Costumed in the Olympic colors-blue for Europe, green for Australia, yellow for Asia, red for the Americas, and black for Africa-the five hundred tribes-people streamed into the arena. After a frenzied dance to the beat of a percussion arrangement by Mickey Hart, a "Grateful Dead" drummer, the color-coded groups formed the five interlocking rings of the Olympic symbol, welcoming the "the global family" to celebrate the renewal of the Olympic dream.

Human butterflies and chrome pick-up trucks were part of a strange medley of Southern impressions. As a token reminder that Christians, too, belong to the global family and Georgia's history, the medley included a parade of "churchgoers"-stiff, lifeless 28 foot tall puppets in elegant white dress and top hats. "O when the saints come marching in..." played the band.

A giant thunderbird, a Navajo symbol of divine power and fire-and-rain from heaven, brought an obscure reminder of "the heartache and travail of the South, including the Civil War." But healing was on its way: a white-winged goddess-like "Southern Spirit" came to "reawaken the landscape." "Hallelujah! Hallelujah...." sang the Hallelujah Choir.

In a "tribute to the ancient Greek Olympians and...the unifying power of these ancient games," the arena was transformed into the old Olympia. There, back in 776 B.C.-when Nike was the Goddess of Victory, not a trademark for shoes-the original games began. The walls of a fifty-foot-high temple to Zeus showed silhouettes of Greek athletes in action and of victory goddesses crowning the winners with olive wreaths.

Suddenly the lights dimmed, celebrations ceased, and the world turned dark. "The darkness represents the 1500 years when the games were forgotten," explained the commentator. He omitted the reason for those dark ages: that the games were banned in AD 394 by Roman Emperor Theodosius who became a Christian and could no longer condone the pagan celebrations.

But contemporary Americans, well-trained in multicultural tolerance, have learned to ignore God's warnings concerning "other gods" and pagan rituals. "A new voice was heard," continued the commentator. "Pierre de Coubertin's. He said, 'We shall light the Olympic flame once more, and this time keep it burning-an everlasting tribute to all that is great and noble in mankind.'"

All that is great and noble? From whose perspective? Sports and physical exercise is good, but it takes more than athletic prowess to make anyone great and noble. "Exercise yourself toward godliness," said the apostle Paul. "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things...." (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Forgotten in the flurry of the festivities were the hurt and angry people whose homes had been razed and whose businesses were destroyed to create parking space and more presentable surroundings for Olympic fans. "The Olympics have devastate this neigborhood,"2 said J. Davis, a hairdresser in what was a thriving black-owned business area.

But such conflict of interests should come as no surprise. To globalist leaders, the ends justify the means. Personal interests must be sacrificed on the altar of a higher good. Since global celebrations are needed to raise consciousness and spread the dream of unity, individuals must learn to serve a greater whole.

This need for public rituals was stressed at the 1996 United Nations conference in Istanbul. As Dr. Benjamin Ladner, President of American University, said during a day long panel discussion on Solidarity: "We must commit ourselves to the work of imagining our common humanity....and of enacting civic rituals that resonate with the music of our ancestors."3

"What's needed is ...something analogous to the ancient acropolis," added James Morton, dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, "where today's diversity of national and ethnic customs and religious traditions can be celebrated and upheld for the enrichment of everybody....The new acropolises will... provide opportunity for sacred expression needed to bind the people of the planet into a viable, meaningful, and sustainable solidarity."

This global oneness sounds good to those who reject biblical truth and have forgotten the lessons of history. Global peace sounds good to those who want security and have never known political oppression. And global controls sound good to those who fear terrorism more than totalitarianism and are prepared to sacrifice American freedoms to fulfill utopian dreams. Small wonder then, that over 3 billion viewers4 around the world approve these pagan rites and the "power of the dream." It costs nothing to dream, but the unified world it envisions would be costly beyond measure.

The Bible tells us so. God withdrew His protection and blessings when ancient Israel turned from its Creator and Shepherd to "other gods" and pagan rituals. Famine, wars, plagues and oppression followed. Yet, America-built on Biblical truth and blessed by its Creator-has opened its arms to all the pagan seductions that deceived God's people long ago.

God has an answer to our problem: repentance-confessing our sin and turning back to the Shepherd who loves us. But even these guidelines have been turned upside-down by those who seek a planetary utopia rather than biblical truth. Millard Fuller, president of Habitat for Humanity, who shared both the globalist vision and the UN platform with James Morton and Dr. Ladner, said: "We must repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand ... What Jesus really said was to ...change your whole way of thinking, because the new order of the spirit is confronting and challenging you." His call was to a renewing of minds with the new globalist, inter-faith perspective, not with biblical truth.

False teaching, twisted interpretations, and occult deceptions would multiply in end times. "Christians" would deceive and betray each other. Those who follow Christ "will be hated by all nations.... And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." (Matthew 24:9, 12) Yet, throughout history, opposition has strengthened, not stopped, the Christian message.

Mingling silently with Olympic fans and idolized athletes were two massive armies: (1) the 30,000 soldiers, undercover agents, and security officers who offered physical protection during the games; and (2) countless Christian soldiers offering God's spiritual protection for all eternity. They knew that, for a moment in time, the world's mission fields have come to Atlanta, and they would use every opportunity to show the only Way to fulfill the dream of transcultural oneness and everlasting peace.

Endnotes:

1 This and other unidentified quotes were part of the ongoing comments by the hosts and narrators--usually not visible to viewers--who explained the ceremony.
2 Ann Killion, "Stung by the Olympic Movement," San Jose Mercury News, July 20, 1996.
3 I attended and taped this conversation.
4 "A reported 3.5 billion people around the world watched...." Joan Ryan, "Inspiring Opening to Olympics," San Francisco Chronicle, July 20, 1996.

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