Comments on the Olympics 9-2000

Olympics

From Alison: I watched the closing ceremonies last night and the announcers stopped just short of calling it Greek Pagan worship. There were people walking a spiral of wheat, they said something about "mother earth", they had Eros the love god, and I am positive I heard the term "harvest festival" (or "harvest" something) used at least once. I was surprised when the documentary before the closing ceremonies said the torch relay started with Hitler's Olympics. That would seem like a good reason to discontinue it, but the Olympics organizers apparently don't agree.

The original Olympics were performed with the athletes naked and in fact the word "gymnastics" comes from the Greek word "gymnos" which means naked, so the comment about the current Olympics exhibiting naked people shouldn't really be surprising. The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles featured two headless nude statues of a male and female. The whole concept of the Olympics is Pagan anyhow and a lot of European-origin Pagan worship has included public nakedness and still does (I've seen this personally, because I used to be a Pagan!).

From Kurt F: As much as I have come to abhor the "games" and "sports" mentality and history of the Olympics and what they stand for, I think you are taking the wrong tact on this. The much bigger issue here is that there are rules that govern human activity such as gymnastics competition to protect against "playing god" by second guessing decisions from imperfect human judges. Mistakes by judges are factored into competitions or else there would be never-ending disputes that would mar the events. According to international gymnastic rules, they were prohibited from going back and reviewing videotapes of events to check for scoring errors.

However, the governing authorities at the Olympics violated these rules and did just that! That's where they found this judging error. However, if you review the whole tape, it was found that the judges also incorrectly deducted points from Hamm's routine that would have given Hamm extra points. In every way, shape, and form, the medal should stand from a Biblical perspective. The real story here, from a Christian perspective, is that laws or standards are disregarded, in order to achieve a politically correct or majority pleasing outcome.

We can't be taken in by antinomian worldviews (rules or laws don't count, it's the final outcome that matters that is pleasing to most or seems reasonable). The ideas of standards that need to be followed is really what is under attack here, not poor Paul Hamm and a supposedly "moral" decision he should have to make!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5833098/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5812580/

Former gymnast Peter Vidmar's video interview on how gymnastics judging is properly handled and that if you review a tape, the entire tape has to be reviewed for other "errors" and where does this lead us? Chaos and confusion on who is a real winner in the subjective valuing of artistic performances...

Thank you Kurt, for the correction -- and for providing the additional information. In case others wonder how this discussion began, I will post the old link below (I deleted it from the news section).

Hamm Is 0-2 as Dispute Continues [Registration required]: "On a night that should have been a continuation of the Olympics he had always dreamed of, Paul Hamm, the American all-around gymnastics gold medalist, walked off the gym floor with a frown.... And looming was the prospect that he may have to share his all-around gold with Yang Tae Young of South Korea....
     "On Sunday, South Korean Olympic officials... met with the United States Olympic Committee's chairman... to discuss the possibility of duplicate gold medals after a scoring error cost Yang the gold....
     "I guess it's up to them if I share the gold, but I don't feel like that would be the right thing," [Hamm] said. "Right now, I feel like I shouldn't even be dealing with this. I'm glad I'm able to clear the air here and make sure everyone in the U.S. understands that I'm not a silver medalist. I'm a gold medalist. Once the meet is over, it's over." (8-23-04)
      Hamm had an opportunity to set a wonderful example: to offer to share the gold medal with the rightful winner. Instead he wanted to stand at the pinnacle alone. What if the tables were turned and the error had been in the favor of South Korea rather than the U.S.? See From mythical dreams to sobering realities

From K: Last night our 6:00 news from Edmonton Alberta, Canada, had a feature on (literally) some of the fruit stemming from the Olympics. The story featured athletes who are posing semi-nude to nude (there was a strong female homosexual innuendo element as some women posed together) throughout the games for fame and $$. Playboy is there making it's presence and desires known.

I thought of your articles when the commentator closed his piece with a comment stating that 'perhaps the games were reverting back to the original Olympics' - then cut to a relief sculpture depicting two nude male athletes -and further commented that 'only now it is just some of the athletes who are nude'.

Come Lord Jesus!!

2002 - Winter Games in Salt Lake City

From Hikaru Shidou: As I came across your website I found some errors: The Ancient Olympic Games were not banned because of christianity. After a drunken Emperor Nero won the Chariot Race, with no more participants on the track, or even finishing the course, the people voted to cancel them, as they were disrespectful to the gods.

It is interesting to see how the historical record is conformed to politically correct thinking. Would you please tell me the source of your information? I find it difficult to believe that Roman emperors would yield to the vote of the people. Rome wasn't like the USA, you know.

The Olympic flame is just to show that what was started in Greece is shared with the world. Nothing to do with worshiping Zeus.

Please review The Olympic Dream: A Renaissance of Unholy Oneness. Olympic organizers work hard to re-create the image and spiritual atmosphere of ancient Olympus, the mountain of Zeus and his pantheon of gods. The atmosphere of this year's games is slightly different. Since the opening ceremony was appropriately set in the context of Australian history, the earth-centered rituals were based in reality and not nearly as dramatic as the pagan, fantasy-based rituals of the earlier years.

Let your kids have some imagination! It is your fanatical attitude that drives people away from your religion.

About the symbols: You really need to think what you say, you know? When I see a five point star I think of flags, and a spiral reminds me of sushi or swiss roll! Symbols are what you make of them.

I agree. That's why I mentioned, in our introduction to the symbols, that pictures of stars, which were made by God, are usually just stars. It's the context, beliefs and purpose behind those images that produce the occult connection.

I bet all anime fans will agree with me in this, is anime is wrong evil and will send us to hell, it is worth while!

You also seem to "dislike" feminists. Well, Berit, let me tell you, if it wasn't for them you wouldn't be able to write this page, as technology was just for men, and women were not allowed to air their opinions.

-"The lights on the sky are the stars, and the stars on the earth are the people".

Now post it!

Second letter from Hikaru (alias Poola Skywater): You are right! I'm sorry! By "people" I meant the participating athletes! THEY were the ones that considered the Emperor's attitude "incorrect" towards their gods, after all, they were competing just to please the gods.

The information can be found in a book called: "History of Sports and other Competitions", the rest of the details are just gone...it was a while back in school, but it's not hard to find. I don't live in the States.

And finally: let the people recreate all the facts of an ancient event! You recreate the birth of Jesus every December, and that is right, isn't it?

You complain of the governments "brain washing" and you are doing just the same, only based on your own views. Thanks.

Thank you for the clarification, Hikaru. As for brainwashing, keep in mind that I am not trying to change your views. But if I did try, I would never use the brainwashing strategies developed by behavioral psychologists in educational laboratories that treat children as guinea pigs.

As I have written many times, I speak from a Biblical perspective to help Christian parents encourage their children in their faith. I have no power to influence the Olympics. I can neither stop its global celebrations nor "let the people" go.

But I can and do explain to those who want to listen that the two spiritual paths (or crossroads) -- Christianity and earth-centered religions -- are incompatible. You can believe or do anything you choose, and I will still care about you as a person.

Your Comments

Olympics