QUALIFING out of STATE......HOW DID THEY DO

[NumeroUno]

I saw that "R" word pop up and I was going to jump in head first but I didn't. Religion and politics
will turn people ugly real quick.

God Bless #1

[Skarp]

I saw that "R" word pop up and I was going to jump in head first but I didn't. Religion and politics
will turn people ugly real quick.

God Bless #1

So I guess you could say that my post was a sublimely noxious combination.

Excellent!!

[coolstuff]

OK, but I still have something to say about the "R" topic.

I am a faithful, practicing Christian and I still thought that the event as described was a little odd, but ultimately harmless.

[RudeDog]

Hey I got a better idea: Lets leave religion at home and play Softball.

(And it really did creep me the @#$% out!)

Hey NuNu's Dad,
I hope this doesn't creep you out too much but I have to let you know that I prayed for all the girls on our team (including your DD) before every game we played and quite a bit during each game. Of course the difference I guess is that I didn't force you to be included in my prayer so I didn't impose on you or your family but I did pray for the girls safety and that they would receive wisdom, knowledge, peace and favor in all the situations of life including softball and I did it all
(cover your eyes and ears)...................................................


in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I hope we can still be friends

[NuNu's Dad]

Hey Rude,
Somebody finally got my point. I don't begrudge ANYONE their beliefs. Just don't force everyone to engage in a group prayer activity. I know that probably everyone is doing a little praying individually, but we should all respect each others boundaries.

And yes we CAN still be friends!!!


By the way someone should have prayed for all the blues eyes so that they could see the strike zone, and protect the pitchers from having to throw meatballs that were getting hit through the box!

[Blind Squirrel]

Okay, I'll weigh in since I'm up early and have time. I have been an agnostic for decades. My wife's side of the family is as religious as typical American families. They say Grace before dinner and I try to follow along. I haven't yet felt any pain from the experience. Not an ounce. If folks around me say a prayer, I certainly don't mind. I don't believe as they do but that is a daily occurrence on matters not involving religion. Coping is quite effortless. As long as no one asks me to lead the prayers I'm good. I wouldn't know how to lead the prayers so that would cause me to feel a bit embarrassed. While somewhat aware (I'm not a historian) of the role religion has played WRT to violence around the world at various times, I believe religion has, overall, been a quite positive thing. Religious crusades, jahads, child molestations etc. get the headlines, so to speak, while the good that churches routinely do for people all over the world on a daily basis seems overlooked by those with an interest in condemning. The efforts of religious groups to help the homeless in this country are beyond admirable.

That being said, I strongly disagree on every level with efforts to deny same sex marriage. I have yet to hear a reason that has the tiniest merit. Because of what the Bible says? Someone please explain to me why I have never heard, in 50 years, of any desire to have adultery made a criminal act. Is that not in the Bible as well. Folks talk of some "harm" that same sex marriage between people they will never even see, much less have contact with, will have on families. Worried about harm to families? How many families are affected directly and profoundly by adultery, yet all the talk and desire and effort to use religious belief as a basis for enacting a law focuses on something that folks typically have no knowledge of as far as particular instances. I'm sure folks will assume that adultery has played some huge role in my life and that is the reason I feel this way. Nope. Never experienced it with my parents, my wife of 19 years or even girlfriends prior to being married. I have seen it break up a number of families we have known through sports over the years. Religious folks have the same right to lobby for change as anyone else. I just wonder about their choice if they are truly concerned about "the family."

Good thing this has to do with kids playing softball and qualifying out of state. Otherwise, this tangential post would make me look really stupid. Perhaps it meets that standard based on content in any context. I type with impunity as I expect no negative response or expression of disagreement.

John

[Skarp]

Hey Rude,
Somebody finally got my point. I don't begrudge ANYONE their beliefs. Just don't force everyone to engage in a group prayer activity. I know that probably everyone is doing a little praying individually, but we should all respect each others boundaries.

Those girls from Georgia were probably just doing what people from planets other California and New York normally do, and as such didn't view it as "forcing" their views on anyone or disrespecting anyone's boundaries. They probably also aren't remotely aware of how freaky, off-putting and creepy they are (but perhaps that's an unfortunate corollary of being freaky, offputting and creepy).

So since you were no longer in California, nor surrounded by the more enlightened folk therefrom, why not just say "hey, when in Rome..."? After all, to the extent that a brief group prayer is common practice in that neck of the woods, isn't requiring them to suspend that practice for your benefit an imposition of your beliefs on them?

What if the girls had merely huddled together and the girls from the other team had said: "Hey, let's keep things in perspective here. This is just a game. Let's all play clean, have fun, walk away healthy and walk away friends." Would that be offensive? Aren't there certain value judgments and beliefs being imposed in such a speech, and weren't your kids "forced" to endure it? As I see it, that's essentially what a pre-game prayer is...a reminder to keep things in perspective and that the persons and relationships involved are infinitely more important than the outcome of the game.

BTW: religion, for it to have any meaning whatsoever, necessarily permeates and informs every aspect of a believer's life. That's not fanatacism...that's just actual faith, as opposed to faith-lite. The gist of your "fanatacism" comment is that faith/religion is okay on your view, so long as it's completely without substance.

[dustyshoes]

By the way someone should have prayed for all the blues eyes so that they could see the strike zone, and protect the pitchers from having to throw meatballs that were getting hit through the box!

...may they giveth the corners to the pitchers and turn the other cheek to coaches in need of anger management therapy. May they be righteous and just in calling infield flys and illegal pitches yet humble in seeking the counsel of the FU who had the better view on a bang-bang play. Most of all, may they be well versed in the gospel of the ASA rule book, amen. PLAY BALL!

Boy has this thread gotten hijacked or what? Back to the topic of going out of state to find an easier regional qualifier, I would have no problem with it if my team got eliminated in a local reagional qualifier by some carpetbagging team from Socal, nationals should always have the strongest field possible in lieu of equal geographical representation. What I don't get is this "unwritten" rule that one cal team isn't supposed to sign up for the same cupcake out of state qualifying tournament that another cal team has already signed up for. I'm sure most coaches try to avoid the high cost of travelling across the country to eliminate their neighbor who also paid a lot to get there but what's wrong with bringing some high stakes, quality softball to us unwashed masses here in flyover land?

[narent]

Hey I got a better idea: Lets leave religion at home and play Softball.

(And it really did creep me the @#$% out!)

Keep in mind that a lot of these girls, even those who are not from "the south" ARE "leaving their religion at home" every time they are playing on Sunday. Folks from the south are generally more involved with their religion than folks from other parts of the country. That's not to say that they are more religious, it just means that they dedicate more time to their church (in general... I know that there are exceptions). What this means is that the typical southern softball player is making a greater spiritual sacrifice by foregoing church on Sundays in order to play ball. Some teams will actually have a parent volunteer to conduct a mini-service on Sunday morning at the ball field for those interested and they will invite other teams to participate. This is nothing more than "Southern Hospitality" and is in no way intented to make other teams uncomfortable.

The discomfort you were experiencing was nothing more than "culture shock". I'm sure if our team from Mississippi came out to play in CA and encountered a "shim" or two, we would be equally distressed and uncomfortable. We have our prayer, you have your shims.

[SSdad]

For those of you that do not know the meaning of the "shim" reference