JW in the Olympics...
by InquiryMan 2 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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OnTheWayOut
I love this about the Muslim rower:
As for all practising Muslims taking part, Sbehi will be confronted with the issue in 2012 of how to manage the fact that the Games fall during the annual fasting month of Ramadan. It is something he has discussed with Mo Farah, the country’s outstanding distance runner, and he has sought advice from his faith community.
'Personally I am going to postpone my fasting, and do it after the Games. What I do is between me and Allah,' says Sbehi.
'I did the same thing last year because Ramadan coincided with our high altitude training. It is a complication but we look upon it as a blessed situation.'
So the religious/spiritual observances are extremely important, unless they interfere with representing your non-Muslim Britain in the Olympics. Then.....no big deal if you postpone them. But at least that's the beginning of seeing how stupid such observances are.
As for the JW, Dan Ritchie, all it really says about him is:
Like Sbihi he feels that his religious adherence is an asset in a sport that requires enormous self-discipline. The complication in his case might be that his faith precludes him from saluting the national anthem, although he stresses that he would still stand for it out of respect.
Typical of adult JW's. All the anthem and flag-salute pressure is on kids and adults just "stand for it." Isn't that what all the athletes do anyway.... just stand for it? I might have reported that "the complication for Ritchie is that he is representing his country at the same time he belongs to a group that abhores any kind of national pride, and he is competing for something that could give him personal glory while belonging to a group that insists members not even celebrate birthdays because that is celebrating and honoring 'yourself' instead of Jehovah."
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