GrogDog
bad attitude
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Join me on a walk through the minefield of Will Hopoate's decision not to play NRL on Sundays
Date
March 30, 2016 - 4:18PM
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist
Let's cut to the chase.
Let's talk about the news that broke this week that Will Hopoate has told his employers, the Canterbury Bulldogs, that he won't be playing or training on Sundays, because it is against the beliefs of his Mormon religion and ...
And why have so many of you suddenly run for the exits, screaming "run for your lives, it's gunna blow, it's gunna blow!"
Church comes first: Will Hopoate. Photo: Renee McKay
Oh. Oh, I see. You think I am going to charge out into that freaking MINEFIELD called "RELIGION" – as I have been wont to do – blowing loud raspberries in Hopoate's general direction. You think I am going to jeer and sneer, not cheer?
Well, not quite. Stay with me.
Sneering unpleasantly at religion is only truly fun when people are pompously citingtheir own belief in a Magic Sky Daddy as a reason all society should or shouldn't do something, like citing The Bible when it comes to gay marriage and abortion rights, or just being insufferably pompous in general.
The problem on this one is that the humble Hopoate seems like such a nice young man, I can't really go the full unpleasant sneer. But let's go slowly out into the minefield anyway, and first throw out flat armoured shields, and if they don't blow up, we can use them as stepping stones to get to the other side. Sound like a plan?
Let's start with the most obvious.
So, mocking Hopoate for the Mormon belief alone doesn't get us there, even though it is indeed ludicrous – or did I mention that – just no more ludicrous than the others.
From here, I would like to shout that this is outrageous on at least a contractual basis, because Hopoate didn't make these beliefs clear to the Bulldogs before signing! But, apparently he did and they signed him anyway – which means we haven't got a leg to stand on there. More fool Canterbury.
So all I have is a question, Will, which I can't resist asking while I have your attention. I note that you and many footballing believers of various stripes point to the skies, thanking your God when you score, the general idea being that He is the one who has made you great enough to score, just as He created everything else that is wonderful! My question was first posed by the great naturalist David Attenborough. Paraphrased and applied to this situation, it is this: if your God created all those extraordinary things, including, I guess footballers who can score tries, why did he also create the parasitic worm that bores through the eyes of children in West Africa, rendering them blind?
"Are you telling me," Attenborough asks, "that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child's eyeball?"
Killer question, isn't it? And one to ponder this Sunday? Good luck with the season. You seem like a fine young man.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-fit...t-to-play-nrl-on-sundays-20160330-gnu6j8.html
Date
March 30, 2016 - 4:18PM
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist
Let's cut to the chase.
Let's talk about the news that broke this week that Will Hopoate has told his employers, the Canterbury Bulldogs, that he won't be playing or training on Sundays, because it is against the beliefs of his Mormon religion and ...
And why have so many of you suddenly run for the exits, screaming "run for your lives, it's gunna blow, it's gunna blow!"
Church comes first: Will Hopoate. Photo: Renee McKay
Oh. Oh, I see. You think I am going to charge out into that freaking MINEFIELD called "RELIGION" – as I have been wont to do – blowing loud raspberries in Hopoate's general direction. You think I am going to jeer and sneer, not cheer?
Well, not quite. Stay with me.
Sneering unpleasantly at religion is only truly fun when people are pompously citingtheir own belief in a Magic Sky Daddy as a reason all society should or shouldn't do something, like citing The Bible when it comes to gay marriage and abortion rights, or just being insufferably pompous in general.
The problem on this one is that the humble Hopoate seems like such a nice young man, I can't really go the full unpleasant sneer. But let's go slowly out into the minefield anyway, and first throw out flat armoured shields, and if they don't blow up, we can use them as stepping stones to get to the other side. Sound like a plan?
Let's start with the most obvious.
- It is every one's right to believe in whatever religion they damn well please, and no one can question Hopoate's perfect right to pursue his faith. So far, so good? (Mind you, together with freedom of religion, I maintain there is a freedom to blow loud raspberries when religion says atheists like me will burn in hell for all eternity, but let's leave that for the moment. The point is you can all jump with me to this shield.)
- The fact that Hopoate does seem like such a fine young man – as good as you'd find in six days march in any direction – is likely a credit to his mother, but, yes, also his religious values have probably had something to do with it. (We're still alive. No one can disagree so far! Keep going!)
- How refreshing, to have a league player make headlines on something sort of nice for a change, not a Saturday night atrocity! (Hop, skip, and JUMP, here we all are in the middle of the minefield! Nice work.)
So, mocking Hopoate for the Mormon belief alone doesn't get us there, even though it is indeed ludicrous – or did I mention that – just no more ludicrous than the others.
From here, I would like to shout that this is outrageous on at least a contractual basis, because Hopoate didn't make these beliefs clear to the Bulldogs before signing! But, apparently he did and they signed him anyway – which means we haven't got a leg to stand on there. More fool Canterbury.
So all I have is a question, Will, which I can't resist asking while I have your attention. I note that you and many footballing believers of various stripes point to the skies, thanking your God when you score, the general idea being that He is the one who has made you great enough to score, just as He created everything else that is wonderful! My question was first posed by the great naturalist David Attenborough. Paraphrased and applied to this situation, it is this: if your God created all those extraordinary things, including, I guess footballers who can score tries, why did he also create the parasitic worm that bores through the eyes of children in West Africa, rendering them blind?
"Are you telling me," Attenborough asks, "that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child's eyeball?"
Killer question, isn't it? And one to ponder this Sunday? Good luck with the season. You seem like a fine young man.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-fit...t-to-play-nrl-on-sundays-20160330-gnu6j8.html
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