Jesus the Puppetmaster is a great basketball player, obviously, since it's really Him playing through Lin. Must have a heckuva team in Heaven - is Jesus the point guard there? Do they play against the Devils? If the Lakers still had Zen Buddhist Phil Jackson as coach, and they had beaten Lin, could we say that Buddha was responsible? Does Jesus play against Buddha or with him on the same team in Nirvana?
What happens when a Muslim player excels? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best basketball players in history by far. Jeremy Lin has two decades or so and more than 38,000 points to catch up to Jabbar. Kareem is a convert from Christianity to Islam - does this fact mean Allah is Lord and Islam is the one true faith?
Harvard Grad Jeremy Lin Saves The New York Knicks: From Unknown To Phenom In 3 Games
And so they chanted his name into the emptying Verizon Center, all the newly sold, drawn to an instant sensation that can be made only in this electronic world. Feet pounded. Hands clapped. A roar spilled over the court as the man, unknown until five days ago, ducked his head, 23 points behind him, and ran from the din....
So after Wednesday's game, when he finally emerged from the New York locker room clad in warmups, a backpack slung across his shoulder, he gazed into a wall of cameras and journalists who never gave him a glance until last weekend, and said: "I wouldn't have imagined this. At the same time, it's just a blessing from God."
He is a Christian, vocal in his belief. And because of this and because he is a flawed player proving the experts wrong, people are comparing him to Tim Tebow. And everything was swirling out of control in the Verizon Center: Fans holding signs with Bible verses...
"Part of me is worried about the Tebow comparison," said Lin's college friend and former Bible Study partner, Eddie Lee, who stood outside the Knicks locker room as a crowd swelled in the hallway. "I hope the media doesn't take that and turn it into something."
It's probably too late for that....
Further Reading
Jeremy Lin: Even Kobe bows to his star power
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|2012-02-11 23:18:16 HectorThe usual apologist answer is that Jesus works "spiritually" through his followers. It doesn't matter if a doctor studied his ass off in medical school, because in the end God/Yahweh/Jesus/Allah/whatever gets all the credit.
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|2012-02-12 00:57:30 33Thru Tim Tebow & Jeremy Lin, Jesus Christ will get all the honor and glory for their play. Cause they will contiune to proclaim it.
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|2012-02-12 04:13:23 JH Chrestos - Lets get a gripHOLY CRAP... I'm a Knicks fan since 1969....If they try to make this garbage into some holy roller BS I swear I'll stop rooting for the Knicks until next thursday....Kidding of course
Just keep teaching, don't let down. Many thousands of years of indoctrination will not go away in our lifetime. Understand what is real and share it.
We will not win through emotional begging, we will win the minds of our fellow Homo sapiens through intelligent discourse.
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|2012-02-13 07:14:04 George - Holy lifestyle makes him a better playerWhen many of these athletes thank God or say God has blessed them it is because without him they would have fallen into the trap of drugs, strip clubs, sleeping around, partying all night, etc.. So it is thanks to God that they are as good as they are, because they are focusing on their job and using their time and money to help people, not to be self centered. God is not is up their picking who is going to win what sports game. Nor is he giving super powers or super atheltic skills to Christians. Wouldn't be much free will if all Christans were super powered, you'd all convert. So the next time you hear someone thank God, realize it just means for the help in keeping their priorities straight and living a life that isn't all about themselves.
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|2012-02-15 16:12:41 Acharya SWhen Phil Jackson was the coach of the Lakers, the team was one of the best in NBA history. Jackson practices Zen Buddhism, so does that mean Buddhism is a "holy lifestyle" which makes players better? If so, the players should all be Buddhists and should be thanking the Buddha, not the biblical god.
What happens when a Muslim player excels, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Will you believe in the Arab tribal god Allah?
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|2012-02-14 02:20:50 swami_beyondanandaGreat movie about Bhutanese Buddhist monks obsessed about football, soccer and the world cup called "The cup!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgErhy2TLUw
Charming movie about Buddhist monks, forbidden pleasure with beautiful scenic shots of Bhutan
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|2012-02-14 03:06:09 Pray HardMaybe Mormons will excel at bicycle road racing ... two at a time, of course ...
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|2012-02-15 16:38:37 BobJeremy LIN Is great to watch and a GOD Fearing individual which some on this board can't comprehend because you have not found HIM yet.... But I pray you do... The HOLY SPIRIT is working in this young man.. I do not like basketball BUT I will watch the Knicks because of Mr. Lin.. Go Jeremy and GO JESUS! So much nicer than seeing guys with tats screaming and cursing and fighting, huh???
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|2012-02-15 19:53:23 HaroldBob, what sports did Jesus play? Are you sure you're not giving credit to Jesus when maybe he deserves none whatsoever?
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|2012-02-15 22:05:43 ASLeave Bob alone with his imaginary Jewish friend who is obviously a basketball expert.
But, why would we want to find a scary God whom we should fear? What's so great and enlightened about being afraid of a giant invisible bogeyman in the sky?
I have an imaginary friend who plays soccer really well - every time a soccer player I like wins, I chalk it up to my Lord and Savior Hercules.
Go, Hercules!! Woo hoo!
I pray you come to know Hercules so you can comprehend Him. And if you don't, you'd better fear Him!
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|2012-02-19 15:37:32 Pray Hard - Too much ...So, like, instead of having a "Basketball Jones", he has a "Basketball Jesus"?
My guess is that a huge proportion of those cocaine snorting, marginally or fully criminal, pro basketballers are also Christians. Really, who cares and what does it have to do with anything?
Furthermore, if there is a God, saviors, world redeemers, prophets, etc., what does religion have to do with it? Religion is about nothing but propagating and perpetuating clergy and control of the sheeple, softening them up for economic, political and military exploitation.
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|2012-02-20 00:03:26 Robert - God is a spiritual beingGod is a spiritual being born of Creative Intelligence. Jesus was born of a Jew, a human. How can he be god? It is just blind faith of those Christians. It is the blind leading the blind. It is ridiculous to say that god helps you win the game. What if you lose the next game?
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|2012-02-27 23:57:02 Gimmesometruth - here we go againThis is yet another example of how organized religions undermine mankind's capacities. Really, it is beyond me why talented and gifted people say that all the props should go to Jesus/Allah/God. Isn't it just possible that your voice is so beautiful because you were born that way? Or that you can run like Usain Bolt because you trained so hard? I really don't get it. God has nothing to do with it, it has everything to do with yourself!
Lin thinks that his talent is a blessing from jesus. Let's assume that were true. This means that jesus favors Lin over a whole lot of other people. People who don't excel in sports or music or have any other talent are less loved by jesus, because else he would bless them too right? If jesus loves every one of his followers then why aren't all christians super successful? Why does he only select a few? Kinda jerky if you ask me, and not godlike at all because everyone is supposedly equal to god right?
People should just accept that they are unique and that they are allowed to be successful, talented, beautiful, intelligent without having to thank a fictional person for it.
LOL, thanks for another great blog, Acharya.