Tuesday, January 10, 2006

My self aggrandizing soapbox


We suck at caring for people in other countries with Aids.

We're not even that good at caring for Americans with Aids.

There...

I said it...

Now I wonder if that will elicit as much of a storm as saying that the local group of guys who wear tight pants and shoulder pads aren't that great.

We suck at stuff that matters...
(sound of a tumbleweed passing through town...chirp, chirp...)

The Bengals aren't that good
(WHAT THE CRAP! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT! THE WORLD IS GOING TO END! YOU DON'T LIKE WHO DEY...IT'S AN INCREDIBLY EMPOWERING CHEER!)

14 comments from folks who care more about the NFL than (fill in the blank anything that matters)...
is that too strong?
probably
But the reality is (and I sent in a couple of the comments....and I was the guy who wrote about it in the first place, so I'm right there with you) we do sacrifice more of our time and emotional energy on the NFL than we do on fighting AIDS.

I know people that say it's horrible that people with all this money aren't helping the poor...and that's true
But why aren't the people complaining doing anything either?
They have as much time (and usually more) than the people they're complaining about...why aren't they using their time to help?
Because we care more about the playoffs...
it's true...
Don't get all defensive if you made a comment on this blog or in person...most of us are in this boat.
I spent the afternoon watching the game and caring about it...and I don't even have one of those cool white "one" bracelets...I haven't even kicked in $1 to buy a bracelet to show my support for trendy bracelets or AIDS

My mom asked me if I felt bad about Carson Palmer...and that never even occurred to me.
I wonder how much people care that there are children's dying on the streets because no one will feed them?
No one ever asks me if I care about them.
Now if they were 6'4" and could run the 40 in 4.5...that'd be a different story

6 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:27 AM

    Quick answer: people only care about themselves. Now that you know that answer, you can stop waiting for people to do something about it. If you feel so strongly about something, then you should do something about it.

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  2. Anonymous1:46 PM

    My husband and I don't like football. I don't like to wear makeup or do my nails. My kids are growing up without a church because every church I've been to so far expects the women to like to wear makeup and jewelry and well-coiffed hair and fingernails lest they be (albeit politely and in a feminine way) ostracized and the men are expected to watch/talk about sports with the guys lest they meet with uncomfortable silence and a look like "you must be one of those homosexuals". The Christian community-- at least from this outsider-- look like a very gender-strictive unwelcoming place. I wish it didn't feel that way but it does...

    I like reading your blog though. Your thoughts are really well-stated and entertaining. I love Jesus too. He's always been there for me. I wish he would help me find a comfortable church home...

    Yep... there's more to life than football...

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  3. Anonymous4:30 PM

    You're right that most people don't care enough about the things that really matter. But even now, God is doing some amazing things all over the world. Patients are being treated, orphans are being fed, and people who have never heard the gospel are hearing it for the first time. God is moving in some amazing ways right now and we should rejoice and find hope in those things. By the grace of God, let's encourage one another to be a part of what He is doing and stop caring about the silly things we get caught up in. In the end, we win the game that really matters, and it doesn't matter how awful our quarterback is or how many fumbles we had. Let's keep our eyes on the prize and perservere til the end.

    On a blog, you usually won't get a lot of responses unless the topic is debatable. People love to argue. Football is very debatable. Whether we should love children with AIDS, not so detable. Instances like that, people usually quitely agree and keep to themselves. If you want to get a lot of responses about something important write a blog about pre-destination or something else that people like to argue about.

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  4. Well said anonymous person who doesn't wear makeup or do your nails. I love Jesus and football and rarely wear makeup myself...although my nails are to die for...

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  5. Anonymous6:01 PM

    'tis possible to care a whole lot and do a whole lot about some things without talking a lot about them.

    as for anonymous, i don't particularly feel comfortable at my church, either. it's apparently not okay to be a christian outside of college and not be married. kinda funny... i guess that most translations of the bible don't have I corinthians 7 (although mine has it all highlighted for some reason). i hope that eventually i don't feel uncomfortable there... or that i'm eventually in the non-single club.

    but being uncomfortable isn't all that bad. it might be worse if i was in a church in which i was always comfortable, maybe?

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  6. Anonymous...I know of many churches where many men don't watch football and many women don't wear make-up. So does Sean - let us know and we'll point you in the right direction. Unless, of course, you live someplace like Florida - then I would spend a lot of time on the beach if I were you. :)

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