In a
USA Today article from earlier this week, Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies revealed that they
"have become an organization guided by Christianity." Not surprisingly, the Colorado Rockies are owned by Republican wingnut and brewery magnate Pete Coors.
So why is it that the people who are the most outspoken about having lifestyles "shoved down their throat" are the most likely to force their beliefs on others? And why does the public tolerate it?
More below the flip...
I don't think it's much of a surprise that this is happening in Colorado, headquarters of Christo-fascist leader James Dobson and his Focus on the Family cult. The Air Force Academy is also located in Colorado, (Colorado Springs in fact, the exact location of Focus on the Family). And remember that the Air Force Academy has been embroiled in controversy because of its increasingly intolerant views toward other religions besides evangelical Christianity.
The religious wingnuts will not be happy until they permeate and overthrow every vestige of public and private life, ultimately creating an American theocracy... OK, hold on, I'm beginning to rant...
Here are excerpts from the the USA Today article:
Baseball's Rockies seek revival on two levels
By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
DENVER -- No copies of Playboy or Penthouse are in the clubhouse of baseball's Colorado Rockies. There's not even a Maxim. The only reading materials are daily newspapers, sports and car magazines and the Bible.
Music filled with obscenities, wildly popular with youth today and in many other clubhouses, is not played. A player will curse occasionally but usually in hushed tones. Quotes from Scripture are posted in the weight room. Chapel service is packed on Sundays. Prayer and fellowship groups each Tuesday are well-attended. It's not unusual for the front office executives to pray together.
On the field, the Rockies are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons and only the second time in their 14-year history. Behind the scenes, they quietly have become an organization guided by Christianity -- open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.
From ownership on down, it's an approach the Rockies are proud of -- and something they are wary about publicizing. "We're nervous, to be honest with you," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd says. "It's the first time we ever talked about these issues publicly. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone because of our beliefs."
Is that so? Then how do former Rockies view the team?
Is it possible that some Rockies are playing the role of good Christians just to stay in the team's good graces? Yes, former Rockies say.
"They have a great group of guys over there, but I've never been in a clubhouse where Christianity is the main purpose," says San Francisco Giants first baseman-outfielder Mark Sweeney, a veteran of seven organizations who spent 2003 and 2004 with the Rockies. "You wonder if some people are going along with it just to keep their jobs.
"Look, I pray every day," Sweeney says. "I have faith. It's always been part of my life. But I don't want something forced on me. Do they really have to check to see whether I have a Playboy in my locker?"
So is AZnomad just exaggerating what's going on with the Rockies up there in Colorado?
While praising their players, Rockies executives make clear they believe God has had a hand in the team's improvement.
"You look at things that have happened to us this year," O'Dowd says. "You look at some of the moves we made and didn't make. You look at some of the games we're winning. Those aren't just a coincidence. God has definitely had a hand in this."
Earth to O"Dowd... the Rockies are in LAST PLACE IN THEIR DIVISION!
And what are some other priceless quotes coming from members of the Rockies' organization? Here's Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort:
"Christians, and what they've endured, are some of the strongest people in baseball. I believe God sends signs, and we're seeing those."
And club President Keli McGregor:
"Who knows where we go from here? The ability to handle success will be a big part of the story, too. There will be distractions. There will be things that can change people. But we truly do have something going on here. And (God's) using us in a powerful way."
And what do other organizations think of the born-again Rockies?
Other baseball executives say they appreciate the Rockies' new emphasis on good character but say they would never try to build a team of Christian believers.
I concur.
