Thursday, November 18, 2010
Religification
Perhaps the best example of religification comes in the form of sports teams. I think NFL teams are a prime example. Avid enthusiasts for a particular team, for me it's the Kansas City Chiefs, can be described as having an almost religious fervor. The games take place on Sunday, which makes it even more apt for a comparison to religion. Certain star athletes can be seen almost in idolized terms. The coaches can be seen as the religious leaders. When a team is doing bad, people are often told to "keep the faith". Another aspect that makes it similar to religion are the emotions felt during a win, which makes the fans happy, even elated. And a lose, which often equals despair. The people that oppose this "religion" are those that don't like football or sports in general, which is certainly a minority.
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When I lived in Louisiana the Saints were known as a particularly bad team. There was a popular bumpter sticker with the Saints logo that simply said "FAITH." It was if the suggestion that we would all be rewarded for our faith by some sort of salvation. Of course, the Saints have gotten better in recent years, so maybe it's all true, and the faith was what propelled them forward.
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