April 3, 2009
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Baseball and the Bible have lots
in common. They both require us
to suspend our need for the truth
in order to play the game!
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Have you ever been watching a baseball game on television and swear that the called strike was outside the plate. And then they show a “slo-mo" replay that confirms your suspicions. Your personal satisfaction is shortlived, however, as the anouncer claims that the umpire “got it right” because the ball just shaved the “outside corner”.
What replay was the announcer watching? Plainly, the ball was two inches outside of the plate! And, nobody is complaining, unless we could read the batter’s lips as he bnegrudgingly heads back to the dugout.He has to accept the umpires judgement. That is the way the game is played.
We are prone to accept these errors in judgment by an umpire because, after all, baseball is just a game. Granted, thousands of dollars may have changed hands over the call. Careers may have been tainted, but not likely, because the insiders know that the umpires are only human and that is an accepted part of the game.
When the batter “took” he knew, the pitcher knew, the catcher knew and most likely, the umpire knew that the pitch was a “ball”. But the call was out of his mouth and it was too late to correct. Reputations were at stake — his, and baseball’s!
In the professional game, players keep a “book” on umpires around the league. One may favour the pitcher with a "wider " plate. Others favour the outside or the inside. Some call lower strikes than others. If you are a professional ball player, you learn to adjust. That is what makes you a pro. You don't need a truthful umpire, just a consistent one.
If you examined many of the home plate arguments, you will find that the problem was inconsistency. A low pitch in the third inning was a ball. The same pitch later on becomes a strike.
If we needed truth in order to enjoy the game of baseball, we would be disappointed. If we had any need for truth in order to enjoy the game, we would first have to eliminate that need.
A part of our conditioning process is that we do not look too closely.
The same can be said of the Bible.
When you hear that people believe in the Bible, you find that most of them don’t believe in all of it. For example, while the “born agains” profess belief in the Bible, they also claim that with the coming of Christ, you can disregard the instructions and claims of the Old Testament — except when the old text provides a good sermon. This also saves them the immense problem of explaining away many of their god's instructions. These instructions apparently were changed when Jesus arrived on the scene. Which ones, of course depends on who is calling the game.
For example, reference to homosexual practices and how they are against god's teachings, are found in the Bible's old testament. In this case, the "born agains" prefer the old testament's instructions. Its the same as when the baseball umpire decides he will call the low balls strikes. Other umpires will differ. To further this example of "Christian" acceptance of homosexuality, consider how many Christian churches accept homosexuals as priests and bishops.
As baseball umpires come in a variety of flavours, so do versions of Christianity. Some do! Some don't!
Confusing, of course, to the onlooker, is that they all profess to believe in their bible. The fact that members of the same congregration can use as many as four or five different versions of the Bible doesn't seem to phase them. According to them, the Bible is God's word.
I would submit that on that basis, their God has changed his mind many times over the past 2,000 years.
Personally, I enjoy a life without this confusion because I live . . . without gods!
Anton Kozlik
P.S. As an ex-sports writer, I never liked baseball either. It was just a necessary part of my job.
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