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Olympics Start Tonight


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Anyone getting excited about Olympics starting tonight?

 

Our family has a tradition for opening ceremonies. Always get together and try to guess which country is coming in next in the opening parade.

 

You'd think it wouldn't be too hard since they arrive in alphabetical order (except Greece and host country). But, either the maps keep changing or we are horribly deficient in geography skills. We even forgot China one year!

 

College son is coming home tonight to continue the tradition! Can't wait.

 

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Ok, so the music selection for the parade of nations was at least "suspect", disco tunes and 80's American pop?

 

I can only think the organizers were out to embarass the US, though I just may be paronoid

 

BTW, I was hoping the USA team would come out to the strains of the Boss's "Born in the USA"

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I noticed that when the Italian team came out, they arrived to an Italian song.

Yoko looked good, but I think "Give Peace a chance" might have been a better selection.

I know that I know the music that was played when they carried the flag in - But I'm having a hard time remembering what it is called.

It's stuck in my head - I'm driving myself and the dogs nuts singing it - Please help!!

Eamonn.

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With each passing year, more countries either trample or ignore principle in favor of self-serving politics. This fact alone has caused my fond memories of the Olympics to fade. I enjoyed the Olympics better when the worlds countries knew they were accountable to God, and acted accordingly. While the world's history has been riddled with wars and other cataclysmic events, the Olympics have become a godless celebration of individual human achievement. Furthermore, if/when the games attempt to speak to world unity, it too is celebrated as a potential reality which can only be brought about through human effort (i.e. We are the world, Give peace a chance, Imagine there's no heavenImagine all of the people, etc.) Our capacity to celebrate ourselves is boundless. Instead, we should be on our knees before God, praying for humble hearts.

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Rooster7

I respect you and your views.

Still I can't help thinking that you need to "Lighten up a little"

How would you have felt if they had Sung: Let there be peace on earth?

Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now,

With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow,

To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!

Is this really such a far cry from:

 

 

Ev'rybody's talking about

Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism

This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m.

 

All we are saying is give peace a chance

All we are saying is give peace a chance ?

 

It seems to me that a lot of people who are unable to relate to falling on their knees before God, praying for humble hearts are able to relate to:

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

As I say I respect you and your views. I hope that if you get time that you will say a prayer for me.

Circling the wagons and being ultra conservative is not only boring, but it does not capture the heart of Christ. At the end of Mass every Sunday I hear "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord"

Loving and serving the Lord when there is peace is a lot easier for me.

Eamonn.

 

 

 

 

 

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I heard an interview the other day with the man who did the scoring for the opening ceremonies (including all that bad 80s pop rock). He's a Canadian who came to fame as a techno/rave dj in Detroit and Windsor. In the interview he mentioned something about trying to choose music that the whole world could relate to, along with some "different" music that people were less familiar with (ie, his own techno stuff). So I rather expect that some people could be reading a little too much into some of the musical selections?

 

Lisa'bob

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For the record, my disdain for what the Olympics has become, goes beyond last nights music selection. Also for the record, my disdain is not directed at those who embrace these games, as if the Olympics represent some sort of pinnacle of human bonding. My disdain is for the idea, which is promoted shamelessly throughout Europe, and more recently the United States, that peace on earth and the resolution of all the worlds problems are within the grasp of mans good nature. The fact is - the best that man has to offer cannot change the hearts of other men and make the world a better place to live. While we ought to strive for world peace, we need to start by recognizing first and foremost that Gods hand is required. We need to stop our self idolatry.

 

Eamonn,

 

You may worship God thinking Lennons lyrics are harmless. Perhaps you even find these words to be noble:

 

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

 

As for me, I find them to be offensivenot to be taken lightly. I implore every God-fearing man and woman to understand the implication of his words. Hes implying that our faith in God is the cause of the worlds evils.

 

Lastly, why or how you linked my opinion on the Olympics and how they reflect humanism - to my conservative political views is baffling to me. My opinion is based on what I have observed, and if they are rooted in anything, its my faith in God and who he is, not my politics. So, lets flip this around a little if you could break out of your flaming liberal the sky is pink world, perhaps you could you grasp the idea that God is ALMIGHTY GOD, and he is not to be ignored or taken lightly.

 

And all I am saying is: No God No Peace. Know God Know Peace.

 

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Rooster, you might be older than me, but I don't recall an Olympics when the nations "knew they were accountable to God".

 

Wouldn't it be complicated (beyond our frail, imperfect humanity) in such an international event to focus on God? Whose god? Whose peace?

 

It is much more common to find public displays of appreciation of God in sporting events these days than ever before.

 

Perhaps invoking God in something as frivolous as a sporting event is less than respectful?

 

If a set of cartoons can create such international chaos, maybe we foolish humans can't be trusted with God during an event where there's competitive tension, political tension, language tension, fair-judging tension, financial tension, security tension and a history of human error and evil?

 

IMHO, God belongs in my personal life, but he's too busy (and too wise) to be involved in my public games and my public politics.

 

 

BTW, how adorable was it, having that little one sing the Italian Anthem???

Though, I can't say I really felt compelled by ferrarri doughnuts or the modern dance. The ski jumper formed by dozens of people was fun. And, Sophia is still beautiful. Best hats/jackets to the Germans -- a bit melony, but interesting and fun enough to help keep the whole thing in perspective.

 

jd

 

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I think the world might be coming to an end because I finally agree with Rooster on some of his comments. I too feel that Yoko Ono and the John Lennon song were totally inappropriate choices to use to promote world peace at the Olympics which is supposed to represent role models to the worlds youth and adults. I would have loved to see the looks on the Iran and Israel teams while that poem and song were going on.

 

OGE and Eamonn I know seeing Yoko and hearing that Lennon song brought back some long lost memories of your youth, but really Yoko and John were hard core drug users, and you complain about Bode, and just did nothing to add to the special importance of this event.

 

 

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