I still think you ought to call the Astros and express your views. If they don't hear any complaints then they don't know there are people complaining.
Good reminder, thanks. I am on hold. Talked to cedric in guest services, briefly and politely. Nice guy on the phone. His # is (713) 259-8000, for all who wish to call in support or not in support of "Faith Night."
I've always been more of a works/let your actions speak kind of guy then a witness kind of guy. Perhaps it has to do with my inability to adequately come up with words that comfortably describe my faith. Perhaps it's all the fundies that accosted me in HS and college presuming that since I wasn't part of their group I needed saving. It does seem to me that most of the time the people who witness to groups or corner you at TCBY or knock on your door at supper time are doing it more for themselves then for you or others... though they would vehemently deny this is the case. If you want me to follow your God, you stand a much greater chance with me by acting like someone I'd want to be. I've only met three of them in my life, including a missionary (I don't remember his name, but think of him often) to Central America who was as close to Saint-like as anyone I think I'm ever going to meet. Another was this guy, Val Halamandaris... Val was a staffer for a House Committee investigating health-care fraud when he met Mother Teresa. The first words she said to him... before he could introduce himself... were something like, "I can tell you care, but you can do so much more to bring caring to the world. Go do it." He quit his job the next week and founded The Caring Institute (http://www.caringinstitute.org/index.html), who's mission is to: To talk to Val is a spiritual experience and renews your faith in humanity. Somehow, I don't think Berkman is in their league and I doubt I'd find anyone at the game who would come close to challenging me the way the missionary did and Val does.
Plus, it is at least somewhat offensive to other religions... and I hate to see something all Americans share become, even in a small way, the purview of some Americans.
i really dont see what the big fit is over. Face it, in life not everything will adjust to you because you dont "feel" included
I can't see a big fuss about it either. If it's promoted as being separate from the game, I dont see the big deal. If they had a Islam or Buddhism day before the game, I wouldn't care either. If you don't want to go, then don't go.
I'm not asking that they sing a social humanist anthem at the beginning of every game. I am saying I don't support organizations that use cheesy religion to pander to an audience. I think it is offensive to baseball fans, and I think it would be offensive to anyone who genuinely believes in the teachings of Christ. - its about as soulful as a Jesus of Nazareth Pez dispenser. Actually, i dont think it is baseball using cheez whiz religion as a marketing tool - i think it is the reverse. My point is, much "religion," if you can call it that, is based on separating people from each other, regarding some as superior to others based on who has the best imaginary friend. I am not supporting the Astros if they incorporate it into their official game presentation any more than i would the Rockets if they hung a big Star of David next to the banners, or the Circle K if it held Koran discussion groups, or LuckyBurger if it gave discounts to non believers. I think there's a time and a place. Spare me the "you want people to adjust to you" garbage. They can do what they want. And I will not patronize them.
Are you being forced to goto this thing or support it in anyway financially? if not, I dont see why it should take away from your enjoyment of the game.
minute maid park is subsidized by tax payers, mlb does have an anti trust exemption from the government.
I think if the Chronicle is going to investigate anything about the ballpark, they should figure out why the Astros get to keep the money from the Stadium naming rights when it is a tax subsidized stadium
well if you go by that route, then tix to Astros games should be free till they pay off those subsidies
I think it is irresponsible and unprincipled to skip over it if i find a business practice offensive. And I find a secular and ostensibly communal organization doing the "religion as marketing" routine highly, highly offensive. It is insulting to the non-protestant segments the community that support it - i dont care how much community service you do, "religion" itself is not a shared experience among everyone, but an exclusive one for people of similar faith. There is enough of that already, and baseball should be about the opposite - a common thing to be equally shared amongst different people. Non protestant Astros fans support that team both in spirit (by cheering) and financially - by frigging paying for their stadium, not to mention tickets - its not just people who happen to believe in soically dominant religious paradigms. The key irritant is the notion, which I think is indisputably embedded into religion, that people of MY faith are superior to other people. If you can skim that out of your interpretation of the "faith" endorsed here, then more power to you - you have a powerful ability to suspend disbelief (well, of course...). According to the Jews, Jews are the chosen people, the others are not. Same with Christianity, same with Islam. To me, you put religion into baseball, you are either intentionally or unintentionally approving the "separating people on basis of their imaginary friend" into a baseball game. "Faith Night" tries to capitalize on the substantive capital that religion brings, yet skirt the divisive subtext by, quite dishonestly, calling it "faith night" rather than "christianity night." I mean, aren't they sort of admitting it's an offensive idea by not calling it what it is? They might do some token Jewish gesture, but this is not some interfaith event. Did the Islamic Chorus cancel last minute? Is throwing "Berkman" in there going to fool the Jews into thinking this is equal time? If they had nuts, they would have called it Younglife or put some accurately religious name on it - they understand the shakiness of the idea, it is why they are dishonest with the name. So sure, call it subtle, say I am getting worked up over nothing, but to my mind, its a highly offensive contaminant, and they just lost my support.
I'm not being dismissive of your passionate post, I read all of it and thought it over. It seems that your main problem is with Christianity or religion itself. the whole capitalizing on the general words "faith night" argument is kind of moot, because since everyone knows it's a Christian event, it isn't like they're going to sucker some Jew or Muslim into it. Similarly, if they did a Islamic or Jewish event before a game, I wouldn't have an issue with it. As long as its not pushed on me during the game, I really couldn't care less. I go there to support the players and the uniform. What the team decides to do outside the lines are not my concern.
