Praying about football is banal
• What can you say?
I just don't know what to make of Norway. Norwegians seem a bit more provincial than the other Northern Europeans. A government post like the Minister of Culture and Church Affairs would seem an oxymoron here in the US. Or the job fundagelicals hope John Ashcroft will eventually ascend to.
Whether or not it is fitting to pray for a team's victory has sparked hot debate in Norway. A question that would never arise here. After all we have the exemplary piety of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders to keep our hearts focused on God. ("Give me a J" - "Give me an E" … )
Minister of Culture and Church Affairs Valgerd Svarstad Haugland is one of many Christians upset by ministers using their services to pray for their favorite football teams. She understands the desire to reflect what parishioners are interested in, but praying for football is "too banal", newspaper Dagsavisen reports. ...
Bishop Ole Christian Kvarme in Borg is not so sure. "I don't think praying for victory is strange to God."
Theology professor Jacob Jervell disagrees with the sports-minded clergy.
"Praying that your team will win is nearly blasphemy. I am a keen football fan myself and often say that in heaven Viking (Stavanger) will win all their matches. But God is not a Viking-supporter and it would never occur to me to pray for my favorite team. This is not the church's task and such practice is completely meaningless," Jervell said.