Monday, March 30, 2009

Roman Catholics in Detroit upset with the Tigers

Roman Catholics have expressed displeasure with baseball's Detroit Tigers because the team will start its home opener on Good Friday during the time of day that Jesus' crucifixion and death took place. All major league teams play on April 10, but the Tigers are the only one to begin a game during Jesus' time on the cross.

While I sharply disagree with many of the Roman Catholic Church's teachings, I respect them for bringing this issue up. We are a sports crazy society, and a team's home opener is big news for any city. However, it is important to keep our priorities in order.

We'll get to enjoy baseball throughout the spring and summer (unless the Braves tank it early in the season).

There is a time for everything. The least the Tigers could do is push back the game's starting time out of respect.

4 comments:

Mister Jimmy said...

Did they set the start time intentionally as such? "We will start today's game at the time of the crucifixion?" Or is it pure coincidence? I don't see why the RCC would make a fuss. Games will be played on Easter Sunday. Most of the football season is played out on Sunday. I'll have to read up on the issue; I must be missing something.
Of course, I'm the guy that wishes all businesses except for emergency services were closed on Sundays.

Chris Martin said...

I think it is pure coincidence. I don't think the Tigers meant to offend anybody.

It seems like many major spiritual/religious holidays have gotten watered down in recent years. That's why I thought it was refreshing that somebody was actually saying something about this.

Then again, I'll be working all day Good Friday. I guess I'm the guilty one when it comes to all this watering down.

pope benedict said...

I think the world will survive if the Tigers start the game early in the day.

Joltin' Django said...

Well, folks in Detroit once had a problem with Hank Greenberg's decision not to play on Yom Kippur. Looks like the non-pleasin' when it comes to baseball crosses the religious spectrum!

I have problems with Catholic theology as well. However, I regularly tune into ETWN - a Catholic cable network - to catch programs on Catholic Orders of Men (i.e., Jesuits 'n' Dominicans, etc.) and the "great heresies," which includes Protestantism of course. Very, very fascinating.