Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeUte
just a rant:
I stumbled across this blog article while in a pissy mood that my tithing money actually goes to fund BYU tuition, and immediately got into a pissy mood that there are still really people who believe that BYU sports are a missionary tool. I have lived out of the Mormon Bubble and in the mission field for quite a few years, and can absolutely tell you that I have never seen an incident of conversion that had anything to do with BYU athletics or athletes associated with BYU athletics.
There may be some good will or PR to the church from BYU's sports programs, but that is not a missionary tool in the sense that it brings in new converts or has anything to do with the holy ghost bearing witness. I have a hard time buying it when people say that BYU sports is a missionary tool. It is not, in my opinion.
so, poll!
http://gospelcougar.blogspot.com/200...f-tithing.html |
Orange, you are too smart a guy to get caught in the mormon binary world view trap. BYU sports can and does bring pr to the LDS Church. Some good, some bad. It lets the world know that we are not entirely a group of freaks but that we make some effort to be normal. Such exposure allows others a more positive interpretation of mormons instead of instantly affiliating the LDS Church with YFZ Ranch. It is possible for you to still intensely dislike BYU sports and still be a faithful mormon. It isn't neccesary to convince yourself it is evil, or not a crucial aspect of the Kingdom of God some want it to be, so that you can effectively deal with you poignant case of cognitive dissonance.
Saying that it's best service is for the University. Having sports makes running a secular or pseudo secular religious academy much easier. Sports is a big part of student life at US Unviersities or even Academy's. Sports connect alumni back to the school and incent donations.