The FIFA Football World Cup is nearing its final stages in Qatar. This four-yearly event features the world’s best 32 football teams who fight it out over about a 4 week period to become World Champions.
Since the voting took place in 2010 to have the venue in Qatar, there has been much controversy over the venue for many reasons (including the allegation of FIFA’s corruption and bribery) and since the start of the competition on November 20th, more controversy has arisen because of the refusal of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to allow teams to wear the ‘OneLove’ rainbow armband in a show of solidarity for the LGBT+ community and as protest against many human rights violations in that country.
England, Germany and seven other teams had planned to wear the armband as an equality gesture but players faced being booked and even banned under strict FIFA dress rules, as uniquely applied by FIFA to the World Cup in Qatar. In addition, because homosexuality is still illegal in Qatar and many violations of human rights, torture and killing have been taking place in that country, the armband would have highlighted this – not good publicity for the host nation. On Friday 25th November and subsequently, many fans of the Welsh team were, however, allowed to wear rainbow coloured hats.
On the other hand, the World Cup in other countries and many other sporting events in many ways have turned out to be a circus of protestation. The equality movement started out, some time ago, by being about racial discrimination, then morphed into general discrimination and then LGBT+ was added on. Just like the frog in boiling water, they get to their desired destination bit by bit and which was allowed by society with little dissent and then, when they had achieved their goals through freedom of speech, they now want to close that right, and freedom of speech on this matter becomes unacceptable. All because they think that what they promote is absolutely correct. Very clever but transparent for anyone with eyes to see. It has been a thoroughly successful brainwashing exercise.
It seems therefore, on the face of it, that this support of homosexual and other deviant sexual behaviour is approved by all, but is that true? The only voices you seem to hear are the loud and strident ones who are in favour of behaviour of which the great Creator God disapproves. But what of others? From what I see and hear, there are many who very much disagree with this obsession but if they argue to the contrary, they are immediately vilified by all and sundry and, in many cases “cancelled”. And they will automatically be called homophobic.
Can you imagine what the odds are of ALL the professional footballers (soccer players) in the English leagues ALL approving of this lifestyle but none of them daring to come out and disagree with this current fashionable lifestyle? It surely cannot be so as so many of them, particularly from abroad, cross themselves and other revealing characteristics when they enter the field of play, which reveals that they are Roman Catholics and Catholicism doesn’t approve of homosexuality (At least, that is the official stance of the Roman Catholic Church, while many members may have a different point of view. Therefore, if they go along with the current thinking, they are denying what their church teaches which makes it hypocrisy (But what else is new?).
Can you imagine what the odds are of all the television and radio commentators and presenters ALL disapproving of this lifestyle but none of them daring to come out and disagree with this current fashionable lifestyle? If they did they would, almost inevitably, lose their jobs.
Can you imagine what the odds are of ALL the nation of the UK, ALL approving of this lifestyle? Of course, that is not so, but the expectation is that everyone must approve it because they believe their cause is 100% correct.
We can see from the following example of what happens if you say that homosexuality is condemned by the Bible as happened in 2019 when it was reported at that time that “An Australian rugby player is losing his $4 million contract for social media comments about homosexuality. A three-person panel determined Friday that Rugby Australia will sack fullback Israel Folau for social media posts listing homosexuals among those condemned to Hell. Folau considers himself a devout Christian. One of his recent Instagram posts warns that ‘drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters’ will go to Hell unless they ‘REPENT’” (He was slightly misquoting 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Interestingly, Wikipedia reports that “In May 2019, a Code of Conduct hearing was undertaken, during which the CEO of Rugby Australia, Raelene Castle, suggested she would have terminated Folau’s contract if he had ‘photocopied Bible passages’ and posted them to his social media.” And so, it would appear that putting Scriptures on social media is not acceptable. How far have some separated themselves from God!
Israel Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia and signed for the Catalans Dragons team in the UK in 2020. He caused controversy again, in the first game of the season against, St Helens, being the only player of both teams refusing to take the knee, which is being used in that context to symbolize solidarity against police brutality and racism. That proves the point as to what would happen if soccer players did the same.
It works this way – you either go along with it or you are in trouble.
Just because professional sportsmen think it is acceptable doesn’t of itself make it right.
Just because all of the presenters in the media think it is acceptable doesn’t of itself make it right.
Just because the “noise” in society seems to be in favour of this and think it is acceptable doesn’t of itself make it right.
The problem is that they don’t understand and don’t want to understand what God determines.
But God tells His ministers to “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1), and we must do that, but with wisdom.
However, God does tell the people of God how to behave with such matters. We are all made in the image of God and are important to Him.
We are to love our fellow man as the second great commandment, summarizing the last six of the Ten Commandments, enjoins us to love our neighbour as ourself (compare Matthew 22:39), but we are to hate sin committed by others (and ourselves). God hates sin as we read in Psalm 5:4: “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You” and we are to become like God. That is to love the sinner but hate the sin! Unfortunately, society, in general, doesn’t understand that, or want to understand it, preferring to go along with the status quo being the easy option.
We will not be able, at this time of man’s rule, to change deeply held, but incorrect convictions of others, but in the Kingdom of God, man will be taught the ways of God and perverted lifestyles will simply not be part of that education or allowed as an alternative lifestyle.
