Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tiger Woods Fails to Prove Himself a ‘Better Man’
The Christian Diarist ^ | April 13, 2013 | JP

Posted on 04/13/2013 11:55:14 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST

I’m a huge Tiger Woods fan. That’s why it pains me that he continues to do damage to his once-nearly-pristine image.

Having recently reclaimed his sport’s ranking as World No. 1 – as the Euros put it – Tiger flew this week to Augusta, Georgia as the favorite to win the Masters.

He acquitted himself rather well the tourney’s first two days, save for a mishap yesterday on the 15th hole. He hit an approach shot to the green that, as bad luck would have it, ricocheted off the flag pole and careened into the creek.

After taking a “drop” – which entailed a one stroke penalty – Tiger hit his next shot on the green, sank the putt and rocked on to the next hole. As it turns out, the world’s most famous golfer made an improper drop, for which he should have been penalized another two strokes.

Tiger signed his scorecard without including the two penalty strokes and left the golf course. This morning he learned of his error, which meant he signed his Friday scorecard incorrectly.

In every case I’ve ever heard, a golfer who signs an incorrect scorecard in tournament play is disqualified. Yet, the green jacketed powers-that-be at Augusta National somehow found a way not to disqualify Tiger.

And even though I had looked forward this weekend to seeing whether my favorite golfer could win the fifth Master’s championship of his career, I think Augusta’s green jackets made the absolute wrong decision.

Nevertheless, the Bible advises “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

I believe the Almighty, in His infinite grace, gave Tiger an opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of many of those who have not gotten past his serial adultery with who knows how many harlots, which defiled his marriage and left a lasting scar upon his faithful wife, the mother of his two beautiful children.

Oh, how I hoped that Tiger would say that, even though Augusta’s powers-that-be had not disqualified him for his rule-breaking – had tempted him with preferential treatment – he had decided to disqualify himself. Even though doing so would cost him the Masters.

But Tiger did not enter today through the narrow gate, of which the Word of God speaks. He chose the wide gate, the broad way that leads to destruction.

In 2010, Tiger delivered a mea culpa in which he told a national television audience, “I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.” He promised “to be a better man.” And he confided he was returning to the Buddhist faith of his youth, which his Thai mother instilled in him.

Well, the events of today suggest that Tiger is not the better man he promised to be. And I am persuaded he will remain a lost soul until, hopefully, he comes to Jesus.

For when a man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things are passed away. All things become new.


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: bloggersandpersonal; blogpimp; buddhism; cheater; drugs; hgh; masters; misc; rules; scum; steroids; tigerwoods; vanity
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101 next last

I like FReeping at the beginning of Sattiday evening cocktail hour — find a thread with over 50 posts, and a pissing match is a sure thing.


81 posted on 04/13/2013 4:50:44 PM PDT by ErnBatavia (Piffle....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST
Amen!

The one aspect of golf had that it prized above everything, was it's high value on integrity.

That is now gone.

82 posted on 04/13/2013 4:59:37 PM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traditional1

I’d take it up with Augusta’s honchos. Their tournament, their call.


83 posted on 04/13/2013 5:01:47 PM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST
I'm in Hawaii, so I am coming to this discussion 6 hours behind.

Woods had a spectacular fall from grace; an opportunity,
a solid gold opportunity, arose to regain the integrity he had
lost. Yes, there has been a rule change since that utterly
heart wrenching sobbing of Roberto in 1968. Yes, Woods, according
to the decision of the official governing body, is within the
rules to proceed as has been decided. Were another golfer, any
golfer really, in similar straits, he could proceed without
the personal compulsion to DQ, and it would be a short national
discussion, soon forgotten. It is precisely because of
the nature of Woods' unparalleled career/celebrity, forever
welded to an equally unparalled immoral life (in the past),
the choice to DQ looms as a balm to burnish a new integrity.
He needs this tournament less, immeasurably less, than any
of the 60 opponents. In that sense, at this point in his career,
he has everything to gain, and nothing really to lose. In many
fields, rightly or wrongly, the mere appearance of favoritism
casts a long shadow. Based on this appearance, DQ is
the road to untarnished integrity, and in this case, a resurrection of lost integrity.
84 posted on 04/13/2013 5:02:22 PM PDT by jobim (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco

Agreed. But, it always amazed me that so many people, including those who should have known better, were sucked in by Tiger Woods’ cult of personality. I always thought of him as a very good golfer, but he was not perfect. Too many people drank the Kool-Aid and believed he was.


85 posted on 04/13/2013 5:07:52 PM PDT by MasterGunner01
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: C. Edmund Wright
What gets me is all these supposed conservatives...who know in their hearts that riduculous rules and regulations by government are anti liberty

Ditto. It's just a stupid game.

Why get one's panties all in a wad over a stupid game?

Golf, tiddly-winks, baseball, football, hockey, basketball, etc., all just opiates for the masses so they don't pay attention to what's really important.

86 posted on 04/13/2013 5:08:21 PM PDT by Mogger (Independence, better fuel economy and performance with American made synthetic oil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST

bumpidy bumpidy


87 posted on 04/13/2013 7:06:01 PM PDT by Tula Git
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueunicorn6

obama is tiger??
that is the sickest thing i have ever read
my goodness what is wrong with you??
tiger has never asked for anything
he works incredibly hard
he has talent

there only thing they have in common is neither is black.


88 posted on 04/13/2013 8:37:28 PM PDT by genghis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Mogger

**Ditto. It’s just a stupid game.**

Absolutely! I used to deliver products to over a hundred golf course maintenence departments. In most cases, if you aren’t talking to the maintenence chief or his second in command, you’ll need to know some Spanish.

To those that golf, I suggest that you wash your hands before eating, after playing the course. They lay down a LOT of pesticides/herbicides per acre.

**Golf, tiddly-winks, baseball, football, hockey, basketball, etc., all just opiates for the masses so they don’t pay attention to what’s really important.**

Well, some people want to do something fun once in a while. That’s fine. It’s just that when it reaches an obsession about something that is really just vanity, that it seems so foreign to those that ‘look for a crown that fadeth not away’. But, the sports obsession in this nation reminds me of the verse: “They sat down to eat, and they rose up to play”.

These people that are good at what they do in sports wouldn’t be rich at all if it weren’t for the media hyping them, making them into ‘heroes’ (as though they are healing someone or saving lives). Folks need to quit worshipping and idolizing these famous people, and realize that these sports/entertainment people have to take a crap regularly just like anyone else.

Mr. Woods is good at what he does because he works hard at it. He probably couldn’t lay down a good weld, smoothly handle a 40 ton semi in snowstorm, or be excellent at any number of meaningful jobs, simply because he’s probably never done them. It’s the real world.


89 posted on 04/13/2013 9:16:53 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....nearly 2,000 years and still working today!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: jobim

While I am a fan of Tiger, I was at first feeling that he should be DQed for the rules infraction and signing an incorrect card. I am an avid golfer and golf coach and feel that the integrity of the game is very important to uphold. That being said, as I read and listened to the rules explanation and was reminded of the new rule (instituted over a year ago) allowing a penalty to be added after a card is signed instead of an automatic DQ, I don’t feel that Tiger was obligated to withdraw. Again, the rules committee looked at and judged the play twice determining there was no rules infraction. It was only later after listening to Tiger’s interview that the committee decided to talk with Tiger and then penalize him.
This is a completely different scenario than the De Vincenzo incident in 1968. In that case, DeVincenzo signed a card which had a hole scored as a 4 instead of the 3 he actually shot. He signed for that score and thus lost by one stroke.
Is Tiger the most upstanding citizen and trustworthy in his personal life? No, but I respect his golfing ability and playing under the established rules as determined by the USGA and the R&A.


90 posted on 04/13/2013 9:36:02 PM PDT by Baumer (Most areas of Washington are Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Baumer
I don't disagree with anything you said. None of your points,
however, address the heart of my mini-essay: although he is within
the rules, he still ought to have DQ'd himself for the reasons I present.
91 posted on 04/13/2013 9:54:18 PM PDT by jobim (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST

He’s black....blacks get by with murder....LITERALLY!


92 posted on 04/14/2013 1:08:24 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion.....the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PilotDave

IF Tiger wins there will be a HUGE Asterisk next to his score.


93 posted on 04/14/2013 1:14:10 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion.....the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: PilotDave
Roberto De Vicenzo

Wie's disqualification put in motion by reporter

Wie fails to sign scorecard, gets disqualified from State Farm

94 posted on 04/14/2013 1:54:56 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro can't pass E-verify)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: mdittmar
For your golf GPS


95 posted on 04/14/2013 2:34:38 AM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST
I see you are well-stocked with stones and consider yourself worthy of casting them. Keep it up and someone may decide they made a mistake and crucified the wrong person.

The mish-mash way the events unfolded and the official rules committee's public response put Tiger in a tricky spot even if he did want to "do the right thing". If he decided to penalize himself with a DQ after all the hubbub about it, he would be slapping them in the face. Surely you don't claim to know his heart and think that he considers himself above the game of golf that gave him everything - he would not be damaged with a DQ and his image is important to the game. Think it out (and examine yourself too) before you decide to smear another of those who you so obviously love as you love yourself when you can take a break from loving God the Father with every fiber of your being. Is there a Pharisee Delusion Syndrome? I keep running across people who think that they have no sinful nature left in them and are now capable of being worthy all on their own - they use it to "prove" themselves a 'Better Man/Woman'.

96 posted on 04/14/2013 3:36:45 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C. Edmund Wright
"You win dumbass analogy award. Congrats."

Thanks; you certainly would be popular at DU, newbie.

97 posted on 04/14/2013 5:39:11 AM PDT by traditional1 (Amerika.....Providing public housing for the Mulatto Messiah)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: trebb

“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

James 5:20


98 posted on 04/14/2013 6:53:15 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

Adding link to video from CBS of Woods two shots into the green on 15 which cause the penalty and confusion.

Video CBS - Woods two shots in the 15th green


99 posted on 04/15/2013 6:04:48 AM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]

To: CHRISTIAN DIARIST
“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:20

I think I'm with you, but can't tell if your post is an agreement or if you consider it a rebuttal to my post. It should be clear, but, alas, far too many misinterpret and one can't tell without some context.

God Bless

100 posted on 04/17/2013 12:38:58 PM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 98 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson