Posted on 06/03/2016 9:22:34 PM PDT by BAW
No link as yet. TV stations have broken to news that Muhammad Ali had died.
Yep. Except for those of us who are still baseball fans.
It was good stuff. I liked him and I’m hopeful at some point he received Jesus.
He was quite the showman in the ring, a real memory of my childhood.
I hope he made peace with the Creator before he passed.
Great billboard! Someone ought to show that to Trump...he could afford a similar show of support—great stuff!
“They didn’t prosecute others who were conscientious objectors.
The rejection of that status and prosecution was political.”
The conscientious objector status dated to at the Revolutionary War.
I served my time in Germany in the personnel department of a Signal Battalion, and there were two men that claimed CO status, seeking discharge.
Both performed their assigned duties, along with everybody else. One was a First Lieutenant, the other a Private First Class.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objector#United_States
“This American will never praise Ali.”
I was not praising Clay. I was trying to show what a racist he was.
Also, I did not say that Clay refused to be drafted because of his comment about the North Vietnamese. Clay said that. I was merely repeating what he had said on live TV.
I concur with many earlier comments. His politics were dicey on a good day, but he was a great athlete and for the most part his heart was in the right place.
Memory eternal.
But not the balls to serve his Country. I can name over 58,000 people with more courage than Clay.
His prosecution for his conscientious objector position was political.
The reason for sports having been inundated with human trash is because the spectator applauds it. The reason sports fans applaud it is because we have become a nation devoid of values. The reason we have become a nation devoid of values is because stupid people of all intelligence levels, educational backgrounds and religions kept voting for democrats.
Cassius profited from the above. He had nothing to do with its creation.
BTW, I was born in his hometown, hence, my screen name. We even had mutual acquaintances. He was quite stupid, even before he turned his brain to mush in the ring.
Thank you. I’m genuinely curious. How was my word choice thoughtless? I write and edit for a living, so I do consider my words carefully as much as I can. Of course, I start work very early, so by Friday night, my brain’s a bit mushy. :)
My intent was to compress that moment of choice to as short a time measurement I could think of to convey what I imagine to be an instantaneous choice. Does Jesus give us a moment to ponder? Is it an instant yes/no, one-time-only choice? These are things I truly wonder about.
My late dad was turned off religion (and by extension, faith) when his mother died when he was a young child. She was a Christian Scientist and refused treatment for an infection.
So, our family went to Unitarian Church when we were kids, which I got nothing out of, and then we attended a congregational church on Christmas. That was pretty much it, although I had God in my heart. My dad was always searching for the faith that he felt was taken from him.
We didn’t talk about it much, if at all. A month or so after he died, my mom called me to tell me about a dream she had, where he was talking to her, escorted by a tall column of light. He was happy and content. Right before they had to go, my mom asked him (which was strange, because she never expressed much about religion or faith either), “I have to know. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God?” He beamed and said emphatically, “Oh, yes.”
That’s what put me back on the path to seek God. I relayed this to a good friend who prayed with me throughout my divorce, and she said that was what someone would say when they absolutely KNEW that was the truth - and how they would say it. I’ve since relayed this to my pastor and my son - it was wonderful news to share.
So, that’s the reason for my wording. Did my dad have that yearning for God nestled so deeply in his heart that there was simply no other answer he could give? I hope so. Do lifelong doubters, but who don’t retain any hostility or pain toward religion and faith as they die, have such a moment of clarity that no other answer than “yes” is possible?
It’ll take until after my life here is done before I know for sure. But that’s the reason I used the word that I did.
Thanks for reading, and I’m looking forward to your perspective. :)
Those are some well written comments there that caught my eye. Ah .. braggarts. Lots of those about.
wish we had a like button.
I was starting to think I was the only person in America not upset about this. My recollection of him was he was very arrogant. Yes, he has been sick but, I could never stand the guy. For the record and before he dies. Hate Pete Rose too, two peas in a bigmouth pod.
RIP
>>Asked to elaborate on his endorsement of Mr. Reagan, Mr. Ali told reporters, ‘’He’s keeping God in schools and that’s enough.’’
<<
I didn’t know that. Good :)
>>He’s in Hell...forever!<<
And you know this how?
Are you certain that he didn’t accept Jesus in his last moment?
Yes, thank you.
Good post. I can’t stand braggarts, even if they can back it up. We spent 12 years in student athletics and of course, a few of my son’s teammates thought that was how you rolled as an athlete. Thankfully, we also had great coaches who were interested in the boys’ development as human beings too, and they pretty much cut that out.
Even today, it’s the quiet pros that I admire the most. I like the “I Am Second” movement among Christian athletes.
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