Rugby: Bakkies Botha a Bad Christian?
Saturday’s Tri-Nations game was bad enough for the Boks against the All Blacks.
But Bakkies Botha once again lost the plot by head-butting an opponent and then later got sin-binned for another offense.
This morning on Capetalk/702′s Weekend Breakfast, Bakkies was called out by host John Maytham and some listeners for being a bad Christian.
Quite ridiculous if you ask me and I’m not religious at all.
Ill-disciplined, impetuous, perhaps angry. Yes.
But are religious people exempt from negative emotions?
Botha can profess to be a Christian and still be prone to human emotions.
Whether you are religious or not makes no difference to the way we function. Although some people would like to think it does.
When asked about her religious practice I heard someone say, “I’m a Christian, you know.”
To the same question I replied, “I don’t do religion.”
However, it makes neither of us any less immoral nor more likely to gossip, take personal calls for most of the working day, drive over the speed limit, get upset when someone stands in the quick checkout line with more than 10 items in their basket, shouts at his/her children, swear at the ref on tv?
Does that mean we non-religious people get to do as we please because we don’t have 10 Commandments to adhere to?
Can we head-butt people at will and be as impetuous as we choose?
In similar vain, I had a conversation last week where someone told me she knew how someone else felt because she sometimes feels judged for wearing a head scarf (she’s Muslim).
I cringed because there’s the misconception that
people are only judged for their religion.
That’s not true.
You can be just as easily judged for being unmarried, choosing not to have children, being non-conformist. Or for liking/disliking the vuvuzela!
I didn’t mention it, but I’ve felt judged by her!
Religion has much less relevance in the way we behave than our genes, upbringing, experiences and learned behaviours.
Whether you are religious or not certainly doesn’t make
you a better person than anyone else.
Bakkies Botha acted like an idiot based on his personality. Christian or not.
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4 Responses to “Rugby: Bakkies Botha a Bad Christian?”
By Gerard Willemse on Jul 11, 2010 | Reply
hi Abigail. This precisely what i once tried explaining to you. Religion teaches that anyone else who does not conform to a particular religious system is immoral whereas true Christianity teaches that no one is perfect and everyone is prone to becoming angry and doing things that may not be ‘christian’.
I know you may have no interest in what i am saying and i am in no way trying to convince you to believe what i am saying, but i do beg you to be open minded enough to consider this: Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship that was never meant to be based on a system of rituals and traditions.
I am a Christian, but I DO DEFINITELY become angry like anyone else and I AM NOT RELIGIOUS IN ANY WAY.
Take care Abie.
By Abigail Abrahams on Jul 11, 2010 | Reply
Hi Gerard,
Just because we disagree about the term ‘religion’. doesn’t mean I don’t respect your opinion.
I do.
However we do seem to agree that being a person of faith (or not) doesn’t automatically make one a good person.
Most of us are striving to be the best we know how to be.
Keep well
By Seur le Grange on Jul 14, 2010 | Reply
ABOUT COACHES AND BOTHA BRAINS THAT LOCKED UP
Snorman says, “it wasn’t a train smash. My take thereof was that it was worse!. I sensed that this catastrophe was imminent when I watched the All Blacks play Wales. Wales were much better in both those games than the Boks on Saturday, and still lost. It only goes to show that if someone cannot be trusted with the job (for various reasons including a “leck” of realization) he will avoid being held responsible. He however seems not to know that he does not know ; (of course).
Gee the Boks were poor!. I hated every minute of it! As expected the front row literally caved in. They were as bad as always and as poor as against Saracens. It has been a long time coming so please replace them now!
The one lock seems to have suffered brain damage and the other could not function. The result was that we hardly ever got descent lineout ball and further assumed the pressure of having to try and play the All Blacks with 14 men.
The no 8 is all show and no real performance. Spies and Jannie du Plessis, at the slightest touch, falls as if praying, at the feet of the king (sic). As a unit therefore the scrum was quite simply hopeless.
January was slow and exposed the inherent weakness of Mornè Steyn who played hopelessly and kicked contra-tactically. Mornè Steyn also never managed to get his line away. Yes, he can place kick, thats all. In fact Carter made Steyn look like an amateur and January exacerbated Steyns poor performance. Even Willemse commented that everything was “lekking”.
The back line simply refused to tackle or to commit and in fact tried (weirdly) to herd rather than tackle the All Blacks who ran them off their feet when contact was eventually made. Wynand Olivier and Jean de Villiers and Kirshner do not belong in the team for a multiplicity of reasons. Olivier did not commit and did not tackle; De Villiers is not suited as a wing at this level and appears to have aged; Kirshner is out of his league. He is a good player at Currie Cup level and no more, never ever!
The sub-coach who lost every 2010 super 14 match went to hunt down Bruce James? In heavens name, what for? Do we need another head butter?
All these ‘springboks’ need a hair cut and please instruct mrs. Potgieter that junior juniors should be seen and not heard.
What a hopeless mess!
It is 2 years now that Snorman took over from White and the signs are ominous. Someone please act now while we still have time; otherwise we will lose the world cup, and of course the present Tri Nations also. Farting against thunder is very difficult, but how can one support losers?
Seur le Grange
By Claudine on Jul 15, 2010 | Reply
Hey he’s a Bulls player. Nuff said.