That being said, my love for the Olympics died a bit today.
One of my Facebook friends posted this article on his page this evening, explaining how the Olympic Village quarters in London will be stocked with an ample supply of condoms. The article goes on to talk about how the two plus weeks the athletes stay in the village are usually packed with raucous parties and casual sex, even casual sex out in the open, according to Hope Solo. Great. That's great. Now when I watch the olympics this year, I'll be thinking about who our athletes have shacked up with the past night before they stick that landing, run that race, or swim, or whatever. Not what I need to be thinking about.
And this information is in addition to the rash of recent pictures I've seen of virtually ever American Olympic team from this year posing nude in some goofy picture of them covering their goods with their hands, arms, or appropriate sporting equipment (I won't link to those pictures, for obvious reasons). Why? Why do Olympic athletes need to pose nude? And what kind of moral compass do these athletes have that tells them posing nude is a good (let alone necessary) thing to do? Why? WHY? What does this add to the sport? To the competition? To my experience as a spectator? Not to mention the fact that I'd like to watch the games with my kids. Thankfully they're too young to read articles on the internet and peruse sports news sites where they might see a nude picture of our once-proud American athletes. But some day they won't be too young.I was really bummed when I read that article about the athletes' propensity for casual sex during the game, and have been increasingly disappointed with every nude picture that has been released of our athletes. But maybe I shouldn't be bummed. After all, the pagans are acting like pagans, as Todd Friel says. Why are we surprised? Isn't this exactly what Romans 1 tells us is going to happen? Yes, it definitely is, but I guess I'm bummed that it's so much in the public eye. Part of me wishes that if these people were are going to be so debauched to sleep around every chance they get and pose nude for whoever'd like to see their naked bodies, that they'd at least have the decency to do it behind closed doors and not expose it to the news media so that I can enjoy the purity of the Olympics, even if it's just a pipe-dream. After all, ignorance is bliss, as they say. But another part of me wonders if that's just catering to my own idealistic way I want the world to be, with complete disregard for the way things actually are. If Olympic athletes are sleeping around but not exposing their actions to the public, it doesn't make it any less sinful and debauched. But do we need to know about it? I don't think so. I mean, really: are we really that debased as human beings? Are we really that uncontrollable that we have to have sex with anything/one that moves? Really? You people can't control yourselves for two weeks?
All things considered, I wouldn't be surprised if the tales of casual sex that are reported on in the media are actually the exception rather than the rule. That is, for every debased athlete that wants to get busy, there are probably a dozen that are satisfied to simply compete and enjoy their time on the international stage. It's a shame that the actions of some have brought a bit of a black cloud on the games. I still plan to watch the games (at least as much as I am able), although I have to admit that my attitude toward them will be different this year. And I'm struggling with this: is that right? Am I right to be bugged by this, or is it just the way of the world, and I need to reform my overly idealistic view of the world's morality?
I'll have to ponder this.
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