I feel sorry for my two sons-in-law and my son and his wife. They just watched their team, the BYU Cougars get destroyed in their worst defeat at the hands of Utah ever. Though I was overjoyed about the outcome, I felt honest, real sadness for them. I remember being on the receiving end of that type of game too many times, and I know how it feels.
Do I look at something like the score in a footbll game with Spiritual Glasses? Can I do so? Competition is a strange thing. It can be good and often it is bad. It totally depends upon the winners and the losers. I don't know if Christ would endorse competition. In one of my wards of the past, we had a Stake President who cancelled all competition. There was to be no more. We played basketball with no winner. We had no referees, and it was just to have fun.
It destroyed the desire anyone had to play. So is competition good or bad, or a combination of both? Sadly too many Utah and BYU fans take it entirely too far and see what damage they can do, how many people they can argue with, or fight with. Is that good?
I know too often I may take it too far and I need to repent. But competition I believe is good, as long as it doesn't create a monster out of someone who otherwise wasn't a monster. It can, and has done that.
Of late, the Church cancelled the football program in BYU Ricks. After it was cancelled, more than double those who played intramural ball signed up to play sports. Was that because of the football program being eliminated? Ricks has enjoyed many hidden blessings of ridding their school of competition, or at least the football program. I guess anyone, everyone can make their own conclusions. Is it good or bad?
Even in the mission field, I remember our Mission President having competition between districts. He seemed to think it was good and produced more baptisms. ...and it did.
At least in my mind, the jury is out. (But it was a fun game to watch tonight.)
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