I am not interested in the Super Bowl. I really don't see what the fuss is all about but sports seems to be worshipped in the United States. I am not saying watching a football game or the like is sinful but Americans tend to spend wayyyyy too much time and energy on sports.

I assume 'Bread and Circuses' refers to the dual goal to keep people fed/their appetites satiated, and keep them occupied (and their appetite for violence satiated) with the Circus and its violent show?

Similar to what They are doing with most people today.

Matthew

I assume 'Bread and Circuses' refers to the dual goal to keep people fed/their appetites satiated, and keep them occupied (and their appetite for violence satiated) with the Circus and its violent show?

Similar to what They are doing with most people today.

Matthew

More or less the essence.

This expression dates back to the Roman's who provided wheat and organized huge games to pacify it's poor populace.

I was personally entertained by the game.  I won't let my pleasure be denied by guilt.  Not my cup of tea.

Watching the game is not a problem but obsessing about sports is.

Alex,
If watching the game in itself weren't a problem, why would our priest place such a high priority in telling the entire congregation not to do so? It wasn't buried in the sermon, and he certainly didn't say, "you can watch it but don't obsess." He in fact gave an alternative to those who are fans enough of the sport to want to know the outcome of the game (radio). He unfortunately didn't have the time to elaborate his reasons, but I'm sure among them would have been keeping holy the Lord's Day.

I guess it just reminds me of previous discussions. When do I get to decide to ignore what has been told to me (directly or indirectly) by a priest simply because I disagree or think it to be a matter of his opinion? Am I essentially on my own in the world as far as determining which earthly pleasures I'm free to enjoy and which I should avoid as possible if not probable occasions of sin?

Watching the game is not a problem but obsessing about sports is.

 :tv-disturbed:

The biggest issue is, perhaps, the commercials and the half-time events.  These are created to attract and inflame the passions of lust, avarice, gluttony, mostly, and a few other deadly sins.  (That's just the facts, Jack.)

We know enough about these famous commerical time slots and the further scandalous half-time entertainment that it is actually a sin to watch them.  The argument, "Well, I know myself, therefore, it isn't a near-occasion of sin for me" is ignorant of the fact that they are just silly lambs going to spiritual slaughter.   If you were really such a perfect saint, you would be totally disgusted in the existence of such perversity, and want to avoid it all costs.  What one is really saying when they make this 'argument', "I really am not worried about getting into Heaven (translation: I'm shootin' for Purgatory)."  Or they are saying, "I'm not really worried about the state of my soul, or growing in Christ, I'm happy just where I am without committing mortal sin."   :ape: This is a sin of presumption.  Why is this dangerous?  Because such complacency is simply not properly discerning the state of their soul.  In other words, these people don't even consider their thoughts, words and deeds in respect to what is offensive to God, but rather by what the world deems as acceptable.   (Guess then who is their 'god'?  Hint:  It's no longer Christ.)

According to the Doctors of the Church, those who love Christ have an obligation to avoid the unncessary near occasions of sin.  A guy looks at a scantily dressed woman and thinks the wrong thing that instant he's commited sin.  And those ads during half time don't just cause murder and sickness to the state of souls in Sanctifying grace (and cause greater evils to the people already in mortal sin), but they also induce people, men and women, into lukewarmness.  This is why we get people who defend the culture of television have an already deadened conscience.  

I was only trying to point out that the very act of watching a football game is not sinful however your priest surely desired to raise his flock to the more perfect path especially given all the hoopla people place on this particular game.

I have no reason to believe that football in general is to be avoided, although perhaps this discussion could include more than just the SuperBowl. But, for the sake of common ground, it was only the SuperBowl that the priest was referring to, not football or even televised football in general.

Essentially we should be completely docile to the spiritual advice that is given to us by our priests since they have been given the grace of state to guide us to Heaven. We should also use common sense, prudence and discretion without seeing sin in every single detail which chokes our spiritual life from developing.

I could be wrong, but when topics such as television, beaches, and vacations come up in sermons, I'm not left with the same impression as matters of devotions, suggested spiritual reading, and the like. The latter are suggestions which guide our spiritual lives which some will follow and some will not, the former we are instructed to avoid altogether. When you speak of something which "chokes" one's spiritual life, how could it not be at least an occasion of sin? Can you give me an example of something which fits this description? If you speak of things done excessively, I understand, as anything can interfere with one's spiritual life when done in excess.

We should of course avoid all the occasions of sin and in order to grow in holiness avoid even lawful pleasures (according to our duty of state) from time to time to strengthen our will. However we should also keep in mind that pleasure (lawful) is often needed to help us along this valley of tears. It is all a matter of putting things in their proper place.

I, for one, have no problem finding plenty of pleasurable things to distract me from what I should be doing whether it be duty of state or spiritual duties. Having to be reminded to "enjoy yourself" or "relax" just sounds silly to me as it's our nature to do so. Generally, it's finding the time to do such things that's occasionally a problem, not finding something to do given the extensive (ha!) list of things Father has told me not to do.