What I do know is that recently I was forwarded an - what to call it? Blog, I suppose - purportedly written by Gary Ablett Snr, the former star footballer from Geelong. The subject matter he chose to address was rather surprising, given his previous careers, firstly as a footballer, and more recently as a neer-do-well, now reformed (or if one is a stirrer - re-defined). Mr Ablett chose to talk about religion.
That he chose to frame his views from the point of view of one who has noted a progressively downward turn in society's values and could not, in good conscience, remain silent any longer was in itself sadly all too prosaic; so often, it seems that when people - often decent, reflective people, too - reach a point of crisis in their own lives, they cannot fail to see their personal journey as being utterly synchronous with the journey of society itself. It's as if, having struggled through a long dark night of the soul, they have emerged, somehow, atop a vast mountain; whereby they (and they alone) have attained the perspective requisite for all society's ills to be put to rights. The geographical inconsistency in the simile is not accidental; and it's a good rule of thumb for assessing your mental health, I think; if you believe you have worked out what's wrong with society, trust me, you haven't, and, you need a good lie down.
It's not my intention to ridicule poor Gary, as I don't think he really needs my criticism, nor for that matter, my praise or support. But he did get me thinking about all of the ill will currently emanating from this theosophical debate with which society has temporarily become fixated. (And it is most assuredly temporary. One of the good things about a mass media with a low attention span is that we rarely become inundated with any issue for too long. It's also why some rather more pressing concerns fail to get the sustained and rigorous attention they deserve, but then there are always swings and roundabouts in this world.) Seeing this issue, in my humble opinion is likely here to stay in the world (if not the mass media) for some time, then why not put it to good use? It is hereby proposed that all footy teams (starting in Australia - but spreading world wide if it takes off) be immediately dissolved, and re-built from the ground up, according to beliefs.
I am a proud supporter of the West Coast Eagles, but would happily let this allegiance dissolve if I knew that I could tune in on Saturday to see the Atheists (known as the Fremantle "Dawkins") and the Christians (either Benedict's XVIII or possibly - and conveniently, the Saints) really take it to one another. And on Sunday, perhaps the Buddhists v Muslims could match them in intensity. Of course, there will be a few practicalities to resolve. I mean, I wonder if, in honour of their spiritual leader, - who, for once, is actually a spiritual leader - the Christians will field only XVI players, rather than the customary XVIII? And will the Muslims observe the dietary strictures of Ramadam, when it is likely to leave their players a little low on energy in the month before the finals? I await the outcome of these little quandaries with keen interest.
But why stop there? Why should our definition of belief only encompass the religious spectrum? How about the Loggers and the Greens each form a team, and sort out their differences like men? Forget the whether or not an old growth forest gets turned into sawdust, it's when four points are on the line that you'll see who really believes in the strength of their cause. And, given that Loggers would be basically the Fitzroy of the new league, there's a merger ready and waiting between the ailing Loggers and the rising force that are the Polluters, who, under their new banner, the Carbon Negatives, could well dominate the competition for years to come.
I mean, who hasn't thought about how great it would be to have an all-Indigenous side in the AFL? Well, now it could happen. But not only can it happen, they can stick it to the White Supremacists in the revamped Heritage round. With any luck, Labor can thrash Liberal, too, and the Refugees can give the Isolationists the flogging they so richly deserve! And the Gays could pants the Homophobes! And then, later in the season, they can do it to them again!
That's the beauty of organising sporting teams according to beliefs; there can be regular, set fixtures for these disputes. So, if the Athiests lose, they can take heart in the fact that before too long, they'll get another crack at those Christians. It's all about next week in football; no point living in the past. I really do hope this new system makes it worldwide. It could do wonders in the middle east....
Sometimes, issues can be hard to resolve. It's a healthy aspect of our society, I think, that we keep coming back to the quandaries that have flummoxed us in the past, and no doubt will continue to vex us in the future. It's just a shame that so very rarely are complex, nuanced issues addressed in a manner befitting their complexity. So, if we're going to reduce them to the level of a media sport, we might as well go the whole hog, and form an actually sporting league league. After all, to many in Australia, sport is their religion; so, let the sporties become a belief-based franchise in their own right, and have at it.
Of course, there are many who, rather than ponder or pontificate at length about their (or others') particular beliefs, simply get on with playing the hand that they are dealt. They aren't defined by the vociferousness of their beliefs, but rather, their moderate indifference to binary states of conviction. I like to think of them as the "Meh" brigade. And you know what, if the "Meh" brigade turn out to be the strongest team in the competition, then perhaps there's something to be learned from that. But I am happy for what precisely there is to be learned (or by whom) to remain, at least for a while, a transcendent mystery, or, for those of a less theological bent, an as-yet unsolved proof. It's been long established that you don't want to peak too early in the season.
But enough rules, umpire; let the boys play.
No comments:
Post a Comment