Olympics - religious freedom = Beijing 2008!
Here's a story that didn't get a whole lot of play at the Olympics this year: The Chinese Government, infamously distrustful of organized religion as competition for its own authority, would not allow chaplains from the athletes' various religions into the country.
Instead, the state said it would provide the staff for a "religious center" that many athletes found woefully inadequate.
From the Washington Post story:
The Olympic Village's religious center has become the target of a quiet protest by athletes, coaches and other delegates who say its staffing and services fall woefully short of the promises made by Chinese organizers.
Josh McAdams, 28, an American athlete who runs the 3,000-meter steeplechase, said members of the U.S. track and field team have been "quite dissatisfied" with the center. Not only are the services conducted in broken English, but also most staff members do not have experience with sports or with foreigners.
"They should allow chaplains -- perhaps one from each country -- to be in the village. . . . This is important, because for many of us, athletics is not only physical and mental but spiritual," said McAdams, who is Mormon.
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This Olympics has really diappointed me in terms of the IOC bowing to the Chinese on all sorts of things that are just ridiculous -- from their keeping Joey Cheek out of the country to the controversy over the true ages of China's gymnasts (leave aside the fact that these kids are taken from their families at very young ages and pressured to become world class athletes).
But this may be the worst.
Religion is always a complex issue in China. But if you want to be part of the world community, you've gotta allow a little pluralism. You don't have to embrace it totally -- that's asking a bit much maybe, and we have trouble with it ourselves from time to time. But you can't invite people into your country and then begrudge them the means of worshipping as they choose.
The Chinese seem not even to recognize the problem. From the story:
"I feel it's all running smoothly," said Sister Yu Shuqin, who is in charge of Catholic services at the center. "What we have here is not much different from the services in Beijing outside the village."
Those who have attended services say that's the problem.
The Olympic Village, wherever it's located, isn't about the host country. It's about the world community coming together for competition and fellowship. Letting politics get in the way of that is a serious mistake that I hope the world will recognize and remember.
Comments (2)
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The Chinese attitude toward hosting the Olympics has been resolutely and pathetically short-sighted. They seem to have chosen to make the games a tool of propaganda, doing everything they can to control the message that every image and event sends out of their country.
They must know that as soon as the games are over and all the athletes and press are back in their own homes, a lot more of the truth will come out,making their image in the world far more tarnished than they could ever have feared. They may know this, but they don't seem to care or have any better ideas of how to proceed. It's rather sad, to tell the truth. That country really deserves a better government.
Posted on August 20, 2008 7:33 PM
"That country really deserves a better government."
Ooooooooooooo! Do I detect a bit of country-ism, Namtac. Shame on YOU! Don't get bent out of shape, now: just a little tongue-in-cheek.
I agree with you about the propaganda thing. Commie governments tend to be very good at it. Although, ALL nations who host the Olympics have, and will, try to get some PR mileage out of it. But the scale and intensity of it is rather obvious. I personally think it would be a good idea to do away with opening ceremonies, except for the parade of nations and the basic stuff. But, of course, that isn’t going ot happen, so I guess we’ll just have to live with it – there are worse things.
I think that China sees itself pretty much the way Japan saw itself prior to WW II: a culture that is destined to “rule the world” in some fashion. When you’re the populous 500 pound gorilla in the room, you can realistically contemplate such a scenario. And if you’re also one of the oldest and most cultured gorillas on the scene, the national ego necessary to facilitate such a vision is also in place.
I have long felt that communism was seen by Mao et al. as the ideal system by which to perpetuate the divine-emperor autocratic governing MO of historic China – a “sure” path to greatness. It MAY have been (or seen to be) the easiest route to stability and power in the late 1940s and 50s, but the awful price has been ruthless suppression and persecution – typical of top-down communist regimes. “Forcing” kids to leave their families at a tender age to become the robotic athletes that bring home the gold says much.
The entire Olympic extravaganza, seen from this perspective, is just a VERY expensive attempt to ensure continued 500-pound gorilla status, and beyond. Too bad we’re in hock up to our necks to the giddily-growing gorilla. I heard on the radio the other day that many high schools are teaching Chinese now. I guess we’d better know how to talk to the folks who make all our stuff.
Posted on August 24, 2008 2:36 PM