Actual Ray Lewis quote to Sal

dawgatUSM

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Apr 6, 2008
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"When you believe in what you believe, no matter what ppl believe, the ultimate is the ultimate. This is the ultimate." WHAT?!?!
 

dawgs.sixpack

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Oct 22, 2010
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his quote on the trophy stand irks me.

"when god is for you, who can be against you?"

i guess ray prays better than the 49ers.
 

drt7891

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Dec 6, 2010
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That absolutely bothers me something fierce. He is equating that God loves the Ravens more than the Niners, for whatever reason. I hate to mix in religion to this, but that kinda stuff makes me furious. I don't mind prayer and God being brought up, but to say "when God is for you, who can be against you" after you won the super bowl is pretty tasteless.
 

thf24

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Jan 28, 2011
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Agreed, I can't stand when athletes say things along those lines. I don't understand why more people don't take offense to that.
 

Todd4State

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Mar 3, 2008
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I think in his case

Agreed, I can't stand when athletes say things along those lines. I don't understand why more people don't take offense to that.

People perceive him as having gotten off the hook for those murders fair or not, and therefore he will always be under a little bit more scrutiny.

I think if Colin Kaepernick had said the same thing, I don't know that as many people would feel the same way.

I'm not saying that's necessarily how you feel, but I think a lot of people do feel that way because his past.
 

dawgs.sixpack

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Oct 22, 2010
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People perceive him as having gotten off the hook for those murders fair or not, and therefore he will always be under a little bit more scrutiny.

I think if Colin Kaepernick had said the same thing, I don't know that as many people would feel the same way.

I'm not saying that's necessarily how you feel, but I think a lot of people do feel that way because his past.

Eh, I kinda get irks when any athlete makes a statement about god being on his side. Thank god for your ability or the opportunity to play the game or whatever, that's fine. Or even a generic "I want to thank god". But don't act like god was up there in his ravens jersey or whatever.
 

thf24

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Jan 28, 2011
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You're probably right about that, but I wasn't talking about Ray Lewis specifically, just athletes in general. I don't understand why people don't take offense to those who claim a higher power as the reason they beat others who believe in that same power in something as trivial (in the grand scheme of things) as a sporting event.
 
Aug 26, 2012
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Saw a picture that felt appropriate to share

file:///C:/Users/User/Pictures/New%20folder/Ravens%20sign.jpg


Hope it works

God Has No Favorites But Sign Guy Does Go Ravens | WeKnowMemes

 

Predestined

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Dec 5, 2008
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I didn't take it that way

I think the problem is we look at those comments from the human perspective. Why does God have to be against the 49ers just because he is for Ray Lewis? I believe that God was there for any player that called on Him, regardless of jersey.

I agree that God couldn't care less which team actually won. But He does care about His children, and about what matters to them, and He will answer their prayers when offered to him.

of course, none of this applies when we are talking about the Rebels :)
 

Drebin

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Aug 22, 2012
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so....

I think the problem is we look at those comments from the human perspective. Why does God have to be against the 49ers just because he is for Ray Lewis? I believe that God was there for any player that called on Him, regardless of jersey.

I agree that God couldn't care less which team actually won. But He does care about His children, and about what matters to them, and He will answer their prayers when offered to him.

of course, none of this applies when we are talking about the Rebels :)

Answer this for me: lets say Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis both prayed diligently all week that God would lead them to victory in the game. If God cares about what matters to them and answers prayers when offered, how does He choose which one to bless, just assuming for the sake of argument that both are equally faithful and dedicated?

I have no problems with praising Him, thanking Him, or praying and Him for very specific things, like special super bowl mercies. But Ray Lewis's comments are beyond inappropriate. They were extremely selfish and narcissistic. He comes off very fake as a result. I am not a tebow fan, but you would never hear him say anything like that.
 
Dec 15, 2012
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That absolutely bothers me something fierce. He is equating that God loves the Ravens more than the Niners, for whatever reason. I hate to mix in religion to this, but that kinda stuff makes me furious. I don't mind prayer and God being brought up, but to say "when God is for you, who can be against you" after you won the super bowl is pretty tasteless.


A tweet I saw last night went something like this: "Ray Lewis just won the Super Bowl. Ray Lewis just failed Biblical Hermenuetics 101." Very true. His quote isn't necessarily tasteless, it's just a gross misinterpretation of understanding Scripture.
 

Predestined

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Dec 5, 2008
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I'm not defending Lewis

My comments were aimed more at the those offended by those comments offered by athletes in general.

the answer to your question is easy. God would choose Lewis, because Willis is a Rebel. :)

Seriously, your question assumes that answering is the same as granting. It is not. I don't think that God sits up there and decides that Patrick is a better Christian, or that Ray prayed harder, so that means He lets one team or another win. I think praying for victory is selfish, though I have found myself often doing it for my Dawgs. I'm willing to bet that Lewis, and many others on the field, prayed they play their best, that they be free from injury, that God help them handle victory or defeat, and that God be with them in the game, I think those prayers please Him and that He does answer them and that there is nothing offensive about it. To me anyway.
 

DawgatAuburn

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Apr 25, 2006
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It's also used in a popular Chris Tomlin song. About the 2:30 mark.



Ray Lewis certainly has plenty of reasons to be criticized (as do we all), but if his faith is sincere, then he's not proclaiming God is a Ravens fan. He is simply saying that his faith in God empowers him to proceed fearlessly. When Paul wrote those words, God had already proven victorious over the ultimate fear (death on the cross), so what else could be thrown in our paths that He could not overcome? Like most any scripture it can be taken out of context and abused, but I don't think Ray Lewis was trying to do that yesterday.
 

dawgs.sixpack

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Oct 22, 2010
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My comments were aimed more at the those offended by those comments offered by athletes in general.

the answer to your question is easy. God would choose Lewis, because Willis is a Rebel. :)

Seriously, your question assumes that answering is the same as granting. It is not. I don't think that God sits up there and decides that Patrick is a better Christian, or that Ray prayed harder, so that means He lets one team or another win. I think praying for victory is selfish, though I have found myself often doing it for my Dawgs. I'm willing to bet that Lewis, and many others on the field, prayed they play their best, that they be free from injury, that God help them handle victory or defeat, and that God be with them in the game, I think those prayers please Him and that He does answer them and that there is nothing offensive about it. To me anyway.


so no one who has prayed for god to watch over them during a game has ended up injured, sometimes severely?

lewis said "when god is for you, who can be against you". he didn't say "i give all glory to god". he didn't say "i wanna thank god for the ability to play this game at the highest level for 17 years". he didn't say anything like that. he said god was on his side and that his side couldn't be stopped because of it.

meanwhile, colin kaepernick who didn't get charged with murdering a couple of guys and doesn't have a bunch of babay mamas, but who is devout in his on right with scripture tattooed on his arms is apparently opposing god.
 

lasher8

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Feb 13, 2012
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A tweet I saw last night went something like this: "Ray Lewis just won the Super Bowl. Ray Lewis just failed Biblical Hermenuetics 101." Very true. His quote isn't necessarily tasteless, it's just a gross misinterpretation of understanding Scripture.

It's a grossly misapplied interpretation - as well as tasteless and narcissistic. I see some others got here before me to cover some other points...so that's all. (Not really responding to you, Brad, with the second sentence - just didn't know just where to put that reply)
 

Koldfire

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Sep 15, 2012
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This is not a defense of Lewis. But if you believe that God controls all, then you can believe that his will was for the Ravens to win. Now I'm sure that his reasoning not is beyond human understanding, just as the death of innocence littlle children. Or you have to believe that God is indifferent on certain issues, like football and maybe even the death of children. Perhaps Ray's proclamation of faith, which is not expressed in the best manner (my opinion), will touch many on the fringe who have no conscious belief in God. Thus, a retch like Lewis can bring golry to the Father. Those people on the fringe may not be touched by the great testimony of, say, Tebow because that see him as a righteous do-gooder out of touch with their reality.
 

Predestined

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Dec 5, 2008
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I didn't say that.

God hears every prayer we offer him. And God answers every prayer we offer him. But God does not grant every request we make.

I think you are reading too much into what Lewis said, although he did say it inartfully. But I'll leave it up to God to detemine what was in his heart when he said it. i was just speaking against the overall comments against making such statements.

All this angst reminds me of a funny line by a comedian in the 80s (maybe Carlin but Im thinking somone less known), complaining of athletes always thanking God. He said (Paraphrasing) "For once I want to see a football player blame God for losing - it wold go something like this: 'Things were going great all game until Jesus made me fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter - he hates this team!'"
 

Predestined

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Well said

I was trying to say that but screwed it up.

He said something in the pre game interview that bothered me, but I figure it was inartful speech. Talking about the ATL incident, he said something to the effect that God has nothing to do and doesn't work with bad people. Now, if he meant to say God is not the author of evil, then I agree. But it came off like God has nothing to do with bad people, which flies in the face of all the Older and Newer Testaments.

He's a polarizing guy - hopefully his comments will get people to thinking about how God does weave His presence into every aspect of our lives and how He does care about us.

Thanks.
 

Hump4Hoops

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May 1, 2010
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Bringing religion into sports is just stupid to begin with

Unless you see *literally* a "miracle" (I threw the ball left, but then god made it turn 180 degrees! PRAYZE JEEZUS!) then you're just making stuff up to make yourself look righteous or because you lack the self esteem to know that you're good enough to win a game without any divine intervention.
 

KurtRambis4

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Aug 30, 2006
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This cat

has nothing on Hue Freeze. Hell Chris Jones said in his internview that he (Freeze) could be a preacher if he didn't coach. Holy hell, he's got these kids fooled.
 

jeremyrbrown

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Sep 4, 2008
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^
Regardless of how much of it Lewis brought on himself, he has overcome a lot (legal troubles, health issues, etc...) to be able to play, compete, and win a Superbowl. If I were him, I'd be thankful and realize that without God's providence I wouldn't have the strength to overcome all of those obstacles.
 

dickiedawg

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Feb 22, 2008
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his quote on the trophy stand irks me.

"when god is for you, who can be against you?"

i guess ray prays better than the 49ers.

Simply reading the quote and having not watched the postgame festivities, I read that "who" to mean not the 49ers, but all the "haters." Obviously Ray has dealt with a lot this week, between the PED stuff and the murder trial being brought up ad nauseam.

Because no one would believe that since he's a Christian, he can't lose. Was he not as Christian in last season's playoffs, or any one of the other seasons they didn't win the Super Bowl?