Daily Archives: September 2, 2022

Teaching theology to teens? Be open to unexpected answers – U.S. Catholic magazine

Posted: September 2, 2022 at 2:33 am

I cant do this because Im an atheist.

I cant do this because Im Christian, not Catholic.

I cant do this because I dont know what I believe.

These were some responses I got from students. I appreciated the combination of honesty and cunning. Teenagers often put the two together to try to get out of an assignment in the first months of a high school theology class. This is especially true when that assignment asks them to reflect upon an experience in their lives that they would consider religiousthat is, when one unexpectedly finds oneself in the presence of something more that cant quite be named, cant quite be understood, cant always be logically categorized, but that is felt and experienced nonetheless.

After I stated the prompt, some students looked at me perplexed. Others laughed and shook their heads in disbelief. A few seemed to understand, and their mental wheels began to turn.

Advertisement

So, I got more specific. I asked them to raise their hands if any of the following applied to them: Who has been to a large sporting event? Hands went up. Who has been to a concert of any kind? Lots of hands went up. Who has ever had fun with family or friends? More hands went up. Who has enjoyed being out in nature? A few hands went up.

I continued: When you were at that concert, at that sporting event, with friends and family, or out among the trees and fresh air, have you ever had an intuition that you could not explain? Have you ever momentarily felt connected to something larger than yourself? Like you were part of something bigger, even though you couldnt name it or may have even told yourself it was silly and pushed it away?

I didnt ask for hands, just to nod their heads if it sounded familiar. Almost everyone nodded their heads. It now made more sense. I told them: That experience is what you need to write about. Dont worry if it sounds religious or not. Just write about it in narrative form. And, as a follow-up, post a song to the class website that you think describes your experience. Preferably, a clean version of the song. Youll explain to a partner later why you chose that song, and well play a few of them in class.

Heads nodded. There were a few smiles, and everyone understood better what to do.

Teaching theology to teens is an art and a ministry. It is not merely passing on information, although that is one part of it. It is the process of accompanying them in their spiritual development wherever they are on the journey. Its a practice of creating a safe space for honest questioning and conversation, teaching various prayer methods, and offering ways for them to integrate their experiences into a cohesive narrative that uses the long Catholic tradition as a foundational dialogue partner.

Advertisement

To that end, I have learned three things while teaching teens. First, students need to ask questions, be taught how to ask questions, and be given a safe space where any and all religious, theological, philosophical, life, and human questions are valued and taken seriously. These questions run the gambit from Why does religion cause so much violence? to Do you, Dr. C., think Jesus was really God? to Why is the church so hateful toward LGBTQ people when Jesus was accepting and loving? and Is masturbation a sin?

As a teacher I do not need to answer every question. After all, this is not algebra. Rather, it is the messiness of learning how to be human in the presence of a loving God. But I do need to respond to every question in a way that validates the question and the student, offers additional information or directions to think in, and remains open-ended for further reflection.

Second, teachers need to be more like coaches than pontificating professors. If you let them, teens will be very honest about how difficult it is to make sense of spirituality, to show love to an enemy, or to generally believe anything any adult has to say about theology. They need to be reminded that they are loved unconditionally by God and encouraged to seek out the divine in all things using whatever language makes sense to them. No student should be penalized for doubt, atheism, agnosticism, or resistance to Christianity or theology. Doubt, protest, rebellion, and skepticism are natural parts of youth spiritual development.

Third, all education is the formation of an entire human person, not just the intellectual muscles of the mind. Nowhere is this truer than in theology. Every day, teens are inundated with media messaging that claims there is something wrong with them. In order to fix this, they are told they need to look a certain way, speak a certain way, and act a certain way. And if they buy a variety of products, this will magically happen. So, teens need to know that they are valued, they matter, their voices matter, their questions matter, and theology can attune them to the infinite love and acceptance that Gods Spirit offers here and now.

Adults need to realize that many teens have been harmed by a religious tradition in one way or another and have good reasons for skepticism. That is why one of the best compliments I received from a student was that I presented Christianity in a way that was compassionate, reasonable, inclusive, and explorative of Gods Spirit in all things. The student had little interest in any church, least of all the one her family attended weeklyat least not at that moment. But she said for the first time she was open to Christianity in the future if her life went in that direction.

Back in the classroom, I have learned to anticipate students complaints and objections to any assignment. For the student who said they were atheist, I told them of course they still had to do the assignment. They just had to approach it from the perspective of whatever they thought their beliefs as an atheist entailed. They had to follow the guidelines while remaining true and honest to their own stage in life and its corresponding beliefs. I said the same to the students who did not know what they believe, to Protestant students, to Muslim students, and to confused students. In doing this, I was teaching them to think about God in the most Catholic way possibleanalogically from their authentic experience of the something more to how this connects to God.

Theology is a process, journey, and struggle. The purpose of theology in a high school classroom is to assist in authentic human development more than the mere acquisition of new information. For no other discipline can assist youth in becoming integrated persons who can look beyond the immediate and begin to ask the most challenging questions: What is the ultimate meaning of your life? And how does that connect to how you actually live your life?

When teens know that you take them seriously as thinking and soulful young adults, they tend to take you more seriously as a teacher. And then they creatively engage in the work of theology: trying to articulate a meaningful word about God to themselves and others. And, most importantly, they do this by using their own terms. And thats not nothing. Thats the beginning of a journey toward spiritual maturity.

Image: Unsplash/Felicia Buitenwerf

Read the original here:

Teaching theology to teens? Be open to unexpected answers - U.S. Catholic magazine

Posted in Atheist | Comments Off on Teaching theology to teens? Be open to unexpected answers – U.S. Catholic magazine

All humans are believers – Big Think

Posted: at 2:33 am

Humans are unique in sharing one very peculiar trait: We believe. The nature of that belief varies a lot these days, when secularism is so prominent. Belief is not just faith in a supernatural god or deity, or in spirits and ghosts. Belief is an essential need for all humans. You believe in your capacity for success when you start a new project. You believe that your team will win the game this time. You believe that your idea is the right one, even though its still just an idea, an unrealized plan. You are passionate about your beliefs, and this passion fuels your drive to push forward. Without belief, we stagnate.

Even if you are a vocal atheist, you still believe in your creed that there is no god. Given that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, to say that the lack of evidence for a supernatural being is enough to rule out its existence in some definitive sense is, well, an act of faith. It is belief in non-belief.

Note that a historical critique of the evils of religion, with its wars, massacres, and persecutions, has nothing to do with the nature of belief or the need to believe. Belief may lead to fanaticism, but the two are not the same thing. You may believe you are superior to others (silly you), but that does not mean you should act on your belief and attempt to crush your supposed inferiors. (It pains me to even write that sentence.)

When discussing the relationship between science and religion, people often take a polarized position. They take a stance of belief or non-belief. Much grief comes from the insistence that one or the other is wrong or meaningless.

In practice, however, there is a whole spectrum of in-between positions, as doubt creeps in and we reach the limits of what we know. Many scientists are perfectly fine with practicing their science and believing in God. They claim that science is an incomplete description of reality, that there are many questions beyond its reach. More to the point, they claim that the more they understand the world through their science, the more they admire God. To them, science is a form of religious devotion.

Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday

Many great historical thinkers have shared this position, and many still do. What irks more aggressive secular thinkers is that they consider this in-between approach to be inconsistent with the tenets of science. To these thinkers, Nature is material, and matter is organized according to quantitative laws. The goal of science is to uncover these laws. There is nothing else. They claim that this metaphysical position of being both a believer and a scientist, although appealing and apparently conciliatory to many, is fraught with epistemic difficulties: It places the natural and the supernatural in an uneasy coexistence. How could Nature be both natural and supernatural? What does supernatural even mean? If I see a ghost in the mirror while Im shaving, whats going on? One of the problems is that to define something unusual as a supernatural phenomenon seems inconsistent. Any event that has been observed or heard has emitted some kind of electromagnetic radiation or sound waves, and it has physically impacted a detector or your own sensory organs. As such, this supernatural event is very much natural, even if it is deeply mysterious.

One can adopt what Stephen Jay Gould called a NOMA approach, short for non-overlapping magisteria. This approach compartmentalizes science and religion into limited spheres of influence, holding that religion begins where science ends. But clearly such a worldview will not carry very far. As science advances, the boundary between the two magisteria keeps shifting, as will any god-of-the-gaps approach. To state that the supernatural has an intangible existence, one that is immeasurable and thus undetectable, places it beyond the scientific discourse and renders the conversation moot. An intangible existence can only be sustained by faith, not by evidence.

In reality, religion and science do overlap. They intersect in peoples minds, in their life choices, and in the difficult moral challenges society faces. To strictly deny the power of religion in the world, with billions following a diversity of faiths while they seek a sense of identity and purpose in difficult lives, is terribly naive, and frankly, cruel.

The difficult question that needs to be asked is why so many people across every culture need to believe. What is religion providing that so many need to embrace?

To belong to a religious group immediately confers a person with a sense of community. You meet your peers in church, mosque, or temple, and you feel justified in your beliefs as you see that many others share them. This is as true for the religious as it is for secularists. Humans are tribal animals, and tribes unite around a central symbol, narrative, or moral code. There was an evolutionary advantage to being in a tribe, because power in numbers enhanced your chances of survival. There was a social advantage as well, because within the tribe a person finds legitimacy and a sense of purpose. To many people, belief may justify the allegiance to the group, but its the sense of community, of shared values, that drives it.

However, there is another aspect to faith, one that is purely subjective. As William James portrayed in his masterful The Varieties of Religious Experience, there is something unique about the individual at the crux of a true religious experience. This person shares a sense of community with the unknown, with what transcends the confines of our humanity. There is more to the world than what is seen and measurable, and these hidden features are equally important to us: Your whole subconscious life, your impulses, your faiths, your needs, your divinations, have prepared the premises, of which your consciousness now feels the weight of the result; and something in you absolutely knows that that result must be truer than any logic-chopping rationalistic talk, however clever, that may contradict it, James wrote.

Even if philosopher George Santayana and others have criticized James for encouraging superstition, one cannot deny the obvious fact that the reach of reason is limited. Science extends its reach into all aspects of the world, but there are boundaries past which it cannot extend. The choice we have is how to deal with what we cannot know.

When Einstein invoked his cosmic religious feeling to describe his unorthodox spiritual connection to Nature, he was trying to express this elusive feeling of the mysterious, of our human attraction to the unknown. Perhaps surprisingly to many especially to those who do not understand what drives people into science the engagement through science with unknown aspects of Nature is deeply spiritual.

Science is a flirt with the unknown, as is religion. The difference is that science uses tools to expand the domain of the known, while religion is sustained by faith. This is where belief comes in. It fills the space of the unknown so that we can sustain our sense of purpose. Even the secularist scientist, using research to probe beyond the known, is practicing this creed, fulfilling our deep need to understand our origins and make sense of the world, and to extend our grasp of a reality we can never fully comprehend.

Read the original:

All humans are believers - Big Think

Posted in Atheist | Comments Off on All humans are believers – Big Think

Adam Driver likes what he sees as he gets plump for Venice film – Reuters.com

Posted: at 2:33 am

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegister

VENICE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. actor Adam Driver piles on the years in his latest film, "White Noise", which premiered in Venice on Wednesday, but said he liked what he saw as his hairline receded and waistline bulged.

A former Marine who has appeared muscle-bound in previous films, Driver was asked if he had been "freaked out" by having to become a middle-aged dad with a paunch in the new Netflix movie directed by Noah Baumbach.

"I am very satisfied where things are going. It was a window into the future and I am ready," the 38-year-old star told reporters, adding that his body double had not been called on.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegister

"I put on weight. As a back up, we had a back-up stomach, and then we didn't need the back-up stomach. It was just my weight," he said.

Driver portrays a Hitler studies professor who has to face an "airborne toxic event" with his inquisitive children and wife, played by Greta Gerwig, who is suffering from a mysterious ailment that brings its own set of trauma.

"The movie is about life and death and how essentially we have to acknowledge they are the same and exist together rather than be two different things," said Baumbach, who last worked with Driver in the 2019 picture "Marriage Story".

The 79th Venice Film Festival - Photo call for the film "White Noise" in competition - Venice, Italy, August 31, 2022 - Cast member Adam Driver poses. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

"White Noise" is an adaptation of a satiric 1985 novel by Don DeLillo, but the film still resonates in a world grappling with the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was re-reading (the book) by chance to coincide with the pandemic. I couldn't believe how relevant it felt and how it felt so much like the moment," said Baumbach.

The movie projects a sometimes surreal version of small-town, 1980s America, with exaggerated colours, dancing in the supermarket aisles, atheist German nuns and university classes that view Adolf Hitler and Elvis through the same warped lens.

"DeLillo's novel is a satire of academia as well as pop culture," said Baumbach.

"White Noise", which also stars Don Cheadle and Jodie Turner-Smith, is one of four Netflix films premiering at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, highlighting the growing ambitions of the U.S. streaming giant.

The highly anticipated "Blonde", starring Cuban actress Ana de Armas in a take on Marilyn Monroe's tragic life, opens next week, while Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu's long-awaited film "Bardo" hits the Lido on Thursday. French film "Athena" completes the Netflix lineup.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRegister

Reporting by Crispian Balmer, editing by Deepa Babington

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Go here to read the rest:

Adam Driver likes what he sees as he gets plump for Venice film - Reuters.com

Posted in Atheist | Comments Off on Adam Driver likes what he sees as he gets plump for Venice film – Reuters.com

A top neurosurgeon looks to the future as he confronts questions of life and death – The Tablet

Posted: at 2:33 am

As the celebrated neurosurgeon, atheist and campaigner for assisted dying faces his own death, he reflects on what matters most: honesty, humility, serving his patients and building a dolls house for his grandchildren

I have often cut into the brain and it is something I hate doing. So begins neurosurgeon Henry Marshs 2014 bestseller, Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery, a mixture of memoir and reflection that plunges readers into the world of brain tumours, strokes and head injuries that Marsh has inhabited for 40 years. It is a world in which life is so fragile and uncertain youd think it would serve as a daily memento mori for anyone working in it. Not so. Recently retired, 71-year-old Marsh has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and the switch from surgeon to patient, and the prospect of death, has come as a profound shock. And Finally, published this month, is in part a cry of anguish: My wish to go on living, he writes, is as overwhelming as love at first sight.

But meeting Marsh at his house an unassuming nineteenth-century semi in Wimbledon, south London he seems the opposite of lugubrious. With a plummy accent, Harry Potter-ish glasses, and a forehead deeply furrowed by decades spent probing and peering deep into the white jelly of brains, he is welcoming and humorous, and radiates restless energy. We begin our interview in his kitchen, with the Ukrainian family to whom hes given sanctuary wandering in and out. But its not long before he suggests that we walk down his long, lush garden, past his beehives, to his workshop. This looks like a potting shed but is in fact a charmed lair filled with thousands of tools, including three lathes, a radial arm saw, a bandsaw and a spindle moulder. Marsh has always taken pleasure in creating his own staircases, tables, roofs and garden fences. Uninterested in money, he says hed far rather make things than buy things.

See the rest here:

A top neurosurgeon looks to the future as he confronts questions of life and death - The Tablet

Posted in Atheist | Comments Off on A top neurosurgeon looks to the future as he confronts questions of life and death – The Tablet

For anyone with Palestinian roots like me, Netflixs sitcom Mo is groundbreaking TV – The Guardian

Posted: at 2:33 am

Im an atheist but Im pretty sure I just witnessed a miracle, thanks to the Palestinian-American comic Mo Amer. His new semi-autobiographical Netflix sitcom Mo is hilarious and, no matter your background, I guarantee youll find a lot of it relatable. If you are of Palestinian heritage, as I am, however, Mo is far more than just a laugh: its a groundbreaking piece of television.

Palestine is not exactly a major theme in popular culture. If you do hear the P-word on TV its usually during the news and its normally nothing positive. Its the same for Arabs in general, of course. If we are on the telly, were usually terrorists. And, if were not being demonised, we tend to be the punchline not the people delivering the punchline. Palestinians, however, are dehumanised on a whole other level. You cant even say the P-word without it causing problems: an anchor on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation once had to apologise for using the word Palestine (instead of Palestinian territories), for Gods sake. Being Palestinian means constantly being told you dont exist or being accused by certain pro-Israel voices of being antisemitic simply because you assert that you do exist. I have written only a handful of articles about being Palestinian; every time I file one I have anxiety attacks for days because of the inevitable character assassinations and online trolling that occur after publication.

All this is why Mo, a show that is unapologetically about being Palestinian-American, is such a big deal to me. My jaw was hanging open in disbelief as I watched. Wait, Id think, are they really saying Palestine multiple times in one episode? Did they really just mention Palestinian farmers having their olive trees burned by Israeli settlers a regular occurrence that news outlets either tiptoe around or ignore? Did they really talk about all this and make it funny to boot? I cant tell you how significant it is to see being Palestinian treated with humanising humour. Mo of this please.

Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist

The headline of this article was amended on 31 August 2022 because, due to an editing error, an earlier version misdescribed the author as Palestinian-American. As the article made clear, she has Palestinian heritage.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com

Read this article:

For anyone with Palestinian roots like me, Netflixs sitcom Mo is groundbreaking TV - The Guardian

Posted in Atheist | Comments Off on For anyone with Palestinian roots like me, Netflixs sitcom Mo is groundbreaking TV – The Guardian

Trampoline at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – NBC Olympics

Posted: at 2:32 am

The two individual trampoline events (men's individual and women's individual) set to take place during the Games involve athletes bouncing over 8 meters in the air on a trampoline, performing a series of twists, bounces and somersaults. During the competition, athletes perform exercises composed of 10 elements that are scored based on difficulty, execution and time spent in the air.

Trampoline was originally invented in 1934 by George Nissen, but only grew in popularity during the first world championships in London in 1964. The sport then integrated with the International Gymnastics Federation 34 years later in 1998. Trampoline was introduced to the Olympic program in at the 2000 Sydney Games.Since becoming an Olympic sport, trampoline has been dominated by China which has won 14 of the 36 medals awarded, including four of 12 titles.

Nicole Ahsinger is the only gymnast who represented Team USA in the women's trampoline competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and she made history by placing sixth overall. Her finish tied 2012 OlympianSavannah Vinsant as the best finish by an American trampoline gymnast.

The trampoline events at the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place on August 2.

More here:

Trampoline at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games - NBC Olympics

Posted in Olympics | Comments Off on Trampoline at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – NBC Olympics

How The Olympics Helped Spread The Gospel Of Kimchi – Tasting Table

Posted: at 2:32 am

When Seoul got the chance to host the Summer Olympics in 1988, it marked a tremendous shift in the nation's international image. As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) points out, Korea's reputation prior to the games was deeply enmeshed in the Korean War. The games became a massive cultural showcase wherein kimchi seemed like an obvious thing to celebrate, but the event's organizers were hesitant at first.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, Olympic officials agreed to make kimchi one of the official foods of the Olympic Village, but they worried that foreign visitors would not be able to handle the smell. So great was their concern, that event staff were instructed to thoroughly brush their teeth after any time they ate kimchi. However, these fears were dismissed once guests actually arrived and sampled the dish.

Some of the first foreign nationals to sample kimchi were the athletes residing at the Olympic Village, who gave it positive press exposure. Word of kimchi reached the ears of Elaine Louie, an American reporter on site for the games, and she included it in a profile of Korean cuisine for The New York Times. That sealed the deal. According to Smithsonian Magazine, exports of kimchi skyrocketed in the immediate wake of the '88 Olympics. Kimchi became a celebrity in the culinary world, a lofty status that it retains to this day.

See the rest here:

How The Olympics Helped Spread The Gospel Of Kimchi - Tasting Table

Posted in Olympics | Comments Off on How The Olympics Helped Spread The Gospel Of Kimchi – Tasting Table

Microsoft, Xbox, And Special Olympics Team Up For This Years Gaming For Inclusion Event – Forbes

Posted: at 2:32 am

Microsoft, Xbox, and Special Olympics are working together to make gaming more inclusive.

In a blog post published last month, Microsoft and Xbox announced the upcoming second annual Gaming for Inclusion event in collaboration with Special Olympics.

The all-virtual, multi-day esports tournament aims to make gaming inclusive and welcoming to all players so that everyone can experience the joys of gaming, according to Jenn Panattoni, Xboxs head of social impact, who wrote the post. The event will bring together gamers from Canada and the United States.

Microsofts mission of empowering every person to achieve more drives the companys business goals and is the foundation of its long-term partnership with Special Olympics. The company is committed to developing innovative ways for technology to uplift and empower people regardless of ability, Panattoni said in a recent interview with me conducted over email. Within Microsofts gaming business specifically, there is a culture and belief that gaming is for everyone. We want to make gaming inclusive and welcoming for everyone, and let them know they belong in the gaming community.

This years event stands on the shoulders of past partnerships between Microsoft and Special Olympics that were obviously successful. Work between the two began in 2018 when they brought the first-ever esports tournament to the USA Games in Seattle. Two years later, during Covids zenith, saw the Xbox Virtual Gaming Event emerge for the first time. The event brought together more than 118,000 people, with last years edition growing nearly six times by having 627,665 people.

Special Olympics is working with programs across the [United States] and Canada to coordinate athlete and unified partner participation for the event and drive support, said Prianka Nandy, chief information and technology officer at Special Olympics, in an interview with me. All of this investment by Microsoft, Xbox, Start.gg and Special Olympics tells a broader story, one of gaming and technology communities coming together to support each other. [We want] to say, All abilities are welcome, all abilities can participate and have fun.

An integral part of the Gaming Event are shoutcasters. These people more or less serve as broadcasters for the event. Microsoft held a two-day training workshop at Microsofts Redmond campus. Three Special Olympics athletes participated in this years workshop, with each person receiving hands-on lessons from notable gamers such as Kate Yeager, Joshua Gray, Sean Spaceman Rogers, and Jon Kefaloukos. The workshop culminated with the students each taking their turn in an on-camera appearance during an Xbox livestream streamed on Twitch. In addition, they were also treated to surprise behind-the-scenes tours of the Mojang and 343 Industries studios, both headquartered in Redmond.

The participants have given rave reviews in their feedback on the shoutcaster workshop. I got to hang out on the Xbox livestream set. That was, as a small streamer, getting to do something that big was amazing, said Ben Gregory.

Jose Moreno concurred. It was awesome. I loved it, he said. Its something that I really wanted to do. I think I was born for this [gamer] profession.

Gaming for Inclusion has amassed over a million views in the last two years. The barometer for success lies in the response from Special Olympics athletes, families, and fans. Playing games alongside their favorite WNBA, NBA, NFL, and WWE athletes has been a bucket list item and a dream come true for the Special Olympics athletes. For viewers, Panattoni said, It was an example of how gaming and technology can combine to be a force for good [and] how online gaming can bring inclusion, joy and community to those who need it the most.

I typically wouldnt be able to play with somebody from Special Olympics across the country from where I live, Gregory said of Gaming for Inclusion. With gaming and technology, I can just press a button and were connected.

Nandy said her organization feels the Gaming for Inclusion event has a bright future. She explained they have two primary long-term goals. The first is pushing harder on expanding the event and esports as a whole. Esports is a powerful platform on which to promote inclusivity and equality, particularly for athletes who dont want to (or cant) participate in real sports due to their disability. They also break barriers around geography, language, and social isolation. Secondly, Special Olympics wants to ensure athletes have ample opportunities to obtain leadership roles and be authentically integrated in the esports world.

We would like to work with amazing partners like Xbox and Microsoft to ensure this platform will drive change and create a new understanding of leadership, inspired by our athletes, that will unlock leadership potential in people of all abilities, Nandy said.

Panattoni is on board with Nandys sentiments.

As Gaming for Inclusion continues to gain community support and participation, the real opportunity and dream lies in providing Special Olympics athletes with more opportunities to participate in a leadership capacity, she said.

This years Gaming for Inclusion event begins on September 10.

Go here to see the original:

Microsoft, Xbox, And Special Olympics Team Up For This Years Gaming For Inclusion Event - Forbes

Posted in Olympics | Comments Off on Microsoft, Xbox, And Special Olympics Team Up For This Years Gaming For Inclusion Event – Forbes

‘Memories Of War’ Returned, Witness Of 1972 Olympics Terror Recounts – Barron’s

Posted: at 2:32 am

Klaus Langhoff experienced World War II as a child, and found memories of the war flooding back when he went to Munich in 1972 as a handballer captaining East Germany at the Olympics.

Langhoff and his teammates were staying just across from the apartment block that Palestinian gunmen stormed into on September 5, 1972, taking the Israeli team hostage.

As the day wore on, he witnessed helplessly the terrifying scenes unfolding from his balcony -- from terrorists dropping the lifeless body of an Israeli coach on the street to the tense negotiations carried out between the hostage-takers and the West German police.

"It was like part of a war," said Langhoff, who had seen corpses of German soldiers lying in hastily dug graves as a six-year-old.

"These memories of the war came back" when he saw the gunmen carrying out the body of Israeli wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg and leaving it on the street, he told AFP.

The shock had been doubly hard to bear as the Games had started off so well, said Langhoff, who still cuts an imposing figure at the age of 82.

Langhoff had counted among the few East German citizens who were permitted to head abroad for the first time and had arrived in Munich "with great expectations".

The first week at the Olympics was "so excellent, so joyful," Langhoff recounted.

But that ended abruptly when the team's secretary general woke him up at 5:30 am.

"He came to me in the room and said 'Klaus, inform all the other players. Over there at the Israelis' lodgings, there's been a shooting and a terror attack'," said Langhoff.

The East Germans were initially told to stay well away from the windows and to remain inside.

But it soon became clear that they were not the target, so Langhoff began looking out and going on the balcony where he took photographs of the terror.

Pointing to one of the photographs, Langhoff said he saw a member of the Palestinian militant group Black September patrolling the roof "with a Kalashnikov ready to fire".

Below, guarding the front door "was always someone, probably the head of this terrorist group, who always had a hand grenade in his hand."

During a scuffle, coach Weinberg was shot and killed.

His body lay on the street "for a long time until they took him away," said Langhoff.

"It was awful. Whenever we looked out of the window or on the balcony, we saw this dead athlete there."

Weightlifter Yossef Romano was also shot dead, while another nine Israelis were taken hostage.

But West German police's bungled rescue operation ended with all nine hostages killed, along with five of the eight hostage-takers and a police officer.

With the Games suspended for the first time in Olympic history, the team prepared for a complete cancellation.

However, they were halted for only 34 hours, with then-IOC President Avery Brundage declaring "the Games must go on".

Langhoff said it was "doubly difficult" for his side to focus on their sporting objectives after the attacks.

The team lost against the Soviet Union and ultimately finished fourth.

Despite the harrowing experience, the team found little understanding from the East German public upon returning home.

"Only medals counted," he recalled."For us in the GDR (East Germany), finishing fourth was a shock to the system. I mean, there wasn't a prison camp, but only places one to three were financially rewarded."

The East German government, allied with the PLO and hostile to Israel, officially called the hostage-taking a "tragedy", while there was hardly any mention of the atrocity in the media.

The Communist authorities "completely ignored this attack and didn't include us in any evaluations or anything else (they) were only concerned with being successful in the competition," Langhoff said.

But the West German government was also criticised for failing to acknowledge responsibility for the disaster.

In 2012, Israel released 45 official documents on the killings, including specially declassified material, which lambasted the performance of the German security services.

Included in the reports is an official account from the former Israeli intelligence head Zvi Zamir who said the German police "didn't make even a minimal effort to save human lives".

Relatives of victims have over the years battled to obtain an official apology from Germany, access to official documents and appropriate compensation beyond the 4.5 million euros ($4.5 million) provided in 2002.

Only on Wednesday, 50 years after the atrocity, did Germany reach a compensation deal of 28 million euros with relatives.

"In retrospect, there were great omissions in the process of reckoning with the terror," Langhoff said.

"I don't even want to get started with the financial aspect. But even morally there are many things that are just incomprehensible."

dwi/hmn/pi

Originally posted here:

'Memories Of War' Returned, Witness Of 1972 Olympics Terror Recounts - Barron's

Posted in Olympics | Comments Off on ‘Memories Of War’ Returned, Witness Of 1972 Olympics Terror Recounts – Barron’s

How faith, family and focus took this Marine through Iraq and to the Olympics – We Are The Mighty

Posted: at 2:32 am

Jamel Herring is most known for his boxing success as the World Boxing Organization junior lightweight champion from 2019 to 2021 with a record of 23-4. He is a 2012 US Olympian competitor, the only Marine to compete in the 2012 games and the last active-duty Marine to qualify for the US Boxing team since 1992. Herring deployed twice, once with the 2nd Marine Division and once with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. His first deployment was in 2005 to Fallujah, Iraq and again went to Iraq in 2007. His deployment experiences consisted of a lot of convoys and security details during his tours, and he served as a gunner on convoys during his 2007 deployment.

Can you share with us about your life growing up?

I grew up in Long Island, Gordon Heights, and was always out and doing sports. Im still close today with one of my friends from childhood who is an Army veteran. One of my influences from growing up was Stephen Brown (pronounced Stefan) and he was a Marine. He encouraged me to join the Corps and I already loved sports, so it made sense. He died in 2004 from lung cancer while still in the Corps and I named my oldest son after Stephen. Stephen was a year older, and he came back from boot camp in the Corps. Im now a world champion boxer and U.S. Olympian and the only U.S. Marine to represent the Corps in the 2012 Olympics. The deployments made me appreciate the simple things in life. I came back and was happy to see grass and a good lawn, even proper plumbing. Now, even today I dont ask for much. Ive been to places where people dont have much but then are grateful for what they do have. My deployment experience gave me a better aspect of how I look at things in my own life. Ive seen people with little, but they are happy. Theres always somebody out there that wishes they were in your place. So, I was never the type of person who needed to have more. In reality, I have more than enough. I could be out chasing what I could have, or I could be happy for quality time with my friends and family.

Do you have a spirituality?

I lost a daughter in 2009 due to SIDS. It took a lot of faith for me not to break. I took that negative and turned it into a positive. I look at my daughter as a Guardian Angel and I look at every decision based on character. I ask myself, If I do this, how would my daughter view me and keep her in mind when I do things more impactful for othersI go off of thathaving my faith intact kept me on the right path.

What got you into Boxing?

A good friend of mine named Ashanti Henderson introduced me to boxingI grew up watching it with my parents and friends but didnt ever see myself doing it, especially when you come from watching the Rocky movies, I didnt want anything to do with boxing. Growing up I wanted to stay out of the streets and would go from school to gym and then from home to bed. I didnt have time to mingle and get in trouble. Thats the main reason why I picked up boxing and to stay busy. Over time I fell in love with the sport, took it more seriously, and then started studying it a lot more to get where Im at now. Another influence was a fellow veteran (Army), Lindberg Freeman. We started boxing together around the same time and motivated each other.

Are there certain key traits and memories from the Corps?

When Im in the boxing ring and am having a rough fight and go back to the corner, I always think about what Ive been through just to get to this point. I always go back to a place in Iraq and have seen roadside bombings and had RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) flying directly towards me and stuff of that nature. Basically, it could be worse, and I have been through worse. More importantly, I know for a fact that there are Marines out there that look up to me and would love to be in my place. Its more of a sense of, theres no room for me to complain about the situation that Im in. Ive overcome so much, and Ive been through worse and there are people who would love to trade places with me. I always think about those tough times in the Corps and think about everything Ive learned from the beginning in basic training. Because a lot of people dont know I spent my 18th birthday in basic training. I was still a kid when I went to boot campstraight out of high school and right in the fire. I had to mature and grow quickly. Most of my adulthood so far took place as a United States Marine. Its all I knew as a Marine growing up, so a lot of those Marine Corps traits stick with me.

Are there a top two or three of those traits that come to mind?

Ill share a story that opens my eyes to this life and how serious it can be. In 2007, I was expecting my oldest son, who was named after Stephen. His mother was pregnant with him, and I happened to be deployed at that time. Ill never forget this EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Sergeant giving us a class on what to look out for, like roadside bombs. Ill never forget he had a 2-week-old son, and a few of the Marines I was in class with out there in Iraq were fooling around and not taking him seriously. Rightfully so this Sergeant lost it and went off and he told us, Hey Im a father trying to get home to my newborn son and you guys are out here playing around. Im giving you my time so that you all go home safely.

The guys wisened up and stopped fooling around, but a week later that same sergeant lost his life to a roadside bomb. I always think, this is really serious. This is really real life here. This was a man who was a good man and had a 2-week-old son. He has a son now that will never meet him. All his son will hear are his stories. I didnt want to be that guy. I didnt want to be the Marine who falls victim to the war. I actually matured a lot more because of that real-life scenario and grew up a lot faster. That always sticks with me. I always share that story when other people take things for granted. There are people out there who really will put everything on the line for you to get to the next level. Its my duty to give back.

About a year agoI went down to Camp Hope (PTSD healing center/foundation) to speak with Marines and veterans in general about their personal issues and what they have dealt with. I may be the champion of the world but at the same time, Im a fellow brother to you guys as well and am still human. I go through the same hardships at times that we all do. Once I felt like we all connected, it just got a lot easier to communicate with these individuals.

Another trait I learned from the Corps is leadership. A great prime example: As a leader you have to learn how to deal with all types of personalities and people from all over. On the 2012 Olympic team, they voted me in as the team captain because of my military background. I took the honor very seriously. Ill never forget, as a Marine, you can easily talk to Marines in a stern way and with civilians, you have to take a different approach. I can talk to this individual strictly and sternly, but for another individual, I might have to have a lighter tone and open up more not only to them but to patiently get them to open up as well.

At the end of the day, as long as I got the same results down the road, I was happy with that. That is when leadership really came in. True story, these individuals, these Olympianswe actually still speak today because of having a great relationship and knowing how to be a good leader and to be more understanding of others.

I owe that due to the Marine Corpswhen I went to the Marine Corps, I was a kid and was in no position to lead. As time went on, I really grew into that leader that was expected of me and I have nothing but the Marine Corps to thank for that.

In what ways did the Corps prepare you as a boxer and in the community?

Boxing is 80% mental, and 20% physical. The Corps strengthens you more mentally and even in basic training, your drill instructor will always tell you its to break you down and to build you up stronger. I truly understand the meaning of that even in the boxing world, even just in life in general. The Corps actually makes life easier for me to speak in life openly. When I went to Camp Hope, I respect every one of those men and women out there who open up about their traumas and past experiences in their lives, making it a lot easier for me to do the same. I instantly, as soon as I walk into the room, find something that can be picked out and connect with them. We will all be laughing and joking as if we knew each other for years. That just comes from great qualities and speaking skills thanks to the Marine Corps.

Is there anything you are doing for community service?

Ive traveled out of the country and have gone from defending a world title and winning on Saturday to being, sore and bruised up on Sunday to getting on a plane just to go see fellow veterans around the world. Giving them a few days of my time. I have been really sore and in pain, but I felt there is a greater need out there and the greater good for me to do. I got on a plane, went out there for a few days and had a blast. I can honestly say that is probably a moment that I wont forget, and they wont forget as well.

What are your next goals and plans?

Its many times day by day, but I want to continue laying down a foundation to where I can help others. Honestly, even though Ive been through tragedies, Ive lost my best friend and I lost a daughter, yet I still look at the great things I have in life. My next thing is to better themselves in their life and to continue going out there and speaking out. I also lost good friends I served with because they didnt have someone to talk to or they couldnt get the help that they needed. I dont want to see that on my watch. Im going to continue to speak to others, help others and be the best individual I can be in life. Taking my free time to go out there and share my love with others as well.to give back.

If it wasnt for the Marine Corps I probably wouldnt be in the position where Im at. People thought I was a good boxer, but, the mental aspects of the Marine Corps are what made me into a better boxer and a better fighter, not only inside the ring but out of it. Thats why I give so much love and respect back to the Marine Corps. Whenever they called me to come back and visit, hey Im there. Give me the date and time and Ill fly myself out there. I already had Marines ask me a few weeks ago to come to the Marine Corps ball. Give me the details and Ill be there in my dress blues. I can still fit in them. I just need a haircut and a proper shave and Im fine.

Here is the original post:

How faith, family and focus took this Marine through Iraq and to the Olympics - We Are The Mighty

Posted in Olympics | Comments Off on How faith, family and focus took this Marine through Iraq and to the Olympics – We Are The Mighty