In this week's Family Update we talk about how family issues you care about have fared during the 2024 Olympics. |
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at the Olympics |
While the team at PA Family enjoys the Olympics just as much as the next patriotic American, our expertise lies outside the world of sports commentary. So why touch on the 2024 games? Well, this year the Olympics highlight the crux of several family issues we all care deeply about. It showcases where our culture is, where it is heading, and what we need to do next. |
1. The Ugly: The Opening Ceremony that Should Have Stayed Closed |
By now, you've likely heard about the disastrous opening ceremony at the Olympics. It featured drag queens in what appeared to be a blasphemous mockery of the Last Supper, a decapitated head representing Marie Antoinette of the French Revolution, and drag queens dancing around children. God will not be mocked (I Peter 2:4-14). We live in a culture that embraces shock-value and ugliness over beauty and art. This should sadden, but not surprise us. God is the root of all that is Good, True, and Beautiful. A society that has turned from God also turns from these reflections of Him. Art should point us to God and to worship Him. The opening ceremony was an outrageous embarrassment that did the opposite. What we saw was the consequence of a secular and godless worldview on full, unadulterated display. |
2. The Bad: "I had to preserve my life." |
Many were rightly upset on Thursday morning as the harmful consequences of the IOCs lack of standards for fairness in women's sports resulted in a disgraceful boxing match. This year, there are two boxers (one from Algeria and one from Taiwan), competing in the Olympic women's boxing category who were previously disqualified from competition in the women's boxing world championship by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The reason: for failing to meet the gender requirements. While there are few details on the specifics, both athletes have XY (male) chromosomes and have DSDs (disorders of sexual development). Early Thursday morning was the first round between Imane Khelif of Algeria and Angela Carini from Italy. The match lasted 46 seconds after two serious blows from Khelif to Carini. She took off her helmet, fell to the floor crying, and forfeited the rest of the match. Carini said afterwards she felt she had to stop the fight to preserve her life. We should all be outraged at this injustice. On Wednesday, the IBA issued a press release addressing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and warning them that they were putting women's safety and fairness at risk by allowing two athletes who failed their gender tests to compete. They followed up with another press statement on Thursday reiterating their position. The IOC did nothing to protect these athletes or fair, safe competition for women. Instead, they released Orwellian, thought-police-level "press guidelines," telling reporters not to call DSD athletes "biologically male" but instead, to simply call them "women." As Carini sat crying in the boxing ring after forfeiting the match, she repeated in her native Italian, "This is unjust. This is unjust." Indeed it is, whether at the Olympic level, or in your local school. PA Family has spearheaded efforts here in Pennsylvania to protect fairness and safety in girls' and women's sports both at the school district level and within state law. We helped advance legislation in 2022 for fairness in girls' sports that passed both the State House and Senate, but was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf. With your support, we will continue to press for justice for women and girls. Take action to let your legislators know we must protect fairness in women's sports. Additionally, your school board needs to hear from you. If they haven't yet enacted protections, show up at school board meetings and encourage them to do the right thing. Your voice matters. |
3. The Good: Inspiring Mothers, Fathers, and Families |
Thankfully, the Olympics were not all dark and dim. There have been some truly inspiring stories. For example, Egyptian fencer and three time Olympian, Nada Hafez, announced after competing that she is actually 7 months pregnant! She shared: "What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, and my yet to come to our world little baby!" What an incredible example that women are capable of so much more than the abortion industry wants them to believe! Another proud parent was 7-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Caeleb Dressel, who shared how fun and fulfilling life has been with his son as a first-time dad and that having a son gave him perspective. He also shared how much he misses his son and said "I just need to smell him!" Additionally, Allyson Felix, the most decorated track-and-field athlete in history and fierce advocate for athlete moms after having her own daughter, teamed up with Pampers to create a nursery in the Olympic village where moms can spend time with their children during the games. Ilona Maher has made waves as a massively famous rugby player, helping the US Women's team to get their first medal in 16 years! Ilona uses her social media presence to encourage young women in sports and routinely highlights and features her supportive family. Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal used her time in the spotlight to quote John 14:6 after winning a bronze medal. The verse reads: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" |
The Olympics are not over yet, but we have already seen some serious highs and lows when it comes to family issues. May this be a wake up call that we must defend fairness in women's sports - every area is touched, from small high school teams to the best athletes in the world at the Olympics. This issue won't go away until we all take a vocal stand. May the opening ceremony be a reminder of how desperately our ugly, broken world needs redemption and saving through Christ. So would we all be, apart from His grace. May we be spurred on to become more fervent advocates for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful - and ultimately, for Christ. |
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- August 16: Pray for PA Pittsburgh, Christ Church - Grove Farm, Sewickley, PA. Registration and details here.
- September 13: Michael Geer along with his NY colleague Jason McGuire for a "Capital Connections Live" Family Life Radio event on Elections 2024. More details here.
- September 23: Pennsylvania March for Life, Harrisburg, PA. More details here.
- October 5: 35th Annual Friends of the Family Banquet, Hershey, PA. Save the date! Details and registration to come.
- November 3: Pray for PA Harrisburg, First Assembly of God, Harrisburg, PA. More details here.
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| - Pray that God would radically change the hearts and minds of all those involved in creating the opening ceremony. Pray for their redemption, forgiveness, and healing. So would we all be like, apart from the grace of God.
- Pray the stories highlighting life at the Olympics would be used to encourage young women and men who find themselves facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies.
- Pray that fairness and safety in women's sports would be upheld.
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