The devil made her do it

[Long Run]

Kentucky cross country runner pulls out of regional championships rather than run with bib number ’666′
Cameron Smith
By Cameron Smith 4 hours ago Prep Rally

In one of the strangest cases of purported religious beliefs intersecting with athletic performance, a Kentucky junior cross country runner voluntarily walked away from a chance to qualify for the state meet to avoid running with the bib number "666", which she said conflicted with her Christian beliefs.As reported in depth by Lexington NBC affiliate LEX18, Whitley County High (Whitley County, Kent.) cross country runner Codie Thacker voluntarily forfeited her spot in a regional championship race after her coach drew bib number 666 for the runner. Thacker and her coach argued that she should be allowed to switch her number, but race officials refused the request.

Those officials would later deny that Thacker claimed she needed to change bib numbers for religious reasons, though the junior insists she was explicit about her motivation. To her, running with the number 666 on her chest would have signified a serious breach in her faith.

"I didn't want to risk my relationship with God and try to take that number," Thacker told LEX18. "I told them to mark out my name because it makes me sick just thinking that my name is associated with that number."

The result was a third straight season where the cross country runner has fallen just short of the state meet, even though she had aggressively trained for the regional championship race since June. Thacker had hoped to earn headlines for her performance on the trails. Now she's getting attention for something else entirely.

Perhaps the only person who wasn't stunned by Thacker's exit from the regional meet was her coach, Gina Croley, who was the first person to see the number assigned to the runner.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschoo ... 18529.html

[Big RR]

While it does seem a bit silly, we make a lot of concessions for similar religious beliefs and even superstitious (how many buildings don't have a floor numbered 13?), and I can't see why she shouldn't be accommodated as well. Perhaps the high school athletic commission should look into its rules and adjust them accordingly. It's just not that hard to give her another number.

[Joe Guy]

She should take it as a sign that God didn't want her to run that race and be thankful.

[Jarlaxle]

Just wear it upside down.

Note: one of my relatives was in the Navy, he served on USS Hawkbill, SSN 666. After leaving the Navy, he became a minister. Go figure.

[rubato]

One of the best movies about Religion in America: "Wise Blood" based on the story of the same name by Flannery O'Connor.



Hazel: " ...the Church of Christ Without Christ. Where the blind can't see, the lame don't walk, and the dead stay that way. "


yrs,
rubato

[Jarlaxle]

Have you EVER had ANYTHING constructive to add to a thread, Rubie?

[Gob]

His absense.

[rubato]

If you've never read "Wise Blood" you won't get anything out of it. I Guar-un-tee it.


“I don't have to run from anything because I don't believe in anything.”
― Flannery O'Connor,

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

Off-topic but the pairing was irresistible:

“There was already a deep black wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin.”
― Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood

"To live outside the law you must be honest"
― Bob Dylan

[Joe Guy]

Idiot wind blowing every time your move your mouth

- Bob Dylan

[Lord Jim]

I love a timely quote...

[rubato]

“Art never responds to the wish to make it democratic; it is not for everybody; it is only for those who are willing to undergo the effort needed to understand it.”
― Flannery O'Connor,

[Lord Jim]

“There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.”
― Bertrand Russell

[Sue U]

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read."
- G. Marx.

I am surprised that rubato is quoting Flannery O'Connor; I would think her uncompromising commitment to Catholicism would have put him off.

[Lord Jim]

Well, in order to be surprised at that, I'd have to assume that rube actually knew something about Flannery O'Connor...

Given rube's track record regarding actually knowing anything about the people or subjects he posts about, that is certainly not an assumption I'd ever make...