I just saw a story about a second Olympic judo competitor who has been sent home for refusing to spar with an Israeli, “apparently for political reasons” — i.e., over the Israeli treatment of Palestinians.
I thought the whole point of the Olympics was to get nations to come together on neutral ground, irrespective of political differences.
If every Olympian had to make some sort of moral judgment about competing against representatives of Nation X, where they do [fill in horrible thing], there would be very few competitors.
On this we agree. Some of the point of the Olympics is for the interaction between peoples…especially in worldwide broadcasts. You should be able to see the other person as someone made in God’s image and also for them to see you as a person made in God’s image. Hopefully it would plant seeds of friendship…or not.
I grew up and came of age at a time when the Olympics was mainly about the USA trying to prove itself superior to the Soviet Union and vice versa.
Also, I object to them calling it the 2020 Olympics. It’s the 2021 Olympics