Should Christians Boycott the Olympics?
By Movieguide® Staff
Following the Paris Olympics’ debauched, drag queen-filled mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies, many Christians are calling for believers to boycott the games, but is that the right response?
The Daily Wire reported, “This year’s opening ceremony, which featured a number of acts, drew controversy for including a drag show parody of ‘The Last Supper’ with Jesus Christ, his apostles, and Greek god Dionysus.”
Immediately after airing, social media was flooded with believers decrying the display.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting,” Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butler posted, quoting Galatians 6:7-8.
“Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.”
Galatians 6:7-8 pic.twitter.com/bhCHoO1HXk
— Harrison Butker (@buttkicker7) July 26, 2024
“‘Do not be misled- no one makes a fool of God’ (Galatians 6:7). Don’t stop praying,” Christian singer Matthew West added.
But despite this open mockery of Christianity, should Christians refuse to watch the Games? The athletes — who have worked their whole lives to compete on the world stage — had nothing to do with the opening ceremony. Many of them are Christians who are openly declaring their faith as they compete.
Actress Candace Cameron Bure loves the Olympics. Her husband, Valerie, is a two-time Olympic medalist. She was saddened and angered by the blasphemous display but still plans to watch the games.
“As far as the games go, do what you want to do. You want to boycott? Boycott the games. I’m going to watch the games. I want to support our athletes,” she explained on Instagram. “There are a lot of great Christian athletes competing as well, but I want to cheer them on. I want to see God get the glory.”
“These athletes have dedicated — not just the last four years — but their entire lives to compete in these games that had nothing to do with that opening ceremony,” Bure added. “So I want to support them, but if you feel a conviction not to watch, then don’t.”
While many athletes have yet to compete, they’ve given glory to God in the past and will likely continue to do so in Paris.
“Honestly—praise God,” said track and field star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone after breaking the world record for the women’s 400-meter hurdle earlier this year. “I was not expecting that, but he can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ. I’m just amazed, baffled, and in shock.”
Gymnast Brody Malone praised God after landing a spot on Team USA for the second time.
“I just have to give all the glory to God,” he told NBC at the trials. “It’s all Him, and, yeah, it’s all God. So I just want to thank Him for this…I’m just so grateful for everything that God’s done for me.”
The youngest member of Team USA, 16-year-old Hezly Rivera, also thanked God for her spot on the gymnastics team.
“I am so grateful to be here and to be selected on this Olympic team. I have made so many sacrifices to get here so I want to thank God, my coaches, family, my friends and my teammates. I just can’t believe that I am here,” she expressed.
Because of the backlash, the Olympics offered a halfhearted apology, as Movieguide® reported:
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps said at a news conference. “We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
The apology is nothing more than a band-aid attempt to repair what was clearly a mockery of the Christian faith.
While Christians should stand up for truth and call out anything that blasphemes God, we should also be vocal in our support of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are sharing their faith from one of the world’s biggest stages.
Whether this means supporting them with your views or sharing their wins on social media, we shouldn’t abandon the Games entirely. Instead, we should encourage athletes to use their platform for God and see how the Lord uses this situation to bring lost souls to Him.
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