Religion and Sport
The relationship between religion and sport has changed dramatically throughout the centuries. Originally, with the Greeks, athletic competitions were mixed with religious ceremony. But, with the rise of Christianity and Puritanistic beliefs, athletics became a sinful activity scorned by the clergy and religious fanatics The Greeks were a very religious people. Being polytheists, they believed that particular gods could provide assistance in all aspects of life. The competitive games of the Greek culture grew out of their religious and cultural ceremonies directed at these gods. The Greeks held religious festivals with feasts, dancing, and athletic contests to honor the gods. The most famous of these contests, the Olympic Games, was held in honor of the warrior god Zeus. The Olympic athletes swore to Zeus that they would obey the rules and play fair. The entire first day of the Games was made of religious ceremony including oaths, prayers, sacrifices and the singing of hymns. At the end of the second day, a black ram was sacrificed to the god Pelops, who myth said originated the games. The following morning, one hundred oxen were sacrificed at the altar of Zeus. It is easy to see at this time that religion and ath
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 903
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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