Olympic athlete finds unique way to share her Christian faith in Paris despite IOC ban on religious demonstrations

[Vambram]

Olympic athlete finds unique way to share her Christian faith in Paris despite IOC ban on religious demonstrations | Blaze Media

She won silver in Tokyo and took home bronze in Paris.

www.theblaze.com

16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder competing in the Olympics used her time in the spotlight to highlight her Christian faith. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, skateboarder Rayssa Leal became one of the youngest athletes ever to win a medal in competition when she took home silver in street skateboarding. She was just 13 years old at the time.
On Sunday, Leal followed up her performance in Tokyo by winning the bronze medal in the same competition in Paris.
At one point during the competition, Leal used sign language to communicate what is to her an important truth the entire world needs to hear: "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life." You can view the video of Leal using sign language to share her Christian faith here.
Leal's decision to use her field of play to make an explicit religious message seemingly contradicts Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee's charter, which states, "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
That prohibition, however, could not stop Leal.
"I did it because I do it in every competition," she later said, according to a translation of her remarks. "For me it is important, I am Christian, I believe a lot in God. There I asked for strength and sent a message to everyone, that God really is the way, the truth, and the life. "I did it in sign language because the microphone probably wouldn’t pick up my voice, so it was the way I found to communicate with everyone. I think that’s very important," she added.

 

[AlexB23]

Olympic athlete finds unique way to share her Christian faith in Paris despite IOC ban on religious demonstrations | Blaze Media

She won silver in Tokyo and took home bronze in Paris.

www.theblaze.com

16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder competing in the Olympics used her time in the spotlight to highlight her Christian faith. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, skateboarder Rayssa Leal became one of the youngest athletes ever to win a medal in competition when she took home silver in street skateboarding. She was just 13 years old at the time.
On Sunday, Leal followed up her performance in Tokyo by winning the bronze medal in the same competition in Paris.
At one point during the competition, Leal used sign language to communicate what is to her an important truth the entire world needs to hear: "Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life." You can view the video of Leal using sign language to share her Christian faith here.
Leal's decision to use her field of play to make an explicit religious message seemingly contradicts Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee's charter, which states, "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
That prohibition, however, could not stop Leal.
"I did it because I do it in every competition," she later said, according to a translation of her remarks. "For me it is important, I am Christian, I believe a lot in God. There I asked for strength and sent a message to everyone, that God really is the way, the truth, and the life. "I did it in sign language because the microphone probably wouldn’t pick up my voice, so it was the way I found to communicate with everyone. I think that’s very important," she added.

I saw the video of this on a Christian YT channel, and she made me tear up almost. Glad that Christianity can still be spread in times of adversity.

Also, we need to get this surfer named Joao Chianca back into the Olympics, so he can use this Christian-themed surfboards in the Olympics and stick it to the IOC.

 

[RileyG]

Good for her! That's her own right.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

*gag*

I guess the real news is that she apparently didn't improve, and actually got worse in the last 4 years, going from Silver in Tokyo to Bronze in Paris. Perhaps if she had concentrated on her improving her skills in her sport rather than her public displays of proselytizing she would have medaled higher. This assumes she even gets to keep the medal and doesn't get disqualified since there's publicity showing how she broke the rules.

 

[Bobber]

*gag*

I guess the real news is that she apparently didn't improve, and actually got worse in the last 4 years, going from Silver in Tokyo to Bronze in Paris. Perhaps if she had concentrated on her improving her skills in her sport rather than her public displays of proselytizing she would have medaled higher. This assumes she even gets to keep the medal and doesn't get disqualified since there's publicity showing how she broke the rules.

Maybe she did medal higher. In the Kingdom of God! The Apostle Paul talked about the Olympics. They do it for a corruptible crown. We an incorruptible crown. 1 Cor 9:25

 

[durangodawood]

Im not a fan of IOC at all. But Im sympathetic with their goal to keep venues clear of religious, racial, political propaganda. Athletes (and everyone else) can go do that on their own.

Once you open up the venues to all that, it will just become a chaos of everybody messaging this that & the other to the world, including 'enemy' ideologies trying to gainsay each other. Save it, people.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Where my shut-up-and-play-sportball peeps at!?

 

[durangodawood]

Where my shut-up-and-play-sportball peeps at!?

Dude. Shes a skater.

 

[Vambram]

In many sports, if not all of them, there are lots and lots and lots of examples of athletes giving glory to the Lord publicly. I am glad that this Brazilian skateboarder used a unique method to express her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[wing2000]

eal's decision to use her field of play to make an explicit religious message seemingly contradicts Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee's charter, which states, "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
That prohibition, however, could not stop Leal.

The prohibition does not affect an athelete's speech.

https://law.marquette.edu/assets/sports-law/pdf/Rule%2050.pdf

 

[AlexB23]

In many sports, if not all of them, there are lots and lots and lots of examples of athletes giving glory to the Lord publicly. I am glad that this Brazilian skateboarder used a unique method to express her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen, brother. I am not an athlete, but I try to glorify God as well. Made a Daniel 12:4 verse thing at work, which took 10 minutes (Knowledge shall increase), and hung it up on my desk, behind the monitor, so not many people would see it. I love glorifying God through science and technology, and when I am at home or at church, through singing worship music.

 

[durangodawood]

Dude. Shes a skater.

Oops I mean sk8r.

 

[AlexB23]

Maybe she did medal higher. In the Kingdom of God! The Apostle Paul talked about the Olympics. They do it for a corruptible crown. We an incorruptible crown. 1 Cor 9:25

Wow, there is a verse for everything. I love the Bible. Looks like this verse could be in one of my future devotionals.

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV): "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

 

[RileyG]

Where my shut-up-and-play-sportball peeps at!?

Would you say the same to Tim Tebow?

 

[RileyG]

*gag*

I guess the real news is that she apparently didn't improve, and actually got worse in the last 4 years, going from Silver in Tokyo to Bronze in Paris. Perhaps if she had concentrated on her improving her skills in her sport rather than her public displays of proselytizing she would have medaled higher. This assumes she even gets to keep the medal and doesn't get disqualified since there's publicity showing how she broke the rules.

Why is it ok for athletes to come out as gay which makes them “brave,” but it an athlete displays their faith it’s proselytizing?

I understand why people don’t like it, but it’s a two way street.

I don’t watch sports nor really care that much. Meh.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Would you say the same to Tim Tebow?

Football players have been thanking Jesus for touchdowns my entire life. It's not a big deal. More importantly, it's not against the league rules.

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

Why is it ok for athletes to come out as gay which makes them “brave,” but it an athlete displays their faith it’s proselytizing?

I understand why people don’t like it, but it’s a two way street.

I don’t watch sports nor really care that much. Meh.

I don't personally care for people to "celebrate" their gayness in the middle of a game either. I don't really care. The main difference I see is that gay people are actually persecuted and Christians aren't, at least in the west. And that this gets posted in "News & Current Events" as if it's a big story everyone should care about. Except it's not. Neither would an athlete coming out as gay... except the right usually goes nuts about it and makes it news. Two-way street indeed.

 

[RileyG]

Football players have been thanking Jesus for touchdowns my entire life. It's not a big deal. More importantly, it's not against the league rules.

That’s true.

If she is preaching to others, then yes, I will say that’s wrong.

 

[RileyG]

I don't personally care for people to "celebrate" their gayness in the middle of a game either. I don't really care. The main difference I see is that gay people are actually persecuted and Christians aren't, at least in the west. And that this gets posted in "News & Current Events" as if it's a big story everyone should care about. Except it's not. Neither would an athlete coming out as gay... except the right usually goes nuts about it and makes it news. Two-way street indeed.

Gay people are persecuted? Still?