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NO PRAYER: FIFA Seals Stadium Chapel
by German Evangelical News Agency idea: Evangelische Nachrichtenagentur idea
B e r l i n (idea) - If football (soccer) players want to pray before a World Champion match in Berlin or Gelsenkirchen these days, they will encounter closed doors of the chapels there. As commissoner of sports of the Evangelical church in Berlin, councilor of the consistory Bernhard Felmberg told idea on July 19, the International Football Association FIFA has closed and sealed the chapels of both the Berlin Olympic Stadium and the Arena "On Schalke" (name of the stadium in Gelsenkirchen).
Stadiun Chapel in Berlin
The FIFA stated that this has to do with security reasons and with the respect of the members of non-christian religions. As to Mr. Felmberg, there are negotiations going on with the organizations of each stadium to re-open those chapels. He expressed the hope of have open chapels already for the match between Germany and Ecuador on July 20 in Berlin. That chapel was being inaugurated only some weeks ago. During the World Championship, the place of worship should be open to every player, Felmberg said. In some of the soccer teams, like the Brasilian or South Korean team, for example, there are numerous born again Christians.
Football-World Cup: Shaman Stikes Fear Of Magic
by German Evangelical News Agency idea: Evangelische Nachrichtenagentur idea
D r e s d e n (idea) - The appearance of Ecuardorian shaman Tzamrenda Naychapi in the surrounding field of the football World Cup has stoken the fear of occult influences. This is the conviction of pastor Harald Lamprecht (Dresden), commissioner of the department of cults and world-views of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Germany. Naychapi had ritually "cleansed" the stadiums before the World Cup. As Lamprecht told idea, "magic and magical practices don't bring success nor peace, they only increase fears."
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Katrin B.'s comment:
I have noticed all the magic with this shaman as I am living close to where the Ecuatorian team is accomodated. Now I ask: What's all that in aid of? If a few catholics would have "cleansed" the stadiums with prayers and holy water, then there would have been an outcry throughout all the country. This "shamanry" has found favor with so many people here, it looked nice with lots of different colors, it was something for the eye. Let's esteem all tolerance, also when it comes to religion. If others want to believe it, okay. But the Brasilians will still stand before closed chapel doors in Gelsenkirchen (where their next game will take place), if they want to pray there.
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