Brandon Davies, the starting center for the BYU Cougars basketball team, was suspended for the rest of the season for violating the school's honor code. It doesn't take a lot to violate the honor code at BYU, but that is the commitment every student makes when they decide to enroll in the university.
(The BYU honor code enumerates the requirements for every student to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
The university hasn't specified the cause for Davies's suspension, although a close connection to the school claims that Davies engaged in pre-marital sex with his girlfriend. While the exact infraction remains unconfirmed, one thing is for certain: He just put a serious damper on the Cougars hopes of getting a number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and their chances of winning a national championship this year.
Although the Cougars aspirations for March Madness are going to suffer as a result of this transgression, let's not forget the positive side to this story: As collegiate athletic teams around the country are violating significant NCAA rules without punishment or penalty from their universities, except when they need to save face, it's great to see BYU restore some integrity and morality to its broken system. These types of decisions give us hope that Athletic Directors can choose right over wrong, in a field that so often chooses wrong over right. Pat Forde hit the nail on the head with his thoughts on the BYU scandal and it's a very worthwhile read.
As is the case with Mormonism, Judaism is a discipline meant to challenge us; to make us better people and, most importantly, L'davka Bo, bring us closer to God. It's not supposed to be easy. We are engaged in a life-long process of growing in our observance and faith without compromising its values. While many Jewish laws appear troublesome or simply difficult to understand and observe, it does not make it or other religions with similar restrictions, antiquated or devoid of any real meaning. Each ritual and religious tradition provides its adherents with its own unique portal to connect with God.
Davies violated the honor code. Unfortunately, his transgression doesn't only affect himself; it affects the other 11 players on his team who had high hopes of making a splash at the NCAA tournament. Sources report that he is remorseful and heartbroken. As a Mormon himself, Davies let a lot of his people down and is now facing expulsion from the University.
I hope that BYU will consider his remorse as the beginning of his repentance process, and see to it that he is given a second chance to succeed at the University. If the University does show compassion for Davies and allows him to remain a student at BYU, I am sure that he will use this event as a way to grow closer to God. It's the right decision to make, because that is what religion is all about.
Rabbi Joshua Hess blogs regularly about the intersection of religion and sports at 'The Fanatic Rabbi'.
Follow Rabbi Joshua Hess on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rabbihess
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Go figure.
And, it just happened that the timing, with the team winning and needing him, would cause interest
to all followers of college ball.
And it just happened that he was not a mormon, so the opportunity to show him redemption and teach him mormon ways would reflect well on the school
Then it just happened that the story got all over the worldwide media.
And it just happened to be a featured story in the lds newsroom -- a source for media to get stories about mormon life, all pre-written for them
http://newsroom.lds.org/article/the-honor-code-and-compassion
And I left a tooth under my pillow -- it just happened to be replaced by a dollar.
With any luck, Davies will transfer to another school and his unfortunate situation will encourage other talented scholars and athletes to avoid BYU like the plague.
What sort of punishment did his girlfriend get?
Would they punish Jimmer Fredette for having sex with his boyfriend?
If we continue, as a society, to poo poo seemingly small infractions of commitment and ethics we will continue to sew or own seeds of destruction. Unethical people learn the behaviors as they grow and if they are never checked, we end up with the likes of Bernie Maddoff, Kenneth Lay, and our currently politicians of all sides.
I agree that as a society we need to develop strong ethics. I think that ethics also include having a certain religious organization from abstaining for whipping hysteria and money to support political campaigns like Prop 8. To fees up to that that would require total and absolution honesty. Ethics for the individual seems to be different than for the organization.
The sad thing is that people in this religion don't have the right to question anything or even think for themselves. It is a real red flag when the religion teaches that you can not even read the real history of the church only the sanitized and created version written within the fold.
Glad to no longer be a member and embarrased that I graduated from BYU
Don't feel sorry for the player -- he is going to be the star of even MORE of their publicity efforts, a shining, non-White, example of the power of redemption. Perhaps he will convert, so he can go from sinner to saint, but the fame has done him nothing but GOOD, as far as future income, fame, etc.
MY quarrels ---
A --stuff like college students having sex is a "small potatoes sin" in comparison to invading the lives of millions of Californians, particularly when the methods used
TOTALLY VIOLATED GOD'S COMMANDMENT -- "Thou shalt not bear false witness"
B-- similarly, the "sham" of many of the missions. Kids out there, going where they are not wanted, further enmeshing themselves into the machine's persecution complex, at an age where they should be learning to THINK.
C-- multi-billions in rich, untaxed investments
D-- some huge, hidden figure spent on POLITICS (as in A) and PUBLICITY - trying to make a "prosperity cult" look like a church that really cares about God's will
--- although I do not deny it works for millions of the members, some of whom deceive themselves
that no wrong is done to non-mormons, and that the charitable aide is where nearly all the money goes. (the "persecution complex" thing helps them deny the church's wrongs)
NO WAY IS THE BASKETBALL PLAYER STORY NOT MANUFACTURED -- it fits all the recent history of the machine
(and they even sucker rabbis into their party line)
AZreb: "Drive across the boder from UT to NV and see the number of vehicles in the parking lots of the casinos with UT license plates - see the number of those "worthy" Mormons who are drinking, gambling and ogling the waitresses in the skimpy outfits. But they are "worthy" members and able to walk into the Temples, run the wards, tell others what to do or not do."
Clause A: "See the number of vehicles"
Clause B: "See the number of those 'worthy' Mormons"
Conclusion: The number of vehicles = the number of "worthy" Mormons.
As AZreb didn't specify that not all the vehicles are "worthy" Mormons, I can only gather that's what he meant.
Now, I know there are Mormons not living the standards they agreed to, and others that are lying about that, but I will echo what I and many others have said before: "The members aren't perfect, whereas the church (and its teachings) are perfect."
As for your final statement, I know I'm not better than human, but I try to be better than a "natural man."
NONE OF ITS TEACHINGS IS PERFECT, as they have passed through the hands of men
GOD IS PERFECT -- our interpretations of God are where we go wrong
these guys are more interested in "good publicity" and "keeping the flock in line" than in actual good works.
The player gets to be a poster boy for mormon redemption and the religion gets millions of dollars worth of publicity -- I seriously doubt that the entire situation "happened", rather than being manufactured for publicity, and the press merely ran the story which was called to their attention.
You see the church's standards as a limitation... "They refuse to accept this is the year 2011, and people have rights"
In reality, I have more freedom and less heartache thanks to living the church's standards. I don't have to worry about children I'm not prepared to father, STD's, addictions, etc thanks to living the church's standards. I have more freedom to pay for a new car, whereas if I didn't follow the church's standards, I might have some addiction taking up all my money. I might have all the expenses of children when I am not ready yet.
Here's my final point, in response to this.. "No college instills such primative laws on thier students."
Maybe most don't, but if a student doesn't want to agree and be held to those standards, they don't have to attend. No one is forcing them.
Look at the Black LDS website, photo of chocolate man with beige wife -- the Civil Rights Movement
has a bit more work to do, in my pale opinion.
Drive across the boder from UT to NV and see the number of vehicles in the parking lots of the casinos with UT license plates - see the number of those "worthy" Mormons who are drinking, gambling and ogling the waitresses in the skimpy outfits. But they are "worthy" members and able to walk into the Temples, run the wards, tell others what to do or not do.
"Do as I say and not as I do" - great motto for the LDS adults.
...I think you'd be surprised. I'd take it from your comment that you are not LDS, but you live in UT... Does that mean you are a "worthy Mormon ... drinking, gambling and ogling the waitresses"? You must have a UT license plate, ergo, you are a Mormon.
My point is that assuming every UT car at some Nevada casino is an LDS member is absurd. Obviously, there are some, and that is their choice, but the church does not have hypocrisy. Again, yes there are members who are hypocritical in their self-righteous judgement, but again that is their choice. Those members are pretty few and far between as well, so lumping all members in that category is another false assumption you made.
When I worked at a dealership-run collision repair shop, one of the car salesmen called and wanted a repair done immediately. When I told him the shop was full and no way was it going to get done that day, he said "I'm and ex-bishop and I want it done now!" He didn't get it done and funnily enough, he was one I recognized in the casino and he wasn't just watching the slot machines make noises or drinking sodas!!!
I have friends in UT that are LDS, but they actually LIVE their religion - and while I think it is a cult rather than a religion, I do admire them for living according to the rules.
BYU was NOT going to win a National Champsionship, and it was cute for a while but everyone knows that a middle ACC or Big East team was going to drag them. They very likely would NOT have made it to the second round of the tournament unless all games were played in Utah or Idaho. I think BYU knew this.
The history of their sports program spells GARGAMEL: picking on the smallest victim gives them heart to kill.
BYU's only National Championship (football) was a farce, but they learned a lot from it: beating up on weaklings makes you seem like a powerhouse. While other schools this era (Boise State, TCU, Marquette, Cincinatti, etc.) are trying to get more competition by joining tougher conferences, BYU is running to a smaller conference (where they will be larger than the next three schools COMBINED). GARGAMEL!
Their record is inflated by playing in a weak conference. Their most impressive wins of the year were
1) against Arizona at a "neutral" location (Salt Lake City);
2) at San Diego State (the only other team in their conference worth a dam this season, and also with an inflated record); and
3) a double-overtime win against South Florida at a neutral location (Texas). South Florida is sub-500 and one of the worst teams in the Big East.
San Diego State (unfairly ranked top 5 in the country) has two "quality" wins: at Gonzaga and at California (neither of which are that great).
So, BYU's big win was against Arizona (a legitimate team, number one in the Pac-10), but it was basically a home game, and for whatever reason BYU has Arizona's number.
Mark my words, BYU is getting waxed in the tournament. When they bounce, they'll be the biggest upset going home; and that's no disrespect to Jimmer.
That being said, this was a very wise move by BYU. The LDS church has a history of making very practical choices, and BYU is a quinessential example of this pragmatism. That being said, their postive press is well-earned on this story: many other schools (Ohio State, Connecticut, etc.) would not dream of taking such a stance (even though it would come with this enormous public support).
This young man is being scapegoated to get 'good press' and give Romney a boost
The positive press was well generated, worldwide, by the efficient mormon publicity machine.
I think they observed that he was having sex and fabricated a huge public way for them to show they are about forgiveness, and that they actually stopped excluding Blacks, which many think they still do.
As far as I can tell, he is NOT Mormon and only went to BYU to play basketball.
If repentance is needed try LDS Church authority who have cover up child sexual abuse for decades, and decades and hand out scholarship to BYU as bribes.
Was his 'girlfriend' white and Mormon?
I see other posts talking about the Mormans and those that violate their faith and they are hypocrites. While true, it too, is irrelevant to Brandon and his situation.