Jurisdiction

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Do you believe that the civil government has the authority to regulate the actions of athletes during the course of their activities of their respective sports?

We live in a country where laws, especially criminal laws, are being passed at an alarming rate. Further, the issue of over criminalization has been debated amongst legislators at both the state and federal levels. Often, the laws passed by legislators in our civil government do not fully reach the athletes in the course of their individual activities on the court, field, ice, etc. There has been much discussion as to the proper balance between these two spheres of authority.

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

There is a legitimate basis for civil government to exert authority over the actions of athletes, even within the context of their sporting activities. This authority stems from the government’s fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens and uphold the rule of law. While sports have their own sets of rules and governing bodies, these operate within the broader legal framework of the country.

Here’s a breakdown of why and how this authority can be justified:

  • Protection of Individuals: Governments have a duty to protect individuals from harm, including athletes themselves and those who might be affected by their actions. This can extend to regulating conduct that poses a significant risk of injury, even if it occurs within the context of a sport. For example, laws against assault could apply to egregious on-field violence that goes beyond the accepted rules of the game.

There is a legitimate basis for civil government to exert authority over the actions of athletes, even within the context of their sporting activities. This authority stems from the government’s fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens and uphold the rule of law. While sports have their own sets of rules and governing bodies, these operate within the broader legal framework of the country.

Here’s a breakdown of why and how this authority can be justified:

  • Protection of Individuals: Governments have a duty to protect individuals from harm, including athletes themselves and those who might be affected by their actions. This can extend to regulating conduct that poses a significant risk of injury, even if it occurs within the context of a sport. For example, laws against assault could apply to egregious on-field violence that goes beyond the accepted rules of the game.
  • Public Order and Safety: Sporting events, especially at professional and large amateur levels, are often public gatherings. The government has an interest in maintaining order and safety at these events, which might necessitate regulating the behavior of athletes if it incites violence or endangers spectators.
  • Criminal Conduct: If an athlete’s actions during a sporting activity constitute a criminal offense under the general laws of the land (e.g., assault, fraud, illegal gambling), the civil government undeniably has the authority to investigate and prosecute, regardless of whether the sport’s governing body also imposes sanctions.
  • Economic and Social Impact: Sports can have significant economic and social ramifications. Governments may have an interest in regulating aspects of the industry to ensure fair play, prevent corruption (such as match-fixing), and protect the integrity of sporting competitions, which can have broader societal trust implications.
  • Public Health and Safety: Regulations related to doping, for instance, can be seen as an exercise of governmental authority to protect the health of athletes and ensure fair competition.

However, the question of the proper balance between civil government authority and the autonomy of sports governing bodies is crucial and complex, especially in light of concerns about over-criminalization.

Considerations for Caution:

If we accept that civil government has some level of authority, counselors and policymakers alike should be cautious of overreach and consider the following:

  • Respect for the Internal Governance of Sports: Sports have well-established rules, disciplinary procedures, and governing bodies that are often best positioned to understand and regulate the nuances of on-field conduct. Over-criminalization of actions that are already addressed within the sport’s framework could be unnecessary and undermine the authority of these organizations.
  • Defining the Threshold for Intervention: It’s important to establish clear and justifiable thresholds for when civil law should override or supplement sports regulations. Minor rule infractions or actions that are inherent risks of the sport might not warrant government intervention. The focus should likely be on conduct that causes significant harm, constitutes a clear violation of criminal law, or has broader societal implications.
  • Avoiding Politicization of Sports: Overly eager government intervention in sports could be perceived as politically motivated or as an attempt to control aspects of public life that are traditionally self-governed.
  • Unintended Consequences: Broad criminalization of on-field actions could have unintended consequences, such as discouraging participation in sports, leading to frivolous lawsuits, or disproportionately affecting certain athletes or sports.
  • Focus on Systemic Issues: Rather than solely focusing on individual athlete actions, governments might be more effective by addressing systemic issues within sports, such as inadequate safety protocols, lack of accountability within governing bodies, or the prevalence of doping.

Conclusion:

While civil government possesses the overarching authority to regulate the actions of all individuals within its jurisdiction, including athletes, the application of this authority to on-field sporting activities requires careful consideration. A balanced approach would respect the autonomy of sports governing bodies to manage their own rules and disciplinary processes while reserving governmental intervention for instances of significant harm, criminal conduct, issues of public order and safety, or matters with broader societal implications. The debate around the proper balance reflects the tension between the need for legal accountability and the desire to preserve the unique and often self-regulating nature of athletic competition. As advanced practice nurses, understanding these dynamics is crucial as the health and well-being of athletes and the communities they represent can be influenced by both sports regulations and civil law.

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