What kind of example is this for SDA youth?

[abelisle]

Seems like an up and coming HS hoops star has a mother who is willing to do a "work around" the Sabbath (read the last 4 paragraphs)

His high school coach says he has the potential to one day play in the NBA. College coaches offer high praise. And he's coming off a freshman year that saw him average 15 points and 12 rebounds per game on the JV.

Cardozo's Jermaine Lawrence is widely considered one of the top players in the city, a 6-8 forward who's versatile enough to play anywhere on the court.

Longtime Judges coach Ron Naclerio says the youngster has shown flashes of brilliant shooting, and he can help lead the Judges back to the PSAL finals.

It's possible, Naclerio adds, that Lawrence can follow in the footsteps of Rafer Alston and Royal Ivey, Cardozo notables who both reached the NBA.

"If he dedicates himself to live this dream, barring injury, he's one of few kids that I've had that can not only live the dream, but the dream can be so real that he can enjoy it on a level that few can," Naclerio said. "I haven't seen a kid with his potential in New York since maybe Lamar Odom."

But Lawrence, who holds an offer from the University of Louisville, may struggle to realize that potential on a consistent basis this winter.

Lawrence and his family are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Christian domination that is known for its distinct observance of the Sabbath from sunset on Fridays to sunset on Saturdays, days on which many key non-league and playoff games are played each season.

"It's tough," Lawrence said.

Naclerio, who usually moves at a frenetic pace, has had to handle Lawrence's situation delicately.

Lawrence easily could have made the difference in the Judges' title run last season, which ended in a finals loss to Boys & Girls at the Garden, but Naclerio kept his star on the JV level.

"Basketball-wise, maybe I made a mistake (not starting Lawrence on varsity), but if you take the religious factors in, it would have been thrown in his face and his mother's face the first year," Naclerio said. "I think his mother realizes that she's going to have to relent just a little. It's something that she realizes is going to be a problem later on, but later on is coming."

Cardozo is scheduled to face Patterson HS (Baltimore, Md.) in a non-league game on Jan. 15, a Saturday, and Naclerio said the Judges have three other games and scrimmages scheduled on Saturdays.

Naclerio said he has tried his best to schedule games on Sundays, but he knows he'll have little say come playoff time.

The Cardozo coach added that he's already heard from a Big East school and Pac-10 program, each of which expressed concerns about Lawrence's religious obligations and how it might affect their recruiting of him.

That hasn't severely curtailed Lawrence's prospects, largely because he has prodigious talent. He's versatile enough to play four positions, from shooting guard to center. He hung up 45 points playing for Positive Direction at the IS 8 tournament three weeks ago.

Louisville offered Lawrence a scholarship after attending Cardozo's college exposure camp last month, and those who watch Lawrence rave about his ability. One mid-major assistant called him a "bigtime" player, and another college coach said the youngster has "tremendous" potential.

Marcia Lawrence, Jermaine's mother, said she wants her son to excel academically first, but she acknowledges his basketball talent.

She said that she feels torn between letting Jermaine play on the Sabbath without compromising his faith.

"It's weird, very uncomfortable," said Marcia, a medical assistant. "There's times I have to leave church to get him to a game. It's very uncomfortable and uneasy. But there's no going around it. I'm either going to break it or I'm not going to break it. I'll find ways of working it out, though. It will work out."

Jermaine said jokingly that his father, Christopher Lawrence, a cross-country truck driver, is more lenient than his mom about basketball on Saturdays. But the youngster is still confident that his mother will change her position.

"Right now, it's an argument every week," he said. "But down the road, I think she'll understand."

-With Ebenezer Samuel

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/high_s...l#ixzz14nUX6esO

[doug yowell]

Sounds like Magic Johnson Jr. Deja vu all over again.Sounds like the kid has already made his decision."Tell it not in Gath,proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon."

[John317]

All of us have to decide what's most important and who we're going to worship--whether things of this world or God. I hope they decide God and His Sabbath is more important than basket-ball and stardom.

Sandy Koufax was allowed never to pitch on the Sabbath because he is Jewish, but of course that was baseball, a different situation, but it would be great if the backball teams would allow this young man to rest on the Sabbath. I doubt they will, though.

[John317]

Why not use this kind of reasoning about other things, then, such as stealing, lying or immorality? Many people do.

I agree that it ultimately comes down to a person's relationship with God, but the church also has a resonsibility to judge behavior, whether it is right or wrong.

[abelisle]

Without making any judgments regarding this young man and his choices, I can tell you that I went to public HS in NYC (Bronx HS of Science) and I missed the City gymnastics championships becaue I chose to with minimum pressure from my parents.

My coach respected my decision, was disappointed and asked if my rabbi (LOL) could give me a pass this one time due to its importance. I had to explain that we as Adventists don't have rabbis.

It looks bad (without the judging aspect) because earlier in the article it mentions what SDA's stand for, then later in the article we read about the wavering of principles by the mother. Smart readers might ask, "why are they Adventists then?"

Alex

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Interesting.. when I attended the Adventist Seminary in Austria, the male students played soccer on the Sabbath. Hadn't thought of that for years.

[John317]

I understand.

I atteded a High SChool in Pheonix and was asked to be on the school's track team, and I turned it down on my own because of the Sabbath. The coach said he thought I must be crazy to turn down the opportunity. He couldn't understand why I would give up the chance to be a track star on account of a religious belief. I don't regret my decision.

[John317]

I'm not surprised they did that in Europe. I don't think many SDAs in Europe view those issues the same as most SDAs throughout the world.

[Dr. Shane]

Interesting.. when I attended the Adventist Seminary in Austria, the male students played soccer on the Sabbath. Hadn't thought of that for years.

There is a big difference between playing a leisurely game of ball on a Sabbath afternoon and playing for money and entertaining fans. One is clearly a business arrangement and the other is not. It isn't an issue of getting healthy exercise on the Lord's Day but rather one of doing our own business or that of the Lord's. May I suggest watching the movie Chariots Of Fire. That is a movie this young man should watch. That boy wouldn't run for the king of England. That is honor. This boy is going the down the path of being a sell-out.

Some years ago I read about an NBA player that converted to Adventism and left the NBA because of the Sabbath conflict. I also read of an NFL player that converted to Adventism and quit the NFL because when his team made the play-offs he had to play on Sabbath. Those are men of character.

[Jeannieb43]

Some years ago I read about an NBA player that converted to Adventism and left the NBA because of the Sabbath conflict. I also read of an NFL player that converted to Adventism and quit the NFL because when his team made the play-offs he had to play on Sabbath. Those are men of character.

"Rudy the Reckless Russian" -- the story of John Rudometkin.

My son [who's now 47] read that book as a basketball-playing high school student and just loved it. Then he was overwhelmed to be able to meet John Rudometkin himself many years later when he and his family came to visit me in Northern California. We attended the Adventist church near Weimar, California and John Rudometkin was the teacher of the Sabbath School class. My son was able to shake his hand and talk to him for several minutes. He's still a real inspiration.

[abelisle]

As for the judging part, I agree. Let God be the judge.

But if it were my son and I was wavering over what he should do, I wouldn't agree to having the article written because it would cast aspersions on not only my family's beliefs but that of the church.

The secular/casual reader will be left with a picture of Adventists as people who don't practice what they believe as stated in the article.

What this young man chooses to do in his future is ultimately between him and God.

Alex

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Originally Posted By: rudywoofs

Interesting.. when I attended the Adventist Seminary in Austria, the male students played soccer on the Sabbath. Hadn't thought of that for years.

There is a big difference between playing a leisurely game of ball on a Sabbath afternoon and playing for money and entertaining fans. One is clearly a business arrangement and the other is not. It isn't an issue of getting healthy exercise on the Lord's Day but rather one of doing our own business or that of the Lord's.

Oh, I don't know about that. We all sat and watched the game, and had bets on the side as to who would win.

I think John317 is right when he says it can be a cultural issue. But I also know of SDA athletes who do running or bicycle marathons on the Sabbath.

**shrugs**

I tend to look at this the same way I look at wearing jewelry, participating in a Halloween party, eating meat, participating in downhill skiing vs cross-country skiing on the Sabbath, watching TV on the Sabbath. BTW, how many here watched the Olympic games held during Sabbath in Vancouver? How many play FB games on the Sabbath? Most all of my Adventist FB friends keep playing the games. How many go out to restaurants on the Sabbath...remember, you're making someone "work"....

**shrugs again**

I think there's a fine line between keeping the "letter" of the Law and the "spirit" of the law.

**shrugs again** (shoulders sore)

individual's choice... what I might not want to do on the Sabbath, other people may think it would be just fine...

[BSW]

"Christ looks upon a world filled with the din of merchandise and trade, with the dishonesty and scheming of buyers and sellers. In their desire to get gain, men have lost sight of the laws of justice and equity. "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth." Satan has devised a multitude of ways in which to keep men from serving God. He has invented sports and games, into which men enter with such intensity that one would suppose a crown of life was to reward the winner. At the horse races and football matches, which are attended by thousands and thousands of people, lives for which Christ shed His blood are thrown away. What will become of the souls of the men and boys whose lives are thus extinguished? Will they be counted worthy of the redemption which Christ died to secure for them?" {RH, September 10, 1901 par. 5}

Sobering thoughts.

[Liz]

The only part I didn't like about the article, was there at the end where the boy said that it was an argument every week about whether to play or not. That implies that the mother feels she is doing something wrong on the Sabbath. He also said that the dad was more lenient on Sabbath issues than the mom.

I think they should have sat down as a family and decided this issue once and for all, so there wouldn't be a weekly argument. Had the parents been a united front from the beginning, no issue would have arisen--either the family as a whole would have been o.k. with it, or the family as a whole would not have been.

I think this goes deeper than whether to play a game or not, but more on the state that Adventist families are in.

[Dr. Shane]

What does it mean to 'keep' the sabbath?

If a person can't answer that question, they are probably not ready for baptism and certainly shouldn't be a member of the Adventist church in good standing.

We all know the answer. Some of us have the courage to answer with the truth and others want to cower around and try not to hurt feelings while people are headed to hell. I prefer to give people the truth. We don't work on Sabbath unless it is for the benefit of humanity. Preachers work on Sabbath. Medical workers work on Sabbath and a handful of other professions. We don't need the services of professional ball players on Sabbath. Those that don't understand that need to spend more time reading the Bible and less time watching professional sports.

[Dr. Shane]

Originally Posted By: Shane

It isn't an issue of getting healthy exercise on the Lord's Day but rather one of doing our own business or that of the Lord's.

Oh, I don't know about that. We all sat and watched the game, and had bets on the side as to who would win.

[Dr. Shane]

I think they should have sat down as a family and decided this issue once and for all, so there wouldn't be a weekly argument.

[SivartM]

The family needs to decide if they want to be Seventh-day Adventists or not. Once they decide that, everything else we be decided.

[Dr. Shane]

Obviously they already have, because otherwise they would have left the church.

[cricket]

/offtopic

Most Adventist families I know of pulled their children out of Adventist schools when they realized the academics and spiritual training were not up to par. Most of the time they pulled them out to either homeschool them, or to send them to another Christian school.

Perhaps we each have a different experience with who "most Adventists" consist of.

/backtotopic

Why would any Adventist ever consider playing a sport for money in the first place? Wouldn't this be considered a complete waste of time, talents and efforts? Poor stewardship...IMO.

[SivartM]

Why would any Adventist ever consider playing a sport for money in the first place? Wouldn't this be considered a complete waste of time, talents and efforts? Poor stewardship...IMO.

I agree...

And all of the Adventists I know who would like to do that go to Adventist schools.

[Dr. Shane]

I am not sure that Adventist education is off topic. I think it has a lot to do with this story.

Of course, the comment "most Adventists" is made in the context of the author's individual experience. My experience is that those who have problems with the Adventist school system do not put their kids in Adventist schools in the first place. I have talked with Adventist educators that tell stories of scores of cases where parents put their kids in public school because they are living beyond their means and can no longer afford private education.

I don't believe Adventist education is a MUST in order to raise a godly child. Some, honestly cannot afford it. It simply isn't available in many areas. However, many decide to buy luxury items and thus cannot afford Adventist schools. They live beyond their means. The lack of spiritual priorities in these peoples lives isn't limited to not sending kids to Adventist schools. A life of spiritual compromise is seen by the children and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In this same story it says the father isn't so strict. Well, like father, like son.

[SivartM]

Well, like father, like son.

The problem is that you don't know the father or the son. :\

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

A life of spiritual compromise is seen by the children and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. In this same story it says the father isn't so strict. Well, like father, like son.

My father wasn't an Adventist until after my brother and I were adults. We watched TV on the Sabbath when growing up. My father did laundry, vacuuming, and other household chores on the Sabbath. He NEVER disciplined us - because he never needed to. We ate Campbell's Pork and Beans. My brother and I went to SDA schools from 1st grade through college. My brother is an SDA ordained minister. He has worked in one capacity or another within the SDA church since 1970.

You are right. My brother is very much like my father. Dad was the most humble, caring, generous, God-fearing man I've ever known.

[Dr. Shane]

When you say 'we all know', are you suggesting that unless they give an answer you agree with, they can't belong in the SDA church?

This isn't about me and what *I* believe. I don't belong to a *me* church. I belong to a *we* church. If someone doesn't agree with the Adventist teachings, no one is keeping them in the church. People need to be honest with themselves. It is dishonest to call oneself an Adventist when one disagrees with the fundamental beliefs like Sabbath observance.

"And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach." (Isa. 4:1)

If a person wants to eat their own spiritual food and wear their own spiritual garment why would they want take on the name of another belief system? Ahhh yes, to take away their reproach. Who are they fooling?