SDAs/Christians and Sports - time to re-evaluate?

[Gerr]

The TIME 2/8 issue's cover story: THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, referring to football. One in 53 in the age group 30-49 of retired NFL players receive a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer's or another memory-related disease. High school football players alone suffer 43,000 to 67,000 concussions per year. This may very well be a low figure, since many players do not report the more minor concussions for ego/machismo or other reasons. Paralyis and deaths also occur.

The cover story in CHRISTIANITY TODAY has : Fanatics - How Christians have succumbed to the culture of sports.

Is it time to re-evaluate are attitudes towards sports? At least the more dangerous ones? (This coming from a football lover.)

[SivartM]

Really? People can get seriously injured just by playing a game which involves crashing into each others' heads? I never could have guessed that.

I'm all for Christians reevaluating sports fanaticism. When you really think about it, what is the big deal about someone throwing a leather lemon or hitting a ball with a stick and running in circles?

[Twilight]

Most sport is about the "exaltation of self"...

If not all sport.

Why would any Christian want to "exalt self"?

Mark :-)

[Cosmin M.]

Football s the best sport. (No, not American football, I am referring to Soccer.)

[Gerr]

Really? People can get seriously injured just by playing a game which involves crashing into each others' heads? I never could have guessed that.

I'm all for Christians reevaluating sports fanaticism. When you really think about it, what is the big deal about someone throwing a leather lemon or hitting a ball with a stick and running in circles?

You sound like my wife! That's exactly what she says! In 1970 I took her to a Rams game against the Dolphins at the LA Coliseum. She read a book the whole time!

[Woody]

Football s the best sport. (No, not American football, I am referring to Soccer.)

I'm been to Eureopean Football games in Europe. I'll stick with American Football.

Go Niners For Ever

[SivartM]

Originally Posted By: SivartM

Really? People can get seriously injured just by playing a game which involves crashing into each others' heads? I never could have guessed that.

I'm all for Christians reevaluating sports fanaticism. When you really think about it, what is the big deal about someone throwing a leather lemon or hitting a ball with a stick and running in circles?

You sound like my wife! That's exactly what she says! In 1970 I took her to a Rams game against the Dolphins at the LA Coliseum. She read a book the whole time!

lol, I can't ever really get very interested in spectator sports. When I was little my dad took my family to a football game... and I read a book the whole time too. He's never taken me to another game since, poor dad. :D

[Neil D]

The way that you two talk, you two are father and son.....

are you?

[Woody]

I dunnno. I have Alzheimer's and can't remember.

[abelisle]

The TIME 2/8 issue's cover story: THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, referring to football. One in 53 in the age group 30-49 of retired NFL players receive a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer's or another memory-related disease. High school football players alone suffer 43,000 to 67,000 concussions per year. This may very well be a low figure, since many players do not report the more minor concussions for ego/machismo or other reasons. Paralyis and deaths also occur.

The cover story in CHRISTIANITY TODAY has : Fanatics - How Christians have succumbed to the culture of sports.

Is it time to re-evaluate are attitudes towards sports? At least the more dangerous ones? (This coming from a football lover.)

I think you have two separate issues here. 1) yes, without a doubt American football is a very dangerous sport and it fosters aggression on the player/participant to do it well.

2) how should Adventists view sports from a Christian point of view? Is it all about "self-exaltation?" Should we compete on Sabbath e.g. run a race for instance? Should we even workout on Sabbath? Are individual sports safer from a Christian viewpoint than team sports? Is there a difference between the "culture of sports" and participation in sports for health purposes?

Alex (I'm guilty of all of the above at one time or another )

[Neil D]

I dunnno. I have Alzheimer's and can't remember.

[said in a gentle tone] I wasn't asking you, Redwood. But given your condition, it's no surprise....

BTW, when you reread threads, do they seem new to you???? Jus askin'.....

[SivartM]

The way that you two talk, you two are father and son.....

are you?

Wouldn't you like to know, uncle Neil?

Lol, no... :D

[Gail]

Football s the best sport. (No, not American football, I am referring to Soccer.)

I call soccer "football," too, Cosmin. That is because that it THE sport everywhere in the world except North America.

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Woody

I dunnno. I have Alzheimer's and can't remember.

[said in a gentle tone] I wasn't asking you, Redwood. But given your condition, it's no surprise....

BTW, when you reread threads, do they seem new to you???? Jus askin'.....

They are refreshingly new and brilliant each time I read them. I am doubly blessed. Praise God. I like that Redwood guy whoeever he is.

[Cosmin M.]

Originally Posted By: Cosmin

Football s the best sport. (No, not American football, I am referring to Soccer.)

I call soccer "football," too, Cosmin. That is because that it THE sport everywhere in the world except North America.

What do you call American football when speaking to an American?

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Neil D

The way that you two talk, you two are father and son.....

are you?

Wouldn't you like to know, uncle Neil?

Lol, no...

Oh NO Sivart . Don't claim HIM as part of our family. That would complicate matters far too much. You just don't know what we would be getting into.

[Dottie]

__Americans call it "football." The other game we call "soccer."

__Both games involving trying to injure the part of the body that helps people think and make decisions. (are the players avoiding [trying to not think about] something?

[Neil D]

Originally Posted By: Neil D

The way that you two talk, you two are father and son.....

are you?

Wouldn't you like to know, uncle Neil?

Lol, no...

So, are you Liz and Krause "related" in some way? 'Cuz she's the only one that I will claim as an extended nice......

Oh, and Redwood....We are "related"..... by way of Liz, since she claims both of us as "Uncles"....

[SivartM]

Does that mean you two are brothers? :)

[aldona]

Most sport is about the "exaltation of self"...

If not all sport.

Why would any Christian want to "exalt self"?

Mark :-)

If someone has a desire to "exalt self", they will find plenty of opportunities to do so - from the pulpit, during church board meetings, while playing music at church, showing off how clever they are in Sabbath school discussions, driving their fancy sports car to church and parking it right near the door, dressing in a way that clearly indicates that they are wealthy (but without makeup and jewelry!), you name it.

I'm sure everybody has seen fine examples of this kind of "self-exaltation."

If someone loves and cares for their neighbor and wants to get together and spend some time getting exercise while practicing teamwork, enjoying one another's fellowship and looking out for the well-being of others as well as ensuring it is fair and everyone has a good time, then these attitudes will be reflected in the way they play sport (as well as they way they do everything else).

Like the theater issue, we are once again getting the externals confused with what is in the heart. Banning sports will not suddenly make everybody unselfish and loving.

aldona

[Tallmark]

I don't exactly have unclean hands here, but here's my $.02: I don't like American Football, never have. In fact, I don't care for any sport that involves a ball. I could tolerate real football (soccer) for maybe a game or two. So many former football players are a mess. Bad knees, shoulders, etc. I love bodybuilding (yes, I know the top level competitors take steroids and growth hormone). Natural bodybuilding is the healthiest sport there is. Especially when you only compete against yourself.

I enjoy seeing what a human being can do with their body, not with a ball. I love the Olympics. I also love mixed martial arts (Ultimate Fighting). Maybe it's because I was picked on as a kid in school, but it's a lot safer than football. I started out boxing, went to kickboxing, then Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Although I don't compete anymore, I train with men that do. This has given me physical prowess and mental alertness that could never be achieved by any other training regimen. I know what EGW said about boxing, and mma appears to be more brutal than boxing (trust me, it's not) but it's my thing. I have found a few other Adventists that enjoy it, and I met one who trained as well.

I try to talk people I meet out of playing football, and jogging. Jogging is the WORST exercise that you can do to your body. It actually shrinks the heart and lungs, retains bodyfat, and causes the body to lose muscle.

[Woody]

Does that mean you two are brothers?

Yes. But he's the black sheep of the family.

[Woody]

Quote:

Jogging is the WORST exercise that you can do to your body. It actually shrinks the heart and lungs, retains bodyfat, and causes the body to lose muscle.

Thank you for this information. I knew there was some reason i didn't support this dangerous and violent sport.

[karl]

I also love mixed martial arts (Ultimate Fighting). Maybe it's because I was picked on as a kid in school, but it's a lot safer than football. I started out boxing, went to kickboxing, then Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

I know kick-boxing, boxing, karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, and twenty-seven other mean sounding words.

[Dr. Rich]

What? Oh my goodness-well let me speak for all of the jocks that believe blogging on the computer is boring and a complete waste of time. That's probably the reason you don't have many standing up for sports regardless of what the sport is.

As a 'jock' in school, my major at Walla Walla and Union College was PE. I have played just about every sport out there in some way or the other but love bow-hunting the best because I feel closest to Heaven while doing so. Maybe this is why some of you call me 'brain dead'-at least I have an excuse.

I have found that most people who are SDA are wimps. I have been trying for years for some of our Colleges and Universities to play college sports with other college teams--but with so many wimps out there who run the schools, it is a losing battle. Interestingly, Revelation 22:15 tells us what happens to wimps (cowards).