Sojourner Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 Hello, I have recently begun attending meetings at a Seventh Day Adventist Church near my house, I have been listening to your 3ABN station which is rebroadcast in Australia through a community radio station network or programs from anyway. My question is the view of the SDA on Martial Art Training and the Study of Martial Arts in general? I am a student at a Hapkido gym and enjoy it very much. I realize that the SDA comes from a position of Pacifism. I have absolutely no wish to use martial arts on anyone, but enjoy the training and the knowledge that I could defend myself and others if I had to. Quote
Administrators debbym Posted March 31, 2013 Administrators Posted March 31, 2013 i believe you can enjoy the discipline and sport of martial arts without it destroying your growth in faith In Christ. I have a personal friend who is a martial artist, and very Christian and compassionate, and Loves God. Like many activities, if you keep God first in your life, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" the Lord will guide you as you grow in his will. from this web page is a SDA Pastor who uses martial arts in strengthening peoples personal discipline and their walk with Christ. I am sure you can go to this website and personally ask him how he uses martial arts in His ministry. http://www.emmanueladventist.org/article/135/contact-us/our-staff Pastor Medley has a rich and extensive background of over 25 years in ministry. He has served as Youth Pastor, Pastor, Conference Youth Director, College Chaplain, Vice President of Student Services, Adjunct Faculty, Police Chaplain, and Senior Pastor. His passion is to help people grow holistically toward Christian maturity. Pastor Medley is a certified martial arts instructor. He has developed and taught a specialized curriculum for high school students called “Developing Youth Through Spiritual and Physical Disciplines” which transforms practitioners from the “Martial way” to the Christian way of living. Quote deb Love awakens love. Let God be true and every man a liar.
olger Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 I used to have a red belt in Tae kwon Do. I don't think the teachings is compatible with the teachings of Jesus. Thus I left it behind. Now I'm having too much fun - got no time for TKD g Quote "Please don't feed the drama queens.."
Moderators Gerr Posted March 31, 2013 Moderators Posted March 31, 2013 My understanding is that martial arts as it has been traditionally understood is not taught so that one can go out and maim people but is used to defend oneself if one had to. In that context, I personally would have no problem learning martial arts. My son was bullied in grade school and the teachers did nothing about it. Had he known martial arts, I think that would not have happened. Quote
olger Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 Quick spinning side kick...and boom. Quote "Please don't feed the drama queens.."
Gordon1 Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 I believe these practices are ill advised at best, possibly soul destroying. Discipline (by a master) & physical fitness may have appeal, but many dangerous activities have rewards. Let me bow to Christ instead and turn the earth for exercise. Or walk. Garden or build with others. Foster self-control, not discipline of an ancient warrior. SOP endorses these but warns off Spiritualism. Perhaps most threatening is the urge to use violence in self defence, or to conquer others, to destroy. By repeated practice, combat becomes habit. Few minds can escape it. Supremacy is fostered until others are seen as weak, cowards. Words are uttered and recorded in heaven. The Destroyer at work. The same could be said for those engaged in competitive & contact sports. Ignorantly dabbled there and regret the traces. Jesus could have run one awesome dojo, but He didn't. He went down another path. At any time He could have called legions of angels to his aid (Mt. 26:53), but went as a meek lamb to the slaughter (Acts 8:32). [meekness in Christ - strength under control]. Moses was the meekest man upon the face of the earth (Num. 12:3). "The meek shall inherit the earth." (Ps. 37:11) We don't know who God will deliver, except "to save all the meek of the earth." (Ps. 76:9) Quote
CoAspen Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 I have known people that have trained for years as a form of physical fitness and exercise. They are SDA's, very gentle and has not been 'harmed' in any way. It is like anything else we approach in life, what is our attitude. Anything can be over done. Anything can be abused. Some will try to dissuade you based on some 'spiritual' grounds, but don't be alarmed! It really isn't about what other SDA's believe, like or dislike, it is about you and your relationship to your God. Quote
Liz Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 What CoAspen said. Quote For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Mat. 16:26Please, support the JDRF and help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Please, support the March of Dimes.
Narcah Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 The physical aspect is most likely compatible with Christianity, the belief system of many martial arts are not compatible with Christianity. Quote -Jason Youtube.com/narcah
JoeMo Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 Quote: The physical aspect is most likely compatible with Christianity, the belief system of many martial arts are not compatible with Christianity. I agree. The same is true with yoga. I loved the exercise; but hated the subtle non-Christian (sometimes even anti-Christian) brainwashing that went on. The thing is, in the classes, I was so busy working on doing the exercises and breathing correctly that I was was not consciously/logically processing the propaganda I was being fed; and it began to affect my Christian walk. I started praying for divine protection of my mind prior to going to class; and it helped some; but I ended up quitting the class to avoid repeatedly putting that stuff into my mind. Quote
OzarkWoman Posted March 31, 2013 Posted March 31, 2013 I have known people that have trained for years as a form of physical fitness and exercise. They are SDA's, very gentle and has not been 'harmed' in any way. It is like anything else we approach in life, what is our attitude. Anything can be over done. Anything can be abused. Some will try to dissuade you based on some 'spiritual' grounds, but don't be alarmed! It really isn't about what other SDA's believe, like or dislike, it is about you and your relationship to your God. Yes...Yes...Yes!!!! Everything is between one and God and not up to others to tell them how to live. That is legalism at best and bullying at worse. Quote
Ted Oplinger Posted April 1, 2013 Posted April 1, 2013 The results of one's journey through martial arts is dependent upon what you take into that journey to begin with. If you take with you a strong relationship with Jesus, and learn what Christ wants you to learn, then advancing in the martial arts will teach a person much about using discipline and control to obtain your goals. It will match up well with with Christian discipline (as we are to be warriors and ambassadors for Christ). If one takes into it a strong sense of self-sufficiency, then it will - like many, many pursuits here in this world - become yet another snare for the unwary soul. Blessings, Quote "As iron sharpens iron, so also does one man sharpen another" - Proverbs 27:17 "The offense of the cross is that the cross is a confession of human frailty and sin and of inability to do any good thing. To take the cross of Christ means to depend solely on Him for everything, and this is the abasement of all human pride. Men love to fancy themselves independent. But let the cross be preached, let it be made known that in man dwells no good thing and that all must be received as a gift, and straightway someone is offended." Ellet J. Waggoner, The Glad Tidings "Courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway" - John Wayne "The person who pays an ounce of principle for a pound of popularity gets badly cheated" - Ronald Reagan
Sojourner Posted April 3, 2013 Author Posted April 3, 2013 Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my question, I find it very helpful. I became a born again Christian a number of years ago but have always struggled with being shy and I get nervous sometimes before going to events, I prayed about it many times and its been through study at Martial Arts training that I have been able to overcome these problems, that and with a lot of prayer and support from church. I don't deny that there are martial arts that have spiritual content, and I would say that those are to be avoided by Christians, that is plain common sense. Yet its also worth realizing that its racist to label all martial arts as being Asian and spiritual when they come from a number of different countries and cultures that are distinct from one another. Its unfair to label people as Asian and not to recognize that each country in the regions have their own distinct culture which in cases includes training in martial arts. Some Martial Arts are also totally modern such as Krav Maga which is the Israeli martial art and it was developed as a self defense system by a Hungarian Jew named Imi Litchfield who was a boxer and a wrestler and had to bring together groups of Jews to fight against the Nazi gangs in the pogroms of Hungary before he escaped to Israel and began Krav Maga in the Israeli Mossad. I am getting off track here, but what I am trying to say is that I have never come across anything in my training that is spiritual or bad in any sense. I see it not unlike where Paul says that physical training is of some value. I also acknowledge the same scripture which talks about the wreath that fades and what do we train our lives towards? Anyway, perhaps some of you might enjoy this link! Cheers, http://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Martial-Artists-for-Christ/128267703931549 Quote
E Wilson Posted October 6, 2013 Posted October 6, 2013 Sabbath Blessings ! After spending more than 24 years involved with these arts, I would like to share an excellent resource for an indepth look at the spiritual dangers to any Christian in these arts. I encourage much prayer as you watch and read these pages. For there is much more taking place behind the veil, than what we are led to believe ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiC8JWoxhqs - Testimony http://secretdangersofmartialarts.wordpress.com/ - full article http://thedragonrevealed.wordpress.com/ - Light Shining in darkness ! May the LORD bless and keep you strong in faith, and in the power of His Life-giving Word ! your brother in Christ Jesus, Eric Wilson and family - Isaiah Ministries Quote
E Wilson Posted June 20, 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 Dear sister in Christ, Here is the link to a new film scheduled for release in a few weeks from Little Light Studios, called "The Dragon Revealed !" The film steps behind the scenes and shares the answers which one man found after nearly 25 years active in the martial arts. https://littlelightstudios.tv/projects/the-dragon-revealed/ It is my prayer that this will be a Light in your path ! your brother in Christ, E. Wilson and family Quote
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