“Smack Talk”

Sunday, July 21, 2013

(This article is a follow-up to “Fight For Thought”)

I still think fighting is bad (such as boxing), even worse because it shows people it's okay to fight.  It's horrible to see two people beat each other up.  While people, men and women (more women than men), sit there and laugh.  That’s a sin in my book; I’m not trying to judge people; I think it’s wrong.  The Bible says you shall not kill or any kind of violence toward human life.

Sincerely,
Lacing Up The Gloves

Dear Lacing Up The Gloves,

The Bible has no problem with organized, competitive sports – even boxing and wrestling, but there is a line between sportsmanship and savagery.  Paul uses boxing as an analogy for Christianity (1 Cor 9:26-27)… implying that there is no problem with boxing, wrestling, and other combat sports.  Therefore, it would be wrong to make a blanket statement that all combat-related sports are sinful.

However, we must also balance that knowledge with other teachings on the subject of human life and violence.  Every human is made in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and every life is precious.  The Scriptures condemn flagrant violence (Gen 6:11-13, Pr 3:31) and careless attitudes towards human life.  There is a point where healthy competition morphs itself into animal savagery.  It is important that we always keep these concepts in mind when dealing with modern entertainment innovations.

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