“Keep Me Out Of The Cage!”

Friday, July 15, 2016

The UFC on TV (cage fighting)… I think it is horrible that they put two guys in a cage to fight each other and for them to beat the snot out of each other while the women and men in the crowd applaud and cheer; that is so horrible to watch.  The fighting cage looks like the devil den or something. They beat each other so badly that sometimes it’s fatal; I was wondering if this horrible thing is a sin.

Sincerely,
Not A Fighter

Dear Not A Fighter,

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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