Are the sports of boxing or martial arts acceptable for conscientious Christians?
I know a young Christian who has begun to become involved with boxing.
Personally, I don't think it is wise. Too many blows to the head can result in brain damage.
However, some of my friends think it is fine.
Others believe it is a matter of Christian liberty.
Anyways, what do you guys think? And, would you apply the same view to football, rodeo, or martial arts? What other sports would you exclude from the realm of Christian participation, if any?
I have no real solid opinion at this point, although I wish this person would not practice boxing. I personally don't want his mental capacities limited, or his appearance marred, as an adult. I have a brother-in-law who was involved in boxing, and there was some impact to his appearance from multiple blows, particularly his ears.
A Christian should never physically hurt a person, and never verbally hurt a person.
But if it is an agreement between 2 people, or in some cases more people such as football, would it be alright for they know the risk, and they are not offending another because they gave consent to partake in the competition.
Or would it still be wrong for although they agree to it people still may get hurt which is what the Lord does not want.
That is a puzzler.
The Bible says do not tempt the Lord thy God which means do not put yourself in a dangerous situation on purpose and then say Lord deliver me, which Jesus quoted that when the devil said to Jesus to jump off a cliff for an angel would save Him.
So to those that pray for God to keep them safe as they participate in the competition God is not going to answer that prayer, and the fact they had to pray to God to keep them safe testifies that there is a risk factor for being hurt in which they put themselves in the position on purpose.
But then there is legitimate work that can be done that people get paid that can be a risk factor like construction work working with tools, heavy machinery, and climbing.
So it is a puzzler, and it seems like it would be wise not to be involved for the risk of being hurt, but I do not think it is a factor of losing salvation in such a case for participating in the competition for it is agreed upon by the people.
And to tell the truth I will play sports and not think it has anything to do with losing my salvation and sports can be fun.
Even if people play something simple as darts, or jarts, or croquet someone could still get hurt, and my dad told me that when he was a young man that he was playing darts at a house, and a person threw a dart and a woman ran by and it hit her in the back of the head and stuck there, but they did not tell her for they did not want to freak her out, and did not want to pull it out, so they said they had to visit a friend in the hospital and took her along, and then they dealt with her there, and of course alcohol was involved for she did not know the dart hit her in the back of the head.
Also when it comes to competition the more important aspect that is a negative thing is that the people might actually start fighting when they lose, or when they are taunted by the other team for losing, or they think they did not play fair, or fouled them with bad intent, or think the judges did not judge right and made a bad call.
Which we see a lot with pro sports teams with them fighting with one another, and sometimes with the fans, and sometimes with teams going against each other, which there can also be fighting among the fans of both teams as well, and it also happens at high school games, junior high, grade school, and even with dart games at the local pub, or in someone's basement, and even with card games it could break out in fighting.
I would say that is a worse part of the sports scene than the physical hurt that can be done in fair play not talking about the actual physical injury but the people fighting over the game which goes against the bounds of a game where the players agree to play each other, and many people can be hurt by the fighting between people concerning the game that is not part of the game.
People will fight over competition from playing tiddlywinks to the most vicious martial arts competition.
That is the worse part of competition for the physical hurt can go beyond the bounds of the original game that is supposed to be done in fair play for people get mad like the dickens over it for whatever reason it is which is many.
How many innocent people accused of cheating got shot over playing cards in the old west.
And how many teams against teams have went head to head over a game.
And how many players against fans.
And how many players against referees.
And how many players against players.
And it can be done in the most harmless games ever invented by the human mind, cards, tiddlywinks, marbles, monopoly, tic tac toe, checkers, you name it, and if it a game there is fighting going on to this very day over it.
How many people did Mike Tyson beat up after the fight at the local bar that was not on his side, and might of let a word or two slip out of that pie hole of theirs, or if they like cake their cake hole, either way their mouth was hit.
But I suppose if the risk factor is high that they could suffer brain damage it might not be wise for then how will they worship the Lord not having full mental capacity, and would it please the Lord they did that to themselves.
But I tend to think if we participate it is not a salvation issue for a person cannot lose salvation because of it, but it probably would be wise not to participate if the risk of head injury is high, and the people fighting over the game that is not the actual game is the more serious offense and wrong.
Which take it from me for I was playing cards with my brother and beat him at cards, and now my whole left side is numb for some people can really get mad when they lose, but the cards themselves did no damage, lol.
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