Should Christians play sports?

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Phi 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.


I think not, as such competition is inherently un-Christian.

Get a life!! I mean, EVERY PART of life is a competition! At work with bonuses and promotions; at school with grades and scholarships; with the neighbors, lawns and cars; with my kids in checkers and nintendo, etc etc

Life is inherently competitive. And then we die.

I can compete in softball tomorrow without "strife" or "vainglory". I even think the opposing pitcher is better than myself. But I'm going to have fun and (hopefully) get a hit and enjoy a game.

Sounds like you've been burned by those who "play for blood" and take the joy of the sport out. But don't take the competition out and just roll over and die!

True, the world is competitive. As in many other areas, the church should stand apart from the world.

I agree, there may be a place for recreational gaming, where no one is keeping score, but I'm not sure.

1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

Concerning work and promotions, I think a good application of the above Scriptures is that one should consider his workmates as superior to him and therefore more deserving of bonuses and promotions.

Yes, we must work, but children of God need not strive against others for a living.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

timothy,

it's true some take a competative nature way too far and at times deadly, but, in sports the idea is you can't win a game without team work. The game is supposed to be just that, a game. Of course if one is playing pro then it's for a living but still to go so far as to say a Christian shouldn't play sports is extremely over the edge, it is possible to play fairly and encourage other players not even on your team.

Is this a joke?

Wow, with all the things for us to be concerned about, I cannot believe that someone is interested in whether Christians can play sports or not.

I play sports all the time, I enjoy the activity, exercise and the fellowship. I play basketball 2 mornings a week with a group of men in my town. It has been a great opportunity to get to know people and build relationships.

I agree with Dr. Bob...Get a life!

As a steelworker, I strive to do my work to the best of my ability, to make the highest-quality steel billets I can with the machinery at my disposal. I and my fellow employees are competing with every other steel mill that makes the same products.

As for athletic contests:

Acts 20:24, NKJV
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

So we see, God equates the Christian life with a race, the kind of race that every participant can win the prize.

As for the sports of today, what's wrong with competing in a Christian manner?

Roby,

I am glad you are working so hard - but your motivation should be to serve the Lord with your best work, not to overcome or deprive others.

You may be so ingrained in western culture that this may be hard to see, but competition is sin.

God does compare the Christian life to a race. That, in itself, does not amount to an endorsement of athletics.

Does the following illustration amount to God's endorsement of harlotry and fornication?

Isa 23:17 And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
Isa 23:18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

Paul assumes that all Christians aren't athletes, and vice versa, in the following verse:

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they (athletes) do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we (Christians) an incorruptible.

Christianity is about turning the other cheek, esteeming others higher than ourselves and preferring honor for others rather than for ourselves.

The world is all about demonstrating superiorty, paybacks, and gaining accolades for oneself.

Where do sports seem to fit?

Originally posted by Mike McK:
Is this a joke?

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no

Originally posted by PastorSBC1303: Wow, with all the things for us to be concerned about, I cannot believe that someone is interested in whether Christians can play sports or not.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Pastor: I play sports all the time, I enjoy the activity, exercise and the fellowship. I play basketball 2 mornings a week with a group of men in my town. It has been a great opportunity to get to know people and build relationships.

If it's sinful, all that doesn't matter, right? Try this:
I fornicate all the time, I enjoy the activity, exercise and the fellowship. I fornicate 2 mornings a week with a group of men in my town. It has been a great opportunity to get to know people and build relationships.

Pastor: I agree with Dr. Bob...Get a life!

The Lord Jesus gives life, not sports.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Dripping piety doesn't impress me. We have lives that involve sports, home, shopping at the grocery, vacations, travel, mowing the yard and going to the bathroom.

Doing such does NOT negate living for Christ or being light in an ungodly world. If sports are bad, then weeding my flowers is WORSE!

Dr. Bob,

Quote scriptures to back up your position, or repent. God requires holiness. You can try to cloud the issue by bringing up shopping, going the bathroom, etc. but no one (other than you) is discussing such things. We are both trained in debate, we know what the use of that tactic implies.

Perhaps God is speaking to you through me and his word. What is your response?

PS - My dripping piety does not impress you. Please understand my "dripping piety" consists of 80% direct quotations of scripture. Shouldn't the words of Peter impress you? Shouldn't the words of Paul impress you? Shouldn't the words of our Lord Jesus Christ impress you?

PPS - Next time you(generic) play sports, let the other side win, esteem them higher than yourself, give them the honor. Do it for the incorruptible crown, do it for the Lord Jesus.

The problem we have today is there are so many closet Christians who wil not be bold. When I was in high school I saw our wrestling coach pull one of our team members from a match and forfeit the match. The coach benched the team member for two weeks because the young man did not give his best. He was simply making the other team member look bad by treating him with disrespect by essentially making the other man look bad instead of giving his best and winning.

Just remember the next time you buy gas imported from the Middle East that is inherently un-Christian too.

Go out there and play a sport and then when you lose honor the winnning team. That is the honorable thing to do. When I played sports I won people to Jesus while competing. I even worked in a shop that sold the equipment and was able to help coach others to win. Got my name in the paper and on TV too. It was not for my glory but to God's glory. Not too long ago a movie was made about Eric Liddel--a man who lived to God's glory above all else and later became a missionary to China.

This past season my daughter ran track and took last in a number of meets. She wanted to quit. I told her that she would not quit and that to honor God by her attitude. I also told her that someone had to take last place. I also paralled it with how someone might feel in an academic class they find hard. At the end of the season her efforts paid off. She took third in her event at the county track meet. She beat those same students that had earlier beat her. She endured and was glad when she received that ribbon for third place. She wants to go out for track next year. It gave her a lot of encouragement to hang in there.

[ June 04, 2004, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: gb93433 ]

Timothy,

Why do you automatically assume every athelete plays sports with the heart's intent of "crushing" the other team? There are those who do play simply for the fun and love of the game and they give their best and yet do not get angry if they loose but give the winning side their dued congrats.

You can offer up a ton of scripture most of which have been really taken out of context to fit your personal position, I totally disagree with you.

Scripture often uses athletic metaphors in a postive way which should be enough to prove the nonsense of suggesting that sports are sinful. Like most other things, they can be sinful. But they do not have to be. They can be a great character building tool that reinforces godly principles of life and self-control.

There has not been one verse of Scripture offered that shows sports to be wrong. But when I coach soccer, I constantly tell my players not to care who gets the goal; pass the ball to make someone else look good. It fits in perfectly with preferring others over yourself and not striving for glory.

Timothy...the Scriptures you quote have nothing to do with what you are trying to put forth here. You can take any scripture twist it and turn it and make it whatever you want. I am not impressed at all. Playing sports and competition is not sin. Again, get a life. I am done with this thread, it is ridiculous!

Originally posted by Pastor Larry:
Scripture often uses athletic metaphors in a postive way which should be enough to prove the nonsense of suggesting that sports are sinful.

Read above. By that reasoning, halotry and fornication are positive things too.

Like most other things, they can be sinful. But they do not have to be. They can be a great character building tool that reinforces godly principles of life and self-control.

There has not been one verse of Scripture offered that shows sports to be wrong.

True, there has been many Striving for dominance, to have you and your friends win, is not a character building exercise - at least not Christian character.

But when I coach soccer, I constantly tell my players not to care who gets the goal; pass the ball to make someone else look good. It fits in perfectly with preferring others over yourself and not striving for glory.

Do you encourage them to pass to the other team, to let them (your opponents, your enemies) look good? That's what the Lord has in mind.

Mt 5:46-48
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Originally posted by timothy 1769:
Read above. By that reasoning, halotry and fornication are positive things too.

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You are kidding right??? Where is fornication or harlotry ever used in a positive sense???

True, there has been many Striving for dominance, to have you and your friends win, is not a character building exercise - at least not Christian character.

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Then you don't understand sports and Christian character.

Do you encourage them to pass to the other team, to let them (your opponents, your enemies) look good? That's what the Lord has in mind.

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No it's not. That would be not trying your best (a violation of Christian character). It would be throwing the game, or cheating (a violation of Christian character).

The values of hardwork, keeping your testimony, giving God glory in all things, getting along with others, etc are all Christian values that I want and that I wnat others to have. If you don't want those, then there is something wrong.

Mt 5:46-48
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Click to expand...

If any of my players have animosity or hatred towards players on teh other team, they come off the field. If they are retaliating or taking cheap shots, they come off the field.

You have not shown one verse of SCripture, much less many. I can't believe this conversation is actually taking place.

I really have doubts that the originator of this thread is serious. I think he may just be saying these things to try to get a rise out of other posters.

Or maybe he was a failure at sports as a kid.