Should Christians play sports?

onestand,

Why do you automatically assume every athelete plays sports with the heart's intent of "crushing" the other team?

The goal of most (all?) sports is demonstrate your superiority over others by winning. This attitude in and of itself is sinful, without a desire to annihilate your opponent.

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.

That's better than desiring to "crush" them, but that still doesn't meet the high biblical standard of esteeming them better than yourself and preferring them to have the honor.

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.

How? The scriptures are very broad. Let nothing be accomplished through strife or vainglory - nothing means nothing, not even fun (I would say especially not fun). Esteem others higher than yourself - "others" includes everybody, even your opponents.

 

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

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

Please read the entire thread.

Tim: 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.

Pastor Larry: 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).

Should we try our best to win in courts of law? What if someone sued to take away my coat? What would be the appropriate Christian response?

Pastor Larry: 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.

I want to love the Lord God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my strength, and with all my mind; and my neighbour as myself.

1Jo 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Some of the Lord's commands:

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

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

Most (all?) sports are contrived events designed to provide a chance to demonstrate your personal (or your team's) superiority over others. Yes, other subsidiary, and good, things are accomplished, but that is what lies at the heart of sports: contrived strife allowing a demonstration of personal or joint superiorty over others.

It is sin.

 

Originally posted by Johnv:
Those verses don't remotely imply that competition is unscriptural. What a silly statement!

1Co 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I'm willing to bet that if you travelled back in time to when Jesus was a kid, he was probably playing with the other Jewish boys and girls happily.

Gambling is sin too

BTW, if you truly believe that competition is unsctiptural, I suggest that you toss out your chess set.

I have.

And discontinue watching Jeopardy.

I have.

Oh, and don't forget to stop purchasing products, since our economic system is based on competition.

1Co 10:25
Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

Joh 17:14-15
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

1Co 5:9-10
I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

 

I'm completely serious. And since you brought it up I was one the best linemen on my football team and the captain of my soccer team. These days, however, I'm sure my performance would impress no one!

I say with Paul:

Php 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

 

gb93433 said: Just remember the next time you buy gas imported from the Middle East that is inherently un-Christian too.

Why is that? Scriptures please. I'll become Amish if I have to, lol.

 

Originally posted by onestand:
Tim,

so tell me how it's not esteeming another over yourself to congratulate and commend the opposite team once you've lost the game??

That's certainly better than holding a grudge, but yet it falls short of the Bible standard. Should we only esteem others above ourselves when we fail to defeat them? That's not what Scripture teaches.

your actually cracking me up with your unbelievably unclear understanding of scripture.

Prayerfully consider where your desire to hold me up to public ridicule me might be coming from.

 

Then you have my sympathy. I hope you are able to overcome the personal issues that have caused you to be serious about posting that way. </font>[/QUOTE]I do wonder why you felt it necessary to share your concerns about my "personal issues" in a public forum, but thanks anyway. Let's agree to pray for each other.

 

Originally posted by onestand:
I didn't say the team players would only esteem others when they defeat them, that was your assumption.

Then you have my apologies.

Public ridicule? No I don't think so, more like if your going to make such comments and use scripture to back up your thoughts it should match your thoughts and not be twisted.

Then please use scripture to refute my points, I'm willing to learn.

Btw...you are competing with the rest of us on this board by debating this topic, just thought you should realize this.

No, I'm trying to uphold the truth, the pure doctrine of Christ, probably not as well as I should. I would personally be happy with a polite discussion.

Do a web search on 'muscular christianity'. It's a liberal movement of fairly recent origin which helps to explain where our mainstream, modern "Christian" view of sports comes from. It's heresy that, ironically, emasculates the powerful, non-resistant teachings of Christ concerning lowliness, love of brother, and mutual submission.

 

Lu 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Sounds like sports to me.

 

Sir, consider the following:

Philippians 2:3-8 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Concerning "taking a job from others" - of course one shouldn't take a job from another, but rarely does such a situation arise. Let's take Paul for an example - let's say he sells a tent on the open market. Of course he should do his best job, make the best tent he can. This should have nothing to do with beating others, but rather doing your daily task as unto the Lord. At this point, others can judge his work and make their purchase decision. At no point would Paul have exalted himself or considered himself better than anyone else, so we have no problems there.

As you know, we are commanded to work, do our best, and not be slothful. This has NOTHING to do with exalting oneself over others.

And when all is said and done, we should ideally share what we earn beyond our basic living expenses with the brethren, so that:

2Co 8:14-15
But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

No, not 10% - everything we have is the Lord's, he's purchased us lock, stock and barrel.