Boxing and Christianity / Religion (Boxers & Fans Alike)

[1hourRun]

I think their is a difference in 'Sport' and the violence that we typically see between common men ; which are motivated by all manner of evil. I usually see a boxing contest end in mutual respect : often a life long fraternity is established among legends in the sport.

[ИATAS]

Question: "What does the Bible say about extreme fighting / violent sports?"

Answer: Extremely violent sports, such as MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) are greatly increasing in popularity. Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, struggle with whether or not to support and enjoy these sports. Some wonder if it would be allowable for a Christian to participate in sports that involve an extreme amount of violence. What guidelines does the Bible give?

Genesis 32:24-25 mentions Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord. In an athletic analogy, in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, the apostle Paul possibly uses terms related to what was essentially "boxing" in that time period. The Bible nowhere explicitly condemns sports that involve violence. Does this mean that enjoying/participating in extremely violent sports can be biblically allowable and/or God-honoring? Not necessarily. Just as the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns violent sports, neither does it condone violent sports.

Nearly all sports contain a measure of violence. Most competitive sports involve one person or team exerting physical superiority over another person or team. So, while boxing, MMA and UFC are more violent than other sports, they are not the only sports that contain or involve violence. Gridiron football, for example, can be very violent. At the same time, there is an important difference. While other sports can be violent, boxing, MMA, and UFC are, in their essence, focused and/or centered on violence. Violence itself is the sport; it is not just a matter of the sport sometimes being violent.

While many would place boxing on a different level than MMA and UFC, the general concept of the sports is the same. In extreme fighting, the specific goal of the competition is to physically harm/injure the other person to the point that he/she is knocked unconscious or injured to the extent that he/she can no longer continue. There is nothing in the Bible which indicates that intentionally injuring another person can, in any way, be glorifying to God.

There have been many Christians who have participated in boxing. Surely, there are also genuine Christians who are involved in MMA, UFC, kickboxing, and other violent sports. Biblically speaking, though, this should not be. In no sense can intentionally pummeling and injuring an opponent in an athletic competition be glorifying to God. While the "what would Jesus do?" saying is overused and sometimes misapplied, the question "can I really picture Jesus participating in extreme fighting?" is very relevant to the question of whether a Christian can participate in or enjoy extreme fighting, MMA, UFC, and other sports that are focused on physical violence.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/extreme-...#ixzz3MYx4YBWG

You can justify anything by sourcing examples in the Bible. Having sex with a little kid? It's cool, it's in the bible.

Nah, seriously though boxing is just a sport. Just like it was a sport to feed Christians to Lions in Rome lol. Times change though.

[MPX309]

I always find it a little odd when boxers say "God is looking out for me" Mayweather, Ghost etc. I mean in the grand scheme of things wrong with the world, looking out for a boxer's well being shouldn't be on the top of the priority list of any deity.

[Juof]

Well david koed goliath and became a king.

[Shinkyokushin92]

Atheists are the scum of the earth.

[techliam]

Well david koed goliath and became a king.

I heard he scraped a controversial UD

[jmrf4435]

As a Catholic, there may a deep sense of regret and or forgiveness associated with some boxers. At the end of the day, although you are attempting to physically hurt your opponent, boxing is a sport. Its nothing more than a form of competition, why should fighters religious belief be compromised in a nay way? muslim, jew or christian?

[////]

Some religious sect or specific quote from a book that's been translated 100,000,000 times saying violence is evil doesn't mean everyone who believes in God, Christ, whatever believes the same thing.

People always confuse belief in human-written scripture with belief in a diety. Maybe God is complex enough to understand the necessity of violence.

Binary "I gotta be a gay atheist on meth or an amish hippie" thinking is weak.

Boxing is not evil, two guys are agreeing to fight, there is no victim.