[Johny Joe Hold]

I watched a little of a pro football game today. Something struck me that I had not noticed before.

There are so many falsehoods in sports. So much of the playing of sports is devoted to making your opponent think you intend to do one thing when you really intend something different.

There is the "fake handoff" in football to deceive the defense. In boxing there is the "faint punch" used to draw you opponent's defense one place while you hit in another. In basketball there is the "faint jump shot" used to draw a foul.

It occurred to me that maybe we True Christians™ should eliminate, or at least reduce, use of sports metaphors in our speech. If one says, for example, "I try to be a team player," that might mean "I'm trying to be deceptive to the other team".

If one says, "Keep your eye on the ball", he might be saying, "I going to throw the ball somewhere where you are not expecting it."

At LBC we are above all else honest. We do not lie, cheat or steal. That is just the opposite of what sports are all about.

[Gabriel Reproba]

I applaud your theological take on this. The Bible only explicitly mentions ONE sport: running races.

1 Corinthians 9:24
24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Notice that in races, there is no deception. Runners just run as fast as they can. No "jukes" or "fakies." However, the Bible DOES refer to "atheletes" in another passage:

2 Timothy 2:5
Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

However, when read in context, this passage is meant to distinguish those who compete for athletic achievement and those who compete to win souls for God.

I also believe we have determined previously that at least American Football is a Godly endeavor.

Perhaps a Pastor could clarify this theological point?