Andrew and I have been discussing with Jo whether Ultimate Fighting is okay. I know Craig is into it. I'd never watch it - but I don't have a huge feeling that it's wrong. Stupid? Yes. Wrong? Maybe not. In an email, Jo offered this:
"I think it was CS Lewis who said approvingly of the Puritans that they objected to bear-baiting not because the bear got hurt, but because people enjoyed watching the bear get hurt." Is there a difference between bear-baiting and fighting? I think so. Anyone else got an opinion?
Craig has written a response. Take a look.
ReplyDeletehttp://creative2567.blogspot.com/2008/06/ultimate-fighting.html
Rampage Jackson, the guy in your picture, is the current UFC light heavyweight champ and a committed Christian. Doesn't prove anything, of course, but I thought you might be interested.
ReplyDeleteHi Simone, sorry this discussion has been taking up your blogging energies :)
ReplyDeleteI do stand by my criticism, especially in its original context of responding to Mark Driscoll's description of attending UFC. His comments showed very clearly:
1) that what he enjoyed was the infliction of significant damage to another human being (specifically, someone being deliberately held unconscious, though also someone's face being bashed in) rather than simply the sort of physical skills and achievements that characterise sport more generally;
2) that this infliction of damage was not impersonal, but was explicitly connected to hostility between the two fighters. ie one of them had 'dissed' the other and so he was being 'taught respect' by being held unconscious.
This, I suggested, was enormously problematic for anybody who takes seriously Jesus' commands to 'do good to those who hurt you' and to 'turn the other cheek'.