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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, September 5, 1980
Page 2
course. The rules make it a foul if a defensive player prevents a shot
by actual body contact or holding. If basketball is played according
to the rules IN A RIGHT ATTITUDE, it can be a very invigorating, enjoy
able game not violating God's Law. All depends on the ATTITUDE of the
players.
In interschool or intercollegiate competition, or the pro game, the
ATTITUDE too often is BAD. When it is--when there is a spirit of
HOSTILITY toward the other side--then it does break God's Law. There
fore, at Ambassador College and in God's Church, competition against
those outside the Church, or intercollegiate competition at Ambassador
is BANNED!
Behind my back when I was away from Pasadena all but about 60 days
in a year, others without my knowledge or consent g�t Ambassador into
intercollegiate competition. THE RESULTS WERE BAD! That is OFFICIALLY
BANNED from now on.
But before that, in intramural games between our own classes, a
GOOD SPIRIT was shown, and even an objectionable call by an official was
not yelled at or received in hostile attitude.
Boxing is definitely BANNED. God did not design and create the
human brain and head to be pummeled and knocked senseless by an anta
gonist.
Wherever a game in sports involves ANTAGONISTS--in HOSTILE ATTITUDE
to harm the other and/or to "GET" from the other--to get the best of the
other--then a harmful, Satanic and evil attitude enters in, and the sport
is EVIL, not good.
Sometimes there is a fine line between what is within and what is
outside God's Law.
Basketball is such a sport. So is football, (American football),
but because football is such a violent body contact sport, it TOO OFTEN
is played in an ATTITUDE OF HOSTILITY, and is too DANGEROUS and fraught
with PHYSICAL INJURY. Therefore it must be BANNED so far as participa
tion by God's Church or people is concerned.
Soccer does not embody the same evils.
Baseball, softball, volleyball, while competitive, do not necessarily
involve HOSTILITY, harm to others, or trying to prevent the opponent from
doing his best. When played in God's attitude toward others these are
acceptable and NOT banned.
The same is true of tennis.
there have been two or three "bad
ship onto the courts. But tennis
sport and acceptable.
In pro tennis, in the past few years,
guys" who have brought unsportsrnan
as traditionally played is a clean
This is sufficient to illustrate the application of the PRINCIPLE
of God's Law to sports. That participated in with an attitude of HOS
TILITY toward the opponent is evil. That which HARMS mentally or
physically an opponent is evil.