“Whatever You Do …” Is This True?

On The Misnomer Of A Boxing Christian

I once had the opportunity to enter a conversation on the question of whether boxing was an acceptable sport for Christians or Muslims.  I have to admit that I have struggled with this question since.  While Christianity and Islam both fall within the category of Abrahamic religions, there is a very distinct difference in the way these religions deal with this question.

Islam seems to have more in common with Judaism insofar as it is a highly regulated religion.  The Hadith, for instance, being the orally transmitted record of Muhammad’s actions and customs, operates as the inspiration and foundation for the Islamic way of life and behaviour.  The Hadith contains very specific regulations on behaviour, which distinguishes it from the Qur’an, being a book primarily containing the revelation of Allah to Muhammad.  Therefore, for guidance on behaviour, Muslims would more usually turn to the Hadith.

According to my friend, the sport of boxing is not appropriate for Muslims and he wanted to know what Christianity believes regarding boxing.  As a pastor, I am confronted with such questions often, both from the members of my church but also from neighbours.  The problem is that Christianity does not have the benefit of a book to which we can refer for regulations regarding specific behaviours.  It is true that the Law of Moses, found in the Old Testament of the Bible, does contain many very specific regulations.  However, none speak to the specific issue of the sport of boxing and, with the advent of Jesus Christ, those regulations no longer apply in the same way that they do for the followers of Judaism.

Thus, the first issue in answering my friend’s question revolves around the relationship of Jesus to the Law of Moses.  While this could take many pages, let me just highlight a couple of points in summary.  The first being that Jesus, in himself, fulfils the Law (Matthew 5:17).  Next, the apostle Paul argues that our relationship with God does not depend on our following the Law because we are under grace (Romans 6:14).  God’s grace and love for us elicit our love for Him (1 John 4:19), which is demonstrated by our obedience (1 John 5:3).  Finally, Jesus identified that, to obey God, we must keep in mind certain principles: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart [...] you shall love your neighbour as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31).

Therefore, post-Easter, the Law of Moses is not binding as a regulatory document but gives way instead to these principles of love for God and neighbour.

How do we relate this to the question of boxing?  We ask not whether boxing is permitted under the regulations binding on Christians, because there aren’t any, but whether boxing fulfils those two principles?

I would argue that professional boxing does not satisfy the principle of loving one’s neighbour, insofar as it encourages not just violence against another person, but also permanent damage.  A knock-out is, essentially, a brain injury.  Without protective gear, professional boxers legitimately aim for the TKO, which is really not good for the other person’s well-being.  And, no, I’m not a woose!

Can professional boxing be seen to satisfy the commandment to love God?  This is possibly where boxing might regain some momentum since sport can and does support a person’s whole development.  So, one could argue that developing one’s potential through sport is a path towards giving glory to our Creator (à la Eric Liddell).

And giving glory to God truly is the raison d’être for Christians in any activity that they choose: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31; cf. Deuteronomy 12:7).

While I accept, in principle, this argument, the anger and aggression required for boxing could be a slippery slope in the area of one’s attitude: “In your anger do not sin” (Psalm 4:4; Ephesians 4:26).  To this end, Jesus taught humility and non-violence (Matthew 5:9, 39), although His own example could be used to promote the idea that violence is acceptable in some circumstances (Mark 11:15-17).

Unfortunately, it is the disconnect between loving God and not loving one’s neighbour that creates, in my mind, the difficulty for Christians participating in boxing.  Because professional boxing does not include protective gear, it would be glorifying God by committing violence towards another person, in anger.  Amateur boxing does include protective gear; so, maybe, one could argue that this is not as violent towards the opponent, but only barely.

So, my conclusion is that, if a Christian were to ask me whether it is acceptable to begin boxing as a career, I would counsel them against such a decision.  If a Christian were already in boxing and wanting to know whether he should remain, I would leave it up to his conscience, believing that, when the time is right for that person, the Holy Spirit will convict him or her as to how boxing is very likely not an act of righteousness (John 16:8).  Although, I must concede that the Spirit, in Her wisdom, may not deal with a person on this issue at all because only the Spirit truly knows a man’s heart when he boxes (Acts 15:8; Romans 8:26-27).