Discussion Topic - Women in Sports?

[Invicta]

In bible times, sports were all male and were performed naked. The olympics had only a laural crown for the winner. It seems that Herod was the first to give rich prizes for the first three, in games he instituted called Caesars Games, which were held every five years.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Invicta

[Kleptes]

I just think this topic is a gnat to strain at.

[Covenanter]

Good post, Annie.

I am a member of a tennis club. It's a good activity for friendly & healthy interaction between the sexes in a non-sexual way. That interaction is both on the court & in the club house. Provocative clothing is not worn.

I joined when I became self employed, mainly working from home & one motive was to be in a position to meet non-Christians in their own environment. Another motive was physical fitness, & that continues into my 70s.

My wife swims at the local baths most days, & has made many friends with that activity. Moslem & Indian women wear more modest clothing.

[Annie]

I just think this topic is a gnat to strain at.

Maybe for some...but for those of us who are rearing children it's a good discussion topic. I agree with Miss Linda that girls' sports teams should be approached with caution; a lot of it has to do with who the coach is, and what the overall "spirit" of the team is. I think back to my own Christian high school basketball team...We won the A.A.C.S. national championship one year; IOW, we were "good" for our league. But we were taught to conduct ourselves as ladies on and off the court. Our uniforms were modest; we actually got mocked by opposing teams...until we beat the short shorts off of them! Volleyball was the same. I remember going to one basketball practice and hearing that we were going to be made to run 40 "stairs" that evening. Our school had three stories with very high ceilings, and we had to complete 40 circuits: running up one side of the school, across the top floor, and down the other and back across the bottom floor was one circuit. We were told not to walk at all; if we walked, we would not start in the next game. I remember how tempting it was to walk across the top floor...some of the "big players"--seniors--were doing it. It was dark up there, and nobody was there to see if we did or not. But I pushed myself, and was determined not to give in and let the team down. I prayed while I ran, and asked God for help. Our team won games because we were in better shape than anyone else. We reaped the reward of hard work, and were mentally tough as a result of the internal wrestling which happens when you want so badly to give in and quit, but force yourself to keep moving. That's the kind of mental toughness I want my kids to develop. Edited August 4, 2011 by Annie

[farouk]

Not sure I fully understand what it is that the OP is suggesting.

(Maybe I'm obtuse... )

[John81]

Not sure I fully understand what it is that the OP is suggesting.

(Maybe I'm obtuse... )

Rather simple. At one time Christian colleges didn't have women sports programs as they do now. This was typically based upon biblical principles. Today, following the lead of secular schools, most Christian colleges today have womens sports programs that are virtually identical to the secular.

Basically, were the Christian colleges of years past biblically wrong in not allowing certain womens sports or are today's Christian colleges biblically wrong.

[farouk]

Like, I saw the site of Bryan College, in Tenn., which is very conservative. I guess the OP would say, rather, that it is not conservative enough ... .

[John81]

Like, I saw the site of Bryan College, in Tenn., which is very conservative. I guess the OP would say, rather, that it is not conservative enough ... .

I wouldn't know.

[farouk]

I guess in theory the matter is related to whether, if women are going to have a college education at all, they can do so using similar activities and facilities that male students have. But I don't think it can be seriously advanced that women either shouldn't go to college, or, once there, should be expected just to sit and watch the men do sports.

So I find the OP a bit obscure, I suppose.

[John81]

I guess in theory the matter is related to whether, if women are going to have a college education at all, they can do so using similar activities and facilities that male students have. But I don't think it can be seriously advanced that women either shouldn't go to college, or, once there, should be expected just to sit and watch the men do sports.

So I find the OP a bit obscure, I suppose.

Sounds rather secular to me.

Sports is a wide topic and most here would agree there are certain sports women shouldn't partake of as well as most would agree that certain coed sports are not for Christians.

Your statement sounds like the secular feminist statement that women can and should do anything a man does.

The biblical approach, for both men and women, is not about what one can or can't do, but what is right and best for one to do, or not to do.

[farouk]

Sounds rather secular to me.

Sports is a wide topic and most here would agree there are certain sports women shouldn't partake of as well as most would agree that certain coed sports are not for Christians.

Your statement sounds like the secular feminist statement that women can and should do anything a man does.

The biblical approach, for both men and women, is not about what one can or can't do, but what is right and best for one to do, or not to do.

So is your point:

1) Women shouldn't have a college education.

2) Women shouldn't engage in sports.

3) Otherwise, Christians are being too 'secular'?

[John81]

So is your point:

1) Women shouldn't have a college education.

2) Women shouldn't engage in sports.

3) Otherwise, Christians are being too 'secular'?

Huh?

First of all, this isn't my thread so the OP isn't mine.
Second, who said anything about women not having a college education?
Thrid, apparently, for the OP, there is a question as to whether women should be involved in at least certain sports at a Christian college.
Your third point is meaningless because of the faulty prior prior premise as stated in point one.

[farouk]

Huh?

First of all, this isn't my thread so the OP isn't mine.
Second, who said anything about women not having a college education?
Thrid, apparently, for the OP, there is a question as to whether women should be involved in at least certain sports at a Christian college.
Your third point is meaningless because of the faulty prior prior premise as stated in point one.

John81:

I didn't understand your previous post, and so ty for clarifying. I guess I now understand it at least somewhat better now.

[Annie]

I agree with farouk that the OP is a bit obscure...Crushmaster and others have asserted that biblical principle is the basis for women abstaining from competetive sports/activities, but no principles have been given which support this idea....just comments about changes in university policy over time. Culture changes, and people change with the culture. For example, women no longer wear corsets, bloomers, and any number of other accoutrements which were fashionable at the turn of the last century. Must we bemoan the lack of modesty today among women who dare to show their ankles in public?

I'm not dismissing this issue... far from it. I completely agree that "changing along with the culture" is not always the wisest or best choice. We are called to discern between good and evil: to make value judgments about what we see and hear, and about how we should live. But no real case has been made in this thread (yet?) for prohibiting girls from participating in team/competetive sports. I can see how people can take the same biblical principles (modesty, etc.) and apply them differently. What we have here (so far) are merely opinions...my own posts included.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Annie

[farouk]

I agree with farouk that the OP is a bit obscure...Crushmaster and others have asserted that biblical principle is the basis for women abstaining from competetive sports/activities, but no principles have been given which support this idea. Culture changes, and people change with the culture. For example, women no longer wear corsets, bloomers, and any number of other accoutrements which were fashionable at the turn of the last century. Must we bemoan the lack of modesty today among women who dare to show their ankles in public?

I'm not dismissing this issue... far from it. I completely agree that "changing along with the culture" is not always the wisest or best choice. We are called to discern between good and evil: to make value judgments about what we see and hear, and about how we should live. But no real case has been made in this thread (yet?) for prohibiting girls from participating in team/competetive sports. I can see how people can take the same biblical principles (modesty, etc.) and apply them differently. What we have here (so far) are merely opinions...my own posts included.

Annie:

Good observations.

I realize also that if one comes from a slightly different local church background where some things are either not issues, or if they are, they are maybe not stated in exactly the same way, it's easy to make observations which may be shot down as being supposedly unbiblical, whereas it's probably more of a sense of perspective (the earring thing on another thread is probably a case in point).

Like you say, we don't want to adopt the world's culture, but on the other hand some things are not wrong in themselves and ppl can live a Christian life, without wearing 19th century clothes, etc., and aping sporting conditions in 19th century colleges.

Blessings. Edited August 3, 2011 by farouk