1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Is This Really Important?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Martin, Dec 28, 2007.

Top Posters
  1. Martin

    Martin Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2005
    Messages:
    5,229
    Likes Received:
    0
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Tonight, the lead story on Baptistpress.com reads:

    "John Whitehead is aching to take the National Football League to court but can't find a church willing to take on the influential pro football colossus.

    "You go to any bar on Super Bowl Sunday and they'll be showing the game on their [big screen] TVs," the president of The Rutherford Institute said.

    The conservative nonprofit legal organization represented Fall Creek Baptist Church last February in its legal tussle with the NFL.

    "They want to restrict it to a 55-inch screen, which in a big church you'd need binoculars to see," Whitehead said. "It's designed to prevent churches and groups like that from doing this. If churches en masse wanted to do this, they could get the law changed."" LINK

    I pray that the reason this joker can't find a church to take up his cause is because too many churches have wised up to this kind of wordly junk. Sadly, considering the sad state of popular evangelical "christianity" I must doubt that is the case, but I pray it is. Since when did showing the Superbowl become a mission of the church? The answer, of course, is that it has not! Churches should not change their service schedule in anyway so that people can watch a ballgame during worship time. If people want to watch a ballgame instead of worship the Lord, let them stay home.

    Such an article shows how shallow Baptistpress has become. Maybe I should start visiting the United Methodist Church's newsite and learn about diversity or something.

    I'm sorry but this stuff makes my blood go bubble, bubble :BangHead: .
     
    #1 Martin, Dec 28, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 28, 2007
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    The main purpose of protecting a "property" is financial. When a bar advertises they will be showing the Super Bowl, they expect to make a lot of money. The NFL, rightfully should profit from that.
    However, when a church has a "Super Bowl" night, (and as long as there is no admission) there should be no charge.

    Should a church take up the fight, I see it more of a "its the principal of the thing". What will be next? Suppose a church invites an NFL player to come and speak to a Sunday Morning services, would the NFL expect to be paid a royalty? The possibilities are endless.

    Just my 7 cents worth

    Salty
     
    #2 Salty, Dec 28, 2007
  3. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2004
    Messages:
    7,406
    Likes Received:
    101
    "aching to take the National Football League to court"

    scariest words in the article.

    As followers of Christ we are exorted not to defame the name of Christ by dragging Him into the courts for solevancy to our gripes with secular authorities.

    What kind of theology allows for one to disregard passages of Scripture in the hope of "showing up" people outside the body of Christ? Just plain troubling.

    "can't find a church willing to take on"

    Yeah, but it appears the Southern Baptist Convention will try to help him as much as possible...I can't stand Baptist Press. :(

    oh and the NFL doesn't have a problem if you have appropriate licenses and aren't charging a cover charge...which is exactly what Falls Church was doing.
     
    #3 preachinjesus, Dec 29, 2007
  4. Circuitrider

    Circuitrider <img src=/circuitrider2.JPG>
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2000
    Messages:
    730
    Likes Received:
    0
    Faith:
    Baptist
    This kind of foolishness just reveals the low level of commitment of too many Christians today. While pastoring in Wisconsin several years ago when the Packers were in the superbowl, one of my deacons made it clear that we should change our evening service so that it would not conflict with the Superbowl. When I refused to do so he simply held a Superbowl party at his house during church and invited several familes. :BangHead:

    I wonder how much of our doings as believers will burn as wood, hay and stubble because of our low commitment to Christ. Such conduct by professed believers hurts the cause of Christ and often wounds the heart of their pastor.:saint: It is even worse when a church an pastor take this coarse of action. God forbid!
     
    #4 Circuitrider, Dec 29, 2007
  5. EdSutton

    EdSutton New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2006
    Messages:
    8,755
    Likes Received:
    0
    FTR, I believe the actual text you are alluding to speaks where "brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers". (I Cor. 6:6 - NKJV, ESV, HCSB)

    Ed
     
    #5 EdSutton, Dec 30, 2007
  6. Karen

    Karen Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2000
    Messages:
    2,610
    Likes Received:
    0
    circuitrider,
    I appreciate your commitment and consistency.
    Football means nothing to me. I think I have watched a few fragments on tv of OU football a couple of times. That is it.

    I agree that we can be shallow as American evangelicals. However, what would have been the harm of changing your service time? It comes across sometimes as the acid test for whether you are truly dedicated or not, not changing a service time. And having it at the same time guaranteed less than the normal number would come. And that there would likely be no visitors.

    Because of so many people travelling out of town, there were no Sunday evening services at my church last Sunday. Nor will there be services tonight. We had a guest preacher today because our pastor is on vacation. Would you say that shows our shallowness?
    Or would you say it wasn't shallow because people were visiting out-of-town family, not watching a ball game?
     
    #6 Karen, Dec 30, 2007
  7. Karen

    Karen Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2000
    Messages:
    2,610
    Likes Received:
    0
    My church in the past has had Superbowl parties. Some have been held in the church gym with a half-time devotional and big-screen tv.
    Some have been held as block parties with people encouraged to invite neighbors and get to know them, as well as have a devotional.

    I never went, but I'm not opposed to them having done it.
     
    #7 Karen, Dec 30, 2007
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Loading...