It's Fight Night - with a legal expectation for blood

It's Fight Night - with a legal expectation for blood

Tonight is fight night. Apparently that’s what it’s called when MMA(mixed martial arts) and large crowds come together with a legal expectation for blood. Tonight it's fight night in Philadelphia – the settlement turned city named by William Penn as Delphi(city) of Brotherly Love.

I decided to pick up a couple of local papers this week and read about, what for many, must be a phenomenon considering the large crowds and publicity it is drawing. And after doing so, the question lingers: entertaining…drawing…phenomenal even, but why?

What I read was not very shocking. It was rather sterile actually. And questionably so. The first paper’s story was gritty, contained as much cursing as you hear in “average” conversation these days, and besides the mention of a man’s eyes rolling back into his head as he went limp and sunk to the ground, really did not say much of anything about the gore and blood you might expect to hear of when men are contracted to pummel each other into submission or unconsciousness, in a cage for an evening. The story focused on the rise in popularity of the fights locally and one man’s quest to make it so. The second paper had a “centerfold match-by-match breakdown’ to draw readers and gave some details about the fighters lives outside the cage. As well as some of their motivations for fighting and their views about ‘the sport’. One man turned to fighting in place of being a school teacher. Another described a recent victory like being on top of the world.

And then there’s the glory of it. And the business. One fighter was described as a devout Christian. Why it was important to mention that and not the religious beliefs of any of the other 21 fighters may be an indication that Christians still pose a significant point of resistance to tap-outs getting on-tap for mainstream, primetime consumption. The irony by way of comparison – that Christians were once witnesses to Eternal Life in their quiet, peaceful bravery while being fed to lions in Roman combat arenas is staggering.

If there’s one thing that is becoming lost upon an increasingly cynical and hard-hearted generation of people, it is the ability, or the willingness, to perceive by way of irony, its own tragedies. Like the Jews who days before had welcomed Christ into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna, only to raise a few short days later the deafening cry of “crucify him” in his own ears.

Near the end, the story seeks to clear up a few misconceptions: the fighting arena is called an ogtagon, a cage, but never a ring. Fighters aren’t allowed to headbutt each other. And, although widely condemned as being uncivilized, there haven’t been any fatalities during the matches with some kind of official oversight in the United States, to date. The level of sophistication and technical knowledge in the sport’s rules are meant to ensure the fighters remain safe.

You know, I don’t recall hearing about anyone that actually died from torture at Guantanamo Bay.

I suppose the technical expertise of the torturer ensured that the lives of their victims would be prolonged – as long as their exchanging oxygen for CO2 in their cage, uh, cell, remained useful to their captors.

Dead prisoners don’t tell secrets.

Dead headliners don’t fill seats.

At least not in the US. Not out in the public. Not on pay-per-view.

Not yet anyway.

upfromthedust.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/fight-night-with-a-legal-expectation-for-blood

Your post has me choking back tears....my 19 y/o son is into this vicious sport...I have asked God to take him out of this - for my son, raised in a distinctly Christian home (as opposed to a "religious" or "churched" home - grew up on Paul Washer sermons and etc), this fighting has become an identity thing. He could not succeed in the Christian environment (of course not - none of us can live the Christian life apart from Christ IN us), and so he is finding his identity by being "bad"....If anyone reading this could please pray that God would remove him from this awful thing - I have thought that even a broken bone that would keep him from fighting would be better than brain damage or something that could occur.....and of course, he needs the heart surgery unto salvation....Thank you, and also thank you to the faithful prayer warriors responding to my other thread on 2 prodigal brothers...GOD BLESS YOU!

If anyone reading this could please pray that God would remove him from this awful thing

We would be privileged to intercede for your son, would you mind sharing his first name so we can pray for him by name?

In Christ,

Ron

Mama27, I'm so sorry. I will do my best to remember to pray with you for your beloved son.

May God bless you and the others also.

Chris

It so happens that there has been a problem recently of mobs of young people attacking people at random. So much so, that earlier this week the Police Commisioner announced that there would be an extra and heavy police presence in the downtown area this weekend.

I heard him addressing the issue in the media, and he said that while the Police would do what they could, it was really a problem of parents not controling their children, and a bunch of people who did not know how to control themselves.

I understand what he was saying. But is that all there is to it? Or are those wandering mobs of children attacking people in random acts of violence systemic of a society as a whole that has legitimized violence for entertainment, packaged, sold, and marketed for the sake of money and thrill and pleasure.

As I walked to Love Park yesturday afternoon there was a large Police presence assembling there. At the same time they were gathering dowmtown in a show of open force to deter children from attacking adults, people of all ages were making their way to the colloseum, eh Wells Fargo Center, to watch the combatants in a controled brawl.

Is there much differnce in adults getting a thrill and a rush from watching two men locked in a cage brawl, and the thrill that young people are getting as they attack innocent and helpless people at random?

I've been in and seen many fights in 40 years on Earth. Nothing draws a crowd faster than two or more people beating each other in a fury. Like moths to a light.

Whats the difference between a crowd drawn to watch it. Or a mob gathered to fight.

Kids aren't THAT stupid America.

It makes me angry to hear people say that it's a matter of parents not controlling their children. We raised our children in a God-fearing home. Those violent games weren't "allowed"....the culture reached out to my sons and they went "underground" with those types of violent games. I even bought a book for my family to read called, "Teaching our Children to Kill". It was written by a man in the military (I think Marines, but not sure) who said that the games kids can buy at WalMart now, are the same that the military used to desensitize soldiers in times of war so that they could take another human life. And if I am not mistaken (it could possibly be another book) he also said that in the school shootings such as Columbine and Virginia Tech, the young men who were the killers were able to hit the victims IN THE HEAD with far greater accuracy than policemen who had come thru training and graduated from the police academy. WHY???? B/c they practiced it for many hours a day for weeks and months..... I am sorry, but I don't accept that it is parents not controlling their children - our children memorized many Bible verses as a child about "doing good to those who hate you", and "putting others first" etc. In my opinion this is a society GONE MAD!

Parents cannot control what happens in their children's heart. They can control their home life and what their kid's partake of.

Mama, this is not directed to you. Just a general statement.

Now, if your kid goes to public school, then yes, the culture will reach out to your kid and it does not matter if they go to church or memorize bible verses, they will be constantly tested and tempted. Peer pressure is a big thing with kids who have not developed completely, emotionally and as is normal with any kid, they want to be liked. So they are vulnerable.

Sending your kids to Christian school is sometimes no better.

If you can adjust your lifestyle and allow your wife to stay home, homeschooling is the best thing. Is it failsafe. No. But it is the best thing.

You control the home, you control what your kids partake of and you know all of their friends. Usually a tight knit group of families that all homeschool. You know the families and you know the kids.

Kids that you are trying to train up in the Lord need a protected environment while they mature emotionally. Today, most kids are thrown into situations that they are not mature enough to handle. In public schools they are being taught things early in their life that they are not emotionally prepared to handle. Most kids are not being allowed to enjoy childhood.

Most Christian parents that send their children to public school are not so worried about what their teachers are going to teach them as they are about what they will learn from the other kids. Chances are, you don't know the other families and how they are raising their children.

Some of these children are allowed to watch R rated movies all day and their speech reflects it.

It is the responsibility of the parents to shield their kids from many things in society and to teach them what they need to know at the appropriate age.

If you send your children outside your home, by themselves, starting at age 6, I can tell you that by age 18, you most probably will not have their heart or the kid you hoped they would have grown up to be. There are exceptions, but not many.

Remember, you are the parent, you're in charge. If you don't want them to do sleepovers, then train them at an early age that that is a family rule. We did and it worked.

If you don't want them to have video games, train them early about that.

You have to make sure you don't let the culture reach out to your kids. But it is not just the culture. It is Satan, the prince of the power of the air, that knows how to reach out to them through their own lusts in their heart. Our kids need a genuine experience with Jesus. Today's churchianity turns many of them off.

This is a big subject, but no condemnation on anyone. Parenting is hard and we are always learning. Satan is clever, too. He wears down the Saints.

Mike

I am not taking offense, nor do I feel condemned. We DID homeschool our children - all the way through. And it DOES have to be Jesus in their heart. The tactics of the enemy are devious and non-stop. Our oldest son hit his 20's before the enemy lured him away by telling him that the narrow way is TOO narrow, and it is "not normal"....so then if they are not truly saved, the flesh takes over, and the culture gives permission. There surely are parents who were not watchful - we were not those parents. I believe the enemy is in all-out assault on children from Christian homes. For those of you with younger children, don't let a day go by without pleading the blood of Jesus over them!

Hi mama,

I'm glad you did not take that personally. You know, once they leave your house, they will be fully tested. You have to believe that ministering the Word to them for so many years, that it will not return void. It will bear fruit. Look at Franklin Graham. Raised by Billy Graham. Sounds like from his testimony that he had to come to the end of his rope, too.

I know a homeschool family that has the same testimony as you as far as how they brought up their kids and how watchful they were. Sone goes to University and gets a girl pregnant in his first semester. They are married now, but definitely not the way you want things to go down.

The enemy is on an all out assault on Fathers and Mothers, too. Not just children.

But we have His precious promises and I have to believe that the Lord will allow your son to come to the end of his rope until He returns home to his heavenly Father. Pray for your son's protection, fast for him, too. Bind the demonic stronghold over him and again, fast if you can. Whatever you do, don't enable him. It will only delay his fall. It will delay his moment of truth. Continue to hold the truth up to him. Remind him, gently yet firmly of what reality really is.

Mike

It is all-out warfare....John Piper's son, Abraham, as well....Thank you for your encouraging words - advice well-taken...