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neighbor as thyself."
To harm the other fellow and to gain by so doing
for self is a kind of competition that is wrong.
Hostility toward the other is sin. To get the best of
another in a deal for one's own benefit is wrong.
At golf the one who wins is not the one who gets
lntramural basketba ll , Ambassador College. Team coopera tion,
quick judgment and a right atti tude are emphasized.
the most by taking it away from the other. In golf
the player does not prevent the other from doíng his
or her best. The architect who designs and lays out
the plans for building a golf course is not breaking
God's law when he designs sand traps, small lakes or
pools or leaves certaín trees to help the player to
increase his skil l. These hazards hurt no one, but are
an incentive and help to develop slci ll.
Two men or women--<>r several-in a race are not
harmíng the other runners if they run according to
the rules.
So, golf is not a wrong competition-nor is any
race at any dis tance, or hurdle race, or long jump,
high jump, pote vault or other field competition in a
track-and-field meet. At Ambassador College, with
campuses in Pasadena, California, and Big Sandy,
Texas, we have not included the hammer throw
because it might endanger others- but not because
it is unfair competit ion .
2
Now take basketball. Guarding on defense is,
if
within the rules, the same in principie as the sand
trap, clump of trees or pond on a golf course. The
rules make it a foul if a
defensi~e
player prevents a
shot by actual bodily contact or holding. If
basketball is played according to the rules- in a
right attitude-it can be a very invigorating,
enjoyable game,
not violating
God 's Jaw. 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. Therefore,
at Ambassador College intercollegiate competition is
prohibited .
But intramural games between our own classes
occur.
Boxing at Ambassador College is definitely
banned. God did not design and create the human
brain and head to be pummeled and knocked
senseless by an antagonist.
Wherever a game in sports involves
antagonists- in hosti le attitude to harm the other
andfor to "get" from the other- to get the best of
the other- then a harmful, satanic and evil attitude
enters in , and the spor t is evil, not good.
Sometimes there is a fi ne line between what is
within and what is outside God's law.
Football (American football) is a violent
body-contact sport.
It
too often is played in an
attitude of hostility and is dangerous and fraught
with physical injury. Therefore it is not played, but
we do play American flag football at Ambassador.
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 prohibited.
This is sufficient to illustrate the application of
the principie of God's law to sports. That sport
participated in with an att itude of hos tility toward
the opponent is evil.
That which harms mental/y or
physically an opponent
is
evil.
Satan is the author of competition based on
hostility, harm to the opponent , getting by taking
from an opponent- to his harm or loss.
God's way is !ove toward neighbor equal to !ove of
self.
Competition in business that takes from or harms
the competitor is evil competition. Competition that
helps the opponent by stimulating him to do his best
or to do better, but does not harm-rather
benefits-the opponent , is healthy competition. So
competition can be evil , or good, depending
primarily on the attitude in which it is participated.
T he very name
Satan
means "adversary." Satan is
an evil adversary, who desires to harm- who has·a
spirit of hostility.
If it has God's spirit of
"give"- help, encourage, cooperate, stimulate for
good, based on an attitude of love- it is right, not
wrong.
o
The PLAIN TRUTH