[Dice]

They've been trying to clean things up and, unfortunately, there's still a dark side to it.

You cannot clean up what is based on fanning the sensuous passions of man.

Proverbs 3:31-32
"Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence."

Proverbs 16:28-29
"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good."

You must ask yourself what the basis of the entertainment is. What is their show like, what attitudes and behaviors do the characters exhibit? Do they not directly contradict the wisdom and command of the Lord? It is a soap opera for men, every bit as glorifying to selfishness except using the methodology of boasting and swagger instead of (as in female-targeted soap operas) relational manipulation.

They were simply paying tribute to his career as a wrestler and to everything good he did.

It is no noble thing to guide others in making much of themselves. We must not look at the temporal glories of man's accomplishments, but the reality of eternal investments. The WWE is based on nothing of value and cannot be made into something of worth without changing all that defines it. Thus, it is not something to be redeemed, but something to be done away with.

[elijah77jc]

Originally Posted by Dice

You cannot clean up what is based on fanning the sensuous passions of man.

Proverbs 3:31-32
"Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence."

Proverbs 16:28-29
"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good."

You must ask yourself what the basis of the entertainment is. What is their show like, what attitudes and behaviors do the characters exhibit? Do they not directly contradict the wisdom and command of the Lord? It is a soap opera for men, every bit as glorifying to selfishness except using the methodology of boasting and swagger instead of (as in female-targeted soap operas) relational manipulation.

It is no noble thing to guide others in making much of themselves. We must not look at the temporal glories of man's accomplishments, but the reality of eternal investments. The WWE is based on nothing of value and cannot be made into something of worth without changing all that defines it. Thus, it is not something to be redeemed, but something to be done away with.

to refer to wrestlers as "violent men" is a fairly ignorant statement. They are entertainers putting on a show and they go OUT of their way to make sure that they don't hurt anybody. They are a different breed than boxers or ufc fighters, their only agenda is to entertain.

[tigerfan88]

Um, yeah, wrestling is all staged. Wrestlers take precautions to make sure no one gets hurt. If you want a violent sport, check out boxing, or like the poster above said, check the UFC. Yes, there are some wrestlers who are violent outside of the ring, but not all of them are.

I suppose that since you condemn wrestling as being violent, you must also have problems with football, boxing, UFC etc. Or do you just hate wrestling?

[Dice]

You need to reread my post. At no time did I say they were violent, but I said the basis of the entertainment is glorifying violence (among various other depravities). Such are the attitudes that the characters in their show portray and such is the direction that it leads the attitudes of a great deal of it's fans.

[Zooropa]

Originally Posted by Dice

You need to reread my post. At no time did I say they were violent, but I said the basis of the entertainment is glorifying violence (among various other depravities). Such are the attitudes that the characters in their show portray and such is the direction that it leads the attitudes of a great deal of it's fans.

Get on the high horse much? As a wrestling fan of 17 years (I'm 24), let me fill you in on a little secret: it's all tongue-in-cheek. They're not gloryfying violence, they're putting on a fun show that is not meant to be taken seriously. I want to know this: where is the media and the critics when WWE is involved with positive things? Where were Bill O'Reilly and Anderson Coooper when WWE performers risked their lives by going to Iraq and performing for troops the last few years? Where were they when WWE wrestlers visited dying kids in hospitals to brighten their day? Wait, that's right.....those things don't garner ratings. I will admit that there have been dark sides to pro-wrestling, but there's also two sides to the spectrum, and only one side gets talked about by non-fans. I'm sick to death of the way pro wrestling is being smeared by the media and general public. I would give anything to be able to go on CNN or Fox News and rip those puppets a new one. I grew up loving wrestling, and I still do. And I don't give a damn if anyone looks down on me for it. Ever hear the old line: "don't criticize what you don't understand?" Well I'm sending that message out right now to everyone. If you take WWE seriously, you're missing the point big time.

[Zooropa]

Well, some Chris Benoit conspiracy theories are already hitting the Internet. Honestly, this situation is so bizarre that I'm open to believing anything at this point. I didn't know Chris Benoit personally, so I have no place saying whether or not he was capable of doing this. I perceive that he wasn't, but my perception could be wrong. To me, something just feels wrong about the story. There's got to be a whole lot more to this than anyone knows yet.

[Dice]

Get on the high horse much?

I'm not trying to claim moral superiority here, I'm saying that all of us need to strive for obedience to God who does have moral superiority over us all. I think the idea that "It's not serious" is just as much of a cop-out as saying "I only listen to gangsta rap for the beats." The truth is that you don't sit there thinking "What a fine fake punch that was" or "Wow, he's so good at acting like he wants to rip that man's head off." The thrill of it is from the little part of you that wants to pretend along with it, the part that wants to affirm a little mano y mano butt-whopping. The dialogue gets into you and you delight in it, otherwise you would find it boring. God is very intentional about the things which he wants us to set our minds on and delight in, and wrestling offerings nothing even close to it. At worst it's enjoyment is derived from pride and demeaning others, at best it is offering escapism as an alternative consolation to life from God's truth.

[Chris]

This thread is not about the morality of wrestling. It's about the death of Chris Benoit. Let's bring it back there, k? If you can't do such, then open a new thread if you really must continue down this path.