If Sports Were Created Today

Last weekend, Indy racing lost one of its bright new stars. Paul Dana died in a brutal crash during practice for the Toyota Indy 300. Mr. Dana was 30 years old. He was a young man with a vision and a dream. He loved racing. He started out as a journalist, and he ended up in a car. It is a shame that his life ended so soon.

As I watched the coverage of this terrible accident, I asked myself if auto racing would be a sport if it was invented today. Racing has been around for centuries. It all started with the foot race. As soon as we learned to ride horses, we learned how to race them. Humans by nature are competitive. We like to race, and we like to watch others race. However, if cars were not invented until the year 2000 AD; I wonder if our society would allow auto racing.

I believe our society has become so weak and soft that most of our sports would never be allowed if they were invented today. Car racing, football, wrestling, and even basketball are way to violent and competitive to survive if created in modern times. The intellectual elites aligned with the safety first crowd would ban these competitions if invented today. They would be described as too brutal and dangerous for an enlightened society. At the end of every game, we have a winner and a loser; we all know this isn't tolerable.

If auto racing was invented in the 21st century, no cars would be allowed to go over the speed limit. Tackle football would be replaced by tag football, and then by flag football. Basketball would be played without defense so that everyone can score. And I have absolutely no idea what our modern society would do to baseball.

Simply put, I cannot think of a sport created in the later half of the 20th century that anyone really enjoys playing. I guess racquet ball could be considered a modern sport, but it is basically tennis played indoors. I know that the kids talk about all the extreme sports, but these fall in the area of activities. I am speaking about true competition. Man against Man, Team against Team. City against city. There are no good modern sports.

As our nation and world becomes more and more feminine, I believe we will see less and less sport. The fact that dodgeball became a topic of debate last year proves the point. There are actually people in the world that protested dodgeball. I wonder what they think of boxing?

Two weeks ago, I wrote about being a man. I believe that manliness is sorely lacking in the world we live in today. Thank goodness our sports were created a long time ago. I cannot see myself watching the Browns play tag with the Steelers.
I hope no one gets their feelings hurt if they are "it".

The Great Debate

It is all over the web. You can find it on several blogs. There is going to be a debate at the Southern Baptist Convention this year. The debate will be over the topic of Calvinism. Dr. Al Mohler will debate on the side of Calvinism, and Dr. Paige Patterson will debate against Calvinism. Two heavy hitters going at it before the entire convention. If you are theological nerd; this is exciting.

Is this a good thing? It can be. It is exciting to think that a theological discussion will take place at the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe that anytime theology is discussed it is positive for the church.

I also believe these two men will deal with the topic appropriately. Calvinism can be a divisive topic. There are men on both sides of the issue that are very passionate about their views. I believe Drs. Mohler and Patterson will not allow this to get personal. I believe they will use this debate to defuse some of the bitterness spewed by the extremes on both sides of the issue. I believe the last thing these two men want is a theological split in the SBC. By debating this topic publicly, both men have the ability to control the larger debate. They automatically become the spokesmen for their team. Thus the larger debate must go through them, and they won't allow it to get out of hand.

Could this be a bad thing? Sure it could. If Drs. Patterson and Mohler aggravate the extremist on either side, it could cause the larger debate to become more passionate. This is a calculated risk that these two men obviously are willing to take.

Another problem that could occur is if one man obviously defeats the other. If Dr. Mohler or Dr. Patterson fail to properly defend their side, a new leader will be chosen. This could lead to an extremist becoming the vocal leader of their particular team. I am certain this will be avoided. The caliber of both of these men are second to none.

So who will win? I don't know. In my opinion, Dr. Mohler is probably the better scholar. I read Mohler's stuff daily, I am amazed that he is able to write the amount that he does. He is truly brilliant, and a one of the great Christian minds of our generation.

On the other hand, Dr. Patterson is no weakling. He is also brilliant. He has been successful in every area of his life. I believe that Dr. Patterson is a better communicator than Dr. Mohler. This may allow him to claim victory in the end.

Who will I be cheering for? Dr. Mohler of course. The truth is that I hope both men do well. I believe it is important that both sides feel satisfied with the outcome. Yet, I want Dr. Mohler to do a little better. Regardless, it should be entertaining. That is if you are a theological nerd.

The Great Debate

It is all over the web. You can find it on several blogs. There is going to be a debate at the Southern Baptist Convention this year. The debate will be over the topic of Calvinism. Dr. Al Mohler will debate on the side of Calvinism, and Dr. Paige Patterson will debate against Calvinism. Two heavy hitters going at it before the entire convention. If you are theological nerd; this is exciting.

Is this a good thing? It can be. It is exciting to think that a theological discussion will take place at the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe that anytime theology is discussed it is positive for the church.

I also believe these two men will deal with the topic appropriately. Calvinism can be a divisive topic. There are men on both sides of the issue that are very passionate about their views. I believe Drs. Mohler and Patterson will not allow this to get personal. I believe they will use this debate to defuse some of the bitterness spewed by the extremes on both sides of the issue. I believe the last thing these two men want is a theological split in the SBC. By debating this topic publicly, both men have the ability to control the larger debate. They automatically become the spokesmen for their team. Thus the larger debate must go through them, and they won't allow it to get out of hand.

Could this be a bad thing? Sure it could. If Drs. Patterson and Mohler aggravate the extremist on either side, it could cause the larger debate to become more passionate. This is a calculated risk that these two men obviously are willing to take.

Another problem that could occur is if one man obviously defeats the other. If Dr. Mohler or Dr. Patterson fail to properly defend their side, a new leader will be chosen. This could lead to an extremist becoming the vocal leader of their particular team. I am certain this will be avoided. The caliber of both of these men are second to none.

So who will win? I don't know. In my opinion, Dr. Mohler is probably the better scholar. I read Mohler's stuff daily, I am amazed that he is able to write the amount that he does. He is truly brilliant, and a one of the great Christian minds of our generation.

On the other hand, Dr. Patterson is no weakling. He is also brilliant. He has been successful in every area of his life. I believe that Dr. Patterson is a better communicator than Dr. Mohler. This may allow him to claim victory in the end.

Who will I be cheering for? Dr. Mohler of course. The truth is that I hope both men do well. I believe it is important that both sides feel satisfied with the outcome. Yet, I want Dr. Mohler to do a little better. Regardless, it should be entertaining. That is if you are a theological nerd.

No Modern Day Cinderella Stories

Two days ago, I did something I hardly ever do. I sat in my living room and watched "Cinderella Man". This is the only way I get to watch movies these days. I have to wait until my children are asleep, and then I stay up way past my bedtime to see the flick. Most of the time, I am disappointed by the movie. However, this one passed all expectations. I gave it an A. It was a wonderful film.

This true story begins with a boxer on the rise. It is pre-depression in America, money is good, and times are right. Then the depression hits, and our boxer falls on hard times. All of his money was wrapped up in the market, and he finds himself living in a basement apartment out of work. Even worse, he has a broken right hand. This knocks him out of the fight game. Thus, he has absolutely no way of making an income to provide for his family.

Then the miracle happens. His hand heals and his manager gets him a fight. It was to be a one shot deal. The man he was fighting was a contender for the title, and our boxer was all washed up. Yet, our boxer knocks the contender out. This provides him with an opportunity to fight more. He ends up becoming the champion, and providing nicely for his family.

My favorite scene in the film was between the boxer and his son. His son stole food from the local butcher. The boy was afraid that his parents would send him away if they couldn't afford to feed him. When our boxer found out, he drug the boy back to the butcher and made him give the food back. Out on the street, the father looked at his son and said, "We don't steal. No matter what, We don't steal." The boy cried and they hugged. This was the end of the scene.

As I watched that scene, I came to the realization that our nation could not survive the great depression if it happened today. We do not have the national character to do it. We have become a nation that expects to be taken care of. We have lost our convictions and we have lost our faith. Our boxer was a real dad. He taught his son that ethics do not change with the situation. However, in our post-modern world, those ethics do not fly.

If our nation suffered another great depression there would be rioting in the streets. Every store would be robbed. Every house would be looted. People would teach their children how to steal. The national ethic of "looking out for number one" would create anarchy. Our society would certainly fall.

"We don't steal. No matter what, we don't steal." This way of thinking is dead and gone to most Americans. This is why I am not a post-millennialism. I guess I am to pessimistic and realistic about the world we live in. Sin's corruption is deep and strong. Let us rejoice, for we now, more than ever, are the salt and light of the world.

I'm A Man, Yes I Am.

My current favorite commercial on television is for "Dial Men's Body Wash". The commercial has a man sitting on his couch, wearing a green sweater, eating something that only a woman should eat. A man begins to play a simple song on a tuba, and a group of men begin singing "I'm a man, yes I am", as another man introduces the product. This commercial is at its funniest at the end. All the men are in the bathroom singing and celebrating their product, when the wife calls out the husband's name. Immediately, all the men begin to whisper the song so she doesn't hear them. This is brilliantly funny.

This commercial reflects society. Men have become weak and soft over the years. Many men are no longer the stronger sex. They have allowed women to control them. Many men have switched the Biblical roles in their houses. In many households, the wife is in control and the husband has become submissive.

As a Pastor, I do a lot of marital counseling. I always ask those I am counseling to write an essay for me. I ask them to write about the roles of a husband and wife. I have noticed an interesting trend in the essays I read. Most of the time, the men that I counsel write an essay that speaks of equality between the sexes. However, the women that I counsel normally write an essay describing a strong male leadership in the family.

What does this tell us? Simply put, I believe most men are afraid to step up. Our society has constantly made men uncomfortable to be men. Men are afraid to say that they believe they are the head of the household. They do not want to come off as sexist or abusive to the woman. This tells us that the feminist are doing a good job programming our society. Men have become weak, thus women have had to step up. Someone has to lead, and when the man doesn't the woman will.

In the book of Genesis chapter 3, God gives everyone a punishment for disobeying Him. He tells Eve, in verse 16, "Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." I believe this tells us that sin will make a woman desire to rule her husband. She will want his place of power and authority. I believe that sin is strong, and its affects have had an impact on our society.

So what should we do to fix it? If you are a lady who reads this blog; submit to your husband. Let him lead, and follow him. Support his work and his effort. Speak honorably about him to your friends.

If you are a man, then do your job as a leader. You are the pastor of your house. You are the leader of your family. Do not force your wife to choose between having no leadership in the family or her leadership in the family. It is time to be a man.

"I'm a man, yes I am!" It is time that we stop whispering it. It is something that we should sing with pride. Let us take off our green sweater, and put on our white dress shirts. I can hear the tuba. Let us all sing together.

The Next Southern Baptist Convention President

It is common knowledge that Johnny Hunt will be nominated as President of the Southern Baptist Convention this year in North Carolina. I love Johnny Hunt. He is a passionate pastor. He has been successful at every church he has ever served. Johnny Hunt has a heart for pastors and young people. His ministry is far reaching and Kingdom minded. However, I do have a question, "Is he the right man for the job?"

My biggest concern with Johnny Hunt is theological. Johnny Hunt doesn't just dislike Calvinist. He seems to have a red hot hatred for it. I heard his sermon at last years Pastor's conference in Nashville where he railed against Calvinism. I have also heard him say other things that makes me wonder if he even understands what Calvinism really is. Johnny Hunt is an outstanding preacher. He is a great pastor. He is a joy to listen too. However, do I want a man that doesn't understand, and has a disdain for historic Baptist doctrine?

Baptists have always argued. We fight about everything and anything. We disagree about all sorts of issues. The one thing that keeps us together is our zeal for missions. The SBC is a missions organization. It is not a denomination. Thus, two people from different theological perspectives can sit with each other under the Baptist banner.

In the past, we have had Presidents with all sorts of different theologies. We have had Dispensationalists, Covenentalists, Post-millenialists, Calvinists, Revivalists, and the list goes on. We have had Presidents who are Pastors, Preachers, Evangelists, and denominational leaders. We have had Presidents who were Liberal, Moderate, and Conservative. Because of our size and missiology, we have survived major fights about everything. However, some of our fights have caused great change in our Convention. The last great fight was over the Authority of the Bible. The Bible believing Baptists won. I do not believe that was our last fight. I hope calvinism will not be our next.

Will Johnny Hunt declare war on Calvinism when he is elected president? I don't think so. I believe Johnny Hunt is zealous and passionate about the things he believes. I also believe that leading Calvinists in our convention will help buffer the intensity that Hunt brings to the table.

Will Johnny Hunt be a good president? Probably. He has a passion for the things that really matter. If I had Johnny Hunt's ear, I would recommend that he study his Baptist history and heritage. Johnny Hunt should honor such men as J.P. Boyce, John Broadus, and Basil Manly. These founding Southern Baptists deserve their theology to be understood not denigrated. Johnny has every right to disagree with the Founders of our Convention. However, he should not let his disagreement cast a dark shadow over the great achievements of the men.