Strong statement contra Super Bowl

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NaphtaliPress

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We've covered this in different aspects and this is not for substance any new thing, but while I've seen strong statements about the implications of indulging in the super bowl w.r.t the breaking the fourth commandment, this is as strong and wide a one as one will likely see. Posted on FB (N.B. I don't know who the author is or otherwise anything about the group hosting this):
The NFL deliberately chose the Lord's Day for its culminating championship game of the season, and in doing so effectively repeats Pharaoh's taunt against God, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him?" This is not simply a coincidence; this is calculated blasphemy and rebellion against God inspired by the prince of the power of the air, under whose power the whole world lies in darkness. God has given them 6 days to choose for the celebration of this event, but they deliberately chose the only day God has designated for His honor. The moral law of God and particularly the Fourth Commandment requires that the whole day be devoted to God in works of piety, mercy, and necessity, excepting all unnecessary labor and recreation. This effectively rules out all Superbowl watching and condemns the stealing and profanation of any of God's holy hours for the indulgence of this sacrilege. Those of you who are willing to desecrate the Lord's Day tomorrow might as well sacrifice to Baal or worship Satan, because your rebellion is no different than witchcraft. Some may be willing to forgo the game tomorrow but ask whether it is permissible to record the game and watch it on Monday. This is perhaps a step in the right direction but nevertheless there is no escaping the fact that you will not only be watching but enjoying Sabbath-breakers flaunt their rebellion against God and their love for a piece of pig-skin more than their Maker. It will be as noble and permissible as would be watching and enjoying a murderer, thief, or adulterer carry on their sins!​

Choose today whom you will serve! Tomorrow is a test to see if you love God, and it may very well be your last.​
 
No doubt to degree any lawful recreation or economic activity prohibited by the fourth commandment falls under this sort of condemnation, but no one thing I think so widely involves a majority of this nation as this does.
 
No doubt to degree any lawful recreation or economic activity prohibited by the fourth commandment falls under this sort of condemnation, but no one thing I think so widely involves a majority of this nation as this does.
Indeed. This is a national idol day for our culture and the chief culmination of one of the USA’s most prized idols. A pagan temple will be filled and the pews of the Church emptied.

As proof of it’s lethal power, it not only captivates pagans but even ravages the church by laymen missing services and sessions canceling or altering services to yield the Lord’s Day to the pagan alternative: Super Bowl Sunday. The Lord’s people have much reason to lament this most blessed day.

Much blessing to you brothers & sisters this Lord’s Day. May we hold fast and still seek to be gracious in our dealings without yielding to the ways of the world. :detective:
 
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I've had Facebook friends lamenting drag commercials and the rejection of a right-to-life Super Bowl commercial. I figure if you jettison the fourth commandment, the six and seven will be quashed too. Why not?
 
I went to a Fundy Baptist Bible College in North Caroline that skipped a Sunday Night service to air a live showing of the Super Bowl (I refused to attend). That was the year of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction" - ha ha, I had a fun time the next day asking the leaders how they liked the half-time show that they aired for hundreds of people. "How many children saw that again" I'd ask. I earned a lot of demerits at that college.
 
Doesn’t that presuppose one having a plurality of merit :rofl:

We started with merit each month. We also earned merit through "Christian Service Points." Every week on the Christian Service Form, I'd write, "Matthew 6:1-5" and get more demerits.

We were not allowed to wear shorts "on campus" and my dorm was next to the public street, and I'd go jogging in shorts. I'd exit directly onto the public street and start jogging and then return straight into my room. Someone saw me on the sidewalk and maxed out my demerit points one time because that portion of the sidewalk was on campus property.
 
Church members at our OPC today were joking that some people had asked what they thought about the upcoming game (now past) and they, out of a lack of care, knew nothing of the teams. It certainly beats the SBC church we go to in the mornings that frequently holds a party.
 
Yeah, I did not even know what teams were playing today. Honestly, I couldn't care less.

But yes, churches canceling services, or worse, holding parties, and congregants skipping church for the game is appalling.
 
We had a special guest minister speak tonight (a missionary we support) and there were impassioned pleas from the pulpit for folks to come during our regular evening service time. The good news it that we had far more people than normal come (largest evening service attendance I can recall at my church since I've been there); the bad news is that it took impassioned pleas. Football culture is a big deal around these parts and not even a commandment from God can get in the way it feels sometimes.
 
At my church, most the normal evening attendees showed up (we are actually on WLC 117 and covered acts of necessity and mercy).
 
Somewhat :offtopic: but here is a peculiar anecdote from my childhood concerning the 49ers.

As a young kid (10 or 11), I had an interest in American football owing to a) the Joe Montana game that I played on my Sega Game Gear, b) an American football show on Saturday mornings. I decided to support the San Francisco 49ers and my mum bought me a 49ers tracksuit when we came across a very inexpensive one at the Lee Factory in Newtownards. However, I had to stop wearing it because the 49ers "SF" symbol looked very similar to the symbol of Sinn Fein. :eek:

In all seriousness, however, skipping church to engage in such leisure activities or even indulging in such activities at all on the Lord's Day should not even be a debate among Reformed people. I am not saying that my Sabbath observance is perfect, but our inability to keep the Lord's Day perfectly is not an excuse for throwing the fourth commandment overboard.
 
Somewhat :offtopic: but here is a peculiar anecdote from my childhood concerning the 49ers.

As a young kid (10 or 11), I had an interest in American football owing to a) the Joe Montana game that I played on my Sega Game Gear, b) an American football show on Saturday mornings. I decided to support the San Francisco 49ers and my mum bought me a 49ers tracksuit when we came across a very inexpensive one at the Lee Factory in Newtownards. However, I had to stop wearing it because the 49ers "SF" symbol looked very similar to the symbol of Sinn Fein. :eek:

In all seriousness, however, skipping church to engage in such leisure activities or even indulging in such activities at all on the Lord's Day should not even be a debate among Reformed people. I am not saying that my Sabbath observance is perfect, but our inability to keep the Lord's Day perfectly is not an excuse for throwing the fourth commandment overboard.

Reverend McGraw discusses that (our inability not Sinn Fein) in his book, The Day of Worship. He says if observing the fourth commandment is simply resting from labours than we have the ability to keep it perfectly. If we can keep 10% of the Law of God perfectly, than does Christ only need save us from 90% of our law breaking? It's funny because I've seen people say that abstaining from pleasures on the Sabbath is trying to force people to hold it perfectly. A true Sabbath-keeper is one who will be the first to tell you he cannot keep that wonderful commandment perfectly.
 
Reverend McGraw discusses that (our inability not Sinn Fein) in his book, The Day of Worship. He says if observing the fourth commandment is simply resting from labours than we have the ability to keep it perfectly. If we can keep 10% of the Law of God perfectly, than does Christ only need save us from 90% of our law breaking? It's funny because I've seen people say that abstaining from pleasures on the Sabbath is trying to force people to hold it perfectly. A true Sabbath-keeper is one who will be the first to tell you he cannot keep that wonderful commandment perfectly.
I have seen it too; as if the rules for rightly understanding the ten commandments (LC 99) did not apply the the fourth; they in essence 'dumb down' the fourth commandment to something the Pharisees were perfectly content to keep.
 
Today I read about the halftime show and was sickened. There was sexual debauchery and degradation. A woman also portrayed our Lord on the cross but she was on a strippers pole. The picture was nauseating. But what deeply saddens me is the knowledge that a great number of men I worship with were watching this. Does anyone think it’s appropriate for the pastor to warn the congregation against profaning the Sabbath and “rising up to play” with the whole disgusting thing or would this be considered “moralism” or some sort of Christian liberty. We as a nation are so in danger of judgment. I am so distressed about the whole thing.
 
Does anyone think it’s appropriate for the pastor to warn the congregation against profaning the Sabbath
Yes, in my opinion, a minister would do very well to condemn the event from the Pulpit. A great time for a topical sermon.

The Super Bowl celebration is a wolf and part of the Shepherd’s J.O.B. is to protect the flock and strike ravaging wolves.

In my opinion, it shows a lack of bravery for a minister not to address something so clearly any enemy of the Lord’s Day and which clearly attacks and lead’s the sheep astray. To experience minister’s standing by in silence while the pagan festival ravages their own flock, specifically regarding Westminster Standard congregations, leaves me at a loss for words. Not saying it is a moral requirement as every flock is unique , but if Elders know members are missing called services for the event then remaining silent seems indefensible.:detective:
 
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Yes, in my opinion, a minister would do very well to condemn the event from the Pulpit. A great time for a topical sermon.

The Super Bowl celebration is a wolf and part of the Shepherd’s J.O.B. is to protect the flock and strike ravaging wolves.

In my opinion, it shows a lack of bravery for a minister not to address something so clearly any enemy of the Lord’s Day and which clearly attacks and lead’s the sheep astray. To experience minister’s standing by in silence while the pagan festival ravages their own flock, specifically regarding Westminster Standard congregations, leaves me at a loss for words. Not saying it is a moral requirement as every flock is unique , but if Elders know members are missing called services for the event then remaining silent seems indefensible.:detective:
We don’t have an evening service but there was no mention of the event in worship that morning. Th problem too is that some people in our church want to claim the alleged continental view of the Sabbath so feel that their time is their own after morning worship. I can’t say anything about it.
 
We don’t have an evening service but there was no mention of the event in worship that morning. Th problem too is that some people in our church want to claim the alleged continental view of the Sabbath so feel that their time is their own after morning worship. I can’t say anything about it.
I know and it does hurt. It hits close to home for me as well so your not alone. Year round our evening worship occurs at 6:00pm. I am extremely grateful for our evening services continuing.

However on Super Bowl Sunday our session decides to move the evening services to 5 PM.

Those people you mention likely don’t really understand even the Continental view if they state that as some defense to engage the Super Bowl on the Lord’s Day.
 
It's abhorrent that a church would bow to the altar of the super bowl and let it change the time for public worship. You should entreat them in the plainness respectful terms possible not to do this again and repent for doing it at all. I already referenced I think Professor Strange's four year old post but will quote it again below after quoting David Dickson on liberty and then Dr. Old on the so called continental view, which has become a wax nose and simply a cover for antiSabbatarianism.

"Know that your liberty stands in this, to be bound to the yoke of God's commands. And when you loose yourself to sin, you bind yourself to God's judgments...." David Dickson, sermon 6 on chapter 1, Sermons on Jeremiah's Lamentations (hopefully forthcoming 2020).
Dr Old: "Years ago Hughes Old said of those who were claiming the ‘continental’ view of the Sabbath over against that of the [Westminster] Confession, that they must mean the ‘continental Catholic’ view, allowing no disjunction between the Reformed in Britain and those in Europe proper” (Terry Johnson citing from memory from a class or conversation).
"Brothers and Sisters:

This is not really a matter of great debate for someone who holds to the Westminster Standards.

Yes, we can cite using electricity and the like, but we can also distinguish duties of necessity and mercy. We may disagree among ourselves about what such duties are in every case and we may even say things like "I would not ordinarily go to a restaurant but make exception if I'm away from home and there are no clear alternatives." I freely admit then that we may differ about what constitutes duties of necessity and mercy (think of the debates about whether it is permissible to take public transport to Sunday worship). I also admit that the question of when the Sabbath begins and ends is also differently understood and practiced among us. My arguments that follow all assume that the Super Bowl is being regarded as part of the Sabbath proper.

Having said that, dear PB friends, the matter of the Super Bowl, I repeat my opening remark, is not a matter of great debate for someone holding the Westminster Standards (and not scrupling on this point). This is not a case of disputable allowability, under any construction. The Super Bowl is a clear violation of the Standards. It is not something that under any construction might be deemed, even arguably, a work of mercy or necessity. It seems, in fact, very much in line with the prohibition against "recreations," that usage in the plural evoking the language of the Book of Sports that James I issued in 1617 and that was republished under his son Charles I in 1633.

While good men can differ over instances of duties of necessity or mercy (is x really such a duty?) or differ in their views of when the Sabbath begins and ends, and I am of a mind to believe that we should allow good-conscience differences of application with respect to this--I do not want a new legalism or Pharasaism with respect to these sort of things which seem "in bound" matters--as long as one holds to the Westminster Standards on this point, I do not see see how there can be any reasonable question about the matter: the Super Bowl is a violation of the parameters of the Lord's Day.

If the office-bearers, and especially the ministers, of the church do not maintain such a view, how can we expect it to be upheld in the church? And if the church does not uphold the Sabbath day, granted that we might have some different interpretations about things that I've mentioned above (what, e.g., constitutes duties of necessity and mercy), what witness do we bring to the world? American culture especially worships at several altars (like the Athenians) and this one event (we must not be blind to it) brings them all together: not just the worship of sport but of entertainment more broadly, of covetousness and crass commercialism, of illicit sexuality, etc. And all of this takes place on the day that we are to give to the worship of our great God and King.

Let us resist this, first of all, out of obedience to Christ our King, for His glory; secondly, for the good and peace of our own souls; and lastly, for a burning and shining witness to a world that is dying and has this, and other things like it, as one of its primary feeble and futile attempts to find joy while continuing to shake the fist and say "I will not have this Man to rule over me." Yes, He made the Sabbath for man and not man for the Sabbath. But if anyone thinks that he can seriously argue that this is what He made the Sabbath for, God have mercy on us all.

Peace," https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/christians-watching-the-super-bowl.85756/#post-1068056


I know and it does hurt. It hits close to home for me as well so your not alone. Year round our evening worship occurs at 6:00pm. I am extremely grateful for our evening services continuing.

However on Super Bowl Sunday our session decides to move the evening services to 5 PM.

Those people you mention likely don’t really understand even the Continental view if they state that as some defense to engage the Super Bowl on the Lord’s Day.
 
It's abhorrent that a church would bow to the altar of the super bowl and let it change the time for public worship. You should entreat them in the plainness respectful terms possible not to do this again and repent for doing it at all.
I know brother and it does sit heavy with me. However, I am in a season where I need more patience and prayer so I’m trying to focus on those things a little more during this season (you know a few more details).:detective:
 
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