Hoffman 1

Hannah Hoffman

Dr. Noble

ENGL COMP

October 24, 2022

Essay 3

Football has become a sport of significant dispute due to its safety hazards. The sport has

developed to become safer but continues to be a topic of argument. Many argue that the sport is

too dangerous for the players to continue to play while saying that our youth should not be

allowed to participate. Football has changed over time to include updating the padding worn by

the players, plus the ruling to keep them from getting unwanted injuries. Technology has been

used to increase health measures to assure the players' safety. Football is a safely played sport

that continues to develop over time. "Our Shaken Faith in Football," written by Owen Strachen,

and "Is Football Too Violent for Christians," written by David E. Prince and Jimmy Scroggins,

do not demonstrate the contrary.

The article “Our Shaken Faith in Football” first gives a short statement describing the

effects of the physical impact football has on the athlete's bodies and what they are studying up

to this point. The article then goes on to talk about the major problems they are concerned about,

and the concern of professional players partaking in the sport. The article “Our Shaken Faith in

Football” then says that Christan's will not support the sport because it is far too dangerous. The

article states that football is too violent and puts its athletes at risk and that Christians should not

back the sport up because of its violent nature. “Our Shaken Faith in Football” then goes into the

debate as to if Christians should give up football or just support less. The article ends by

comparing football to gladiator battles to demonstrate the violent nature of the sport.
 Hoffman 2

Firstly, the reason they give for why football is still beneficial is flawed. The article's

claim that our world today is losing "its grasp on a meaningful definition of character" distorts

our culture. The article ("Our Shaken Faith in Football") makes the claim that the world is

devoid of "determination, courage, teamwork, preparation, and self-sacrifice," meaning that

without football, there will be no foundation and no honorable men, as football is the only way

people can cultivate these traits. As the article ("Our Shaken Faith in Football") continues, it

discusses football as a huge part of American culture and the harm it would do to our society if it

were lost. If football were to cease, America would lose "one of the primary laboratories for

maturation (particularly among young men)," reinforcing that football is a primary source of

character-building in men. In this statement, gender also comes into play: If football fosters so

many great traits, why does it not require all people to play it? It implies that the sport is only for

boys, so where would the girl's characteristic come from?

Next, in the section titled "Should Christians Support Football?" No evidence is

presented that supports the argument. In the article, it is claimed that "there is no place for

ignoring reality," which is a valid statement; however, that statement has nothing to do with

football and whether it is acceptable for Christians to support it. A comparison is made between

football and "macho culture," as if no advocacy for football would cure our culture. "Luke

22:36" is cited following this comparison. According to Luke 22:36, violence is not contradicted;

in fact, it is encouraged to defend oneself by saying, "If you do not have a sword, sell your cloak

and buy one." The article continues to state, "Football is not impervious to the effects of the

curse of Genesis 3." However, they mention that the game "is subject to fallenness as all of life

is," which means it links to the rest of humanity. We should either view football through a

different lens or stop judging it harshly if it is like the rest of the world. Furthermore, the article
 Hoffman 3

points out that many people glorify football, so Christians should steer clear of it. Too much of

anything is a problem, which can be said for anything.

The article's concluding section finally starts to make some valid points "Christians

should think hard about the extent to which they support football." According to the article,

Christians refrain from supporting sports such as "boxing or mixed-martial arts" due to their

aggressive elements. In this case, following one's judgment may be better than conforming to the

crowd. This solution could also be implemented instead of establishing a rule for all Christians to

abide by, irrespective of whether they agree or disagree. According to the article, other sports can

also result in significant injuries despite their apparent lack of violence. The argument for

eliminating football is founded on fear and rationality, making this a fantastic point. In the

article's conclusion, football violence is compared to gladiator violence. As opposed to gladiator

battles, football battles are fought with protected teams, whereas gladiator battles are fought one

on one and with weapons. The article's final statement concludes by asking, "might it be time for

a similar moment of conscience for many evangelicals?". This statement compares current

Christians who do not endorse football to the Christians who were prosecuted for publicly

expressing their disapproval of the gladiator battles.

Football is a sport that is widely popular. As the author of “Our Shaken Faith in Football”

describes, the sport does not come without flaws. But as serious as those may be, I was not

convinced after reading the work that we should cut it from our lives. If we maintain a healthy

relationship with football, keeping it at a level of entertainment and not blurring lines of idolatry,

football is a sport that can be cherished for years to come. This sport is something that many

people live for. It brings them joy, excitement, and entertainment. Football is a blessing to many

who seek to watch or play it. Taking football away for people just would not be a necessary

adjustment.
Hoffman 4