*** w96 2/1 p. 25 Trust in Jehovah and His Word ***
Satan has craftily promoted this “spirit” in school textbooks, in much of the available music, in sports, and in other forms of entertainment. Parents need to be alert to offset such influences by helping their children grow up trusting in Jehovah and his Word.
*** w96 2/1 pp. 25-26 Trust in Jehovah and His Word ***
While not all “desires incidental to youth” are bad in themselves, youths should “flee from” them in that they should not let these things be a preoccupation, leaving little, if any, time for godly pursuits. Bodybuilding, sports, music, entertainment, hobbies, and travel, while not necessarily wrong, can be a snare if they become the big things in life.
*** w96 2/15 p. 4 Violence Is Everywhere ***
Sports and entertainment have been pursued as means of diversion or relaxation to refresh a person for the more serious endeavors of life. Today entertainment is a multibillion-dollar industry. In order to carve out as large a chunk of this lucrative market as possible, purveyors are not averse to using any means at their disposal. And one of such means is violence
*** w96 2/15 p. 4 Violence Is Everywhere ***
Violence in sports is quite another matter. The players often take pride in what damage they can mete out. At one hockey game in 1990, for instance, there were 86 penalties—an all-time high. The game was interrupted by three and a half hours of mayhem. One player was treated for a fractured facial bone, a scratched cornea, and a gash. Why such violence? One player explained: “When you win a real emotional game, with a lot of fights, you go home and you feel a little closer to your teammates. I thought the fights made it a real spiritual game.” In so much of today’s sports, violence, it seems, has become not just the means to an end but the end itself.
*** w96 6/15 p. 18 Blessings or Maledictions—Examples for Us Today ***
4 Antitypical Egypt—Satan’s world—virtually worships entertainment. (1 John 5:19; Revelation 11:8) It idolizes actors, singers, and sports stars, as well as their dancing, their music, their concepts of fun and good times. Many have been tempted to drench themselves in entertainment while still claiming to worship Jehovah. When a Christian must be reproved for wrongdoing, his weakened spiritual state can often be traced back to drinking alcoholic beverages, dancing, and the having of a good time in some way that may border on idolatry. (Exodus 32:5, 6, 17, 18) Some entertainment is wholesome and enjoyable. Yet, today most worldly music, dancing, movies, and videos cater to corrupt fleshly desires.
*** w95 6/1 p. 3 The Promise of a World Without Corruption ***
CORRUPTION has penetrated every level of society. Whether it is in government, science, sports, religion, or business, corruption seems to be out of control.
*** w94 11/1 p. 20 Be Tenderly Compassionate ***
14 Another obstacle to our being compassionate can result from unnecessarily exposing ourselves to violence. Sports and entertainment that feature violence promote bloodlust
*** w93 8/15 p. 19 Let Your Self-Control Exist and Overflow ***
6 Many people believe that it basically is healthy to “let go” or to “let off steam.” Their view is reinforced by role models in the public eye who seem to ignore self-control of any sort, who simply indulge their impulses. To illustrate: Many who like professional sports have grown accustomed to wild displays of emotion, even violent rage. Can you not recall, at least from the press, instances where brutal fights or mob scenes erupted at sporting events?
*** w92 1/1 p. 4 Worship Which God? ***
Satan is the archdeceiver. (1 Timothy 2:14) He plays upon mankind’s inborn desire to worship by promoting many kinds of deities—ancestral spirits, idols, icons, Madonnas. He even sponsors worship of human gods, such as mighty rulers, victorious generals, and movie and sports stars. (Acts 12:21-23) We do well to keep on guard, resolved to seek out and worship only the true God, who really “is not far off from each one of us.”—Acts 17:27.
*** w91 10/15 p. 22 “Let Us Also Put Off Every Weight” ***
There may be other ways of relieving ourselves of unnecessary burdens. What about reducing the frequency of our pleasure travel, sports activities, or other entertainment—including time spent watching television? And even after achieving a desired balance in these areas, constant readjustments may be required to maintain such balance.
*** w90 12/1 p. 4 Which God Do You Worship? ***
The homage that charismatic sports stars, movie stars, and other entertainers receive from their fans also is akin to worship.
*** w89 5/15 p. 28 The Land of the Pepper Bird Hears the “New Song” ***
” Herbert won a scholarship to the university in Monrovia and a government job because of his outstanding ability as a soccer player. When he learned what the Bible says about a competitive spirit, however, he was moved to give up his sports career. (Galatians 5:26) Now he rejoices in his new career as a full-time minister. Why couldn’t Herbert serve Jehovah and play soccer?
You can preach where ever you go.
*** w89 12/1 pp. 12-13 Why We Need Accurate Knowledge ***
A Modern Prodigal Son 11 We can illustrate this by the real-life case of a young man who, when he was about 14 years of age and already a baptized Christian, had his love of the truth tested. Like many young people, he loved sports, especially soccer. But there was a problem. His school played soccer the same night that the congregation had its meetings. His spirituality was not strong enough for him properly to evaluate the superficial value of soccer as compared to the lasting value of attending Christian meetings with his widowed mother and his younger brother and sister. So he ceased to act according to accurate knowledge and decided to drop out of the truth. Eventually, he was disfellowshipped. Later, he went on to do military service, where he got involved with drugs. It was the Evil influence of Soccer that lead this young man astray!!!! Evil wicked Soccer!! Bad,Bad Soccer!!
*** w88 1/15 p. 25 A Convention That Increased Our Trust in Jehovah *** Youths have given proof of their trust in Jehovah by resisting pressures to go in for sports or to opt for higher education after completing high school. I almost feel like this one says it all!
*** w87 1/15 p. 28 The “Divine Peace” District Convention—Just What We Needed! ***
To preserve our divine peace, we must “Avoid This World’s Death-Dealing ‘Air.’” Like the air we breathe, this selfish and disobedient spirit of the world is all around us. The talk dealt with nine manifestations of this death-dealing air,….addiction to sports….. Keep breathing in this air and it will kill you spiritually.
*** w87 9/15 p. 19 Keep Submitting to “the Spirit That Is Life-Giving” ***
13 This world is strongly addicted to sports, music, and various forms of entertainment. Unless they violate Scriptural principles, enjoying such things is not necessarily wrong. But the problem is that Satan, “the ruler who governs the air,” has corrupted much of the entertainment available today. (Ephesians 2:2, The Jerusalem Bible)
*** w86 5/1 p. 13 Is Your Eye “Simple”? ***
Even in recreation, hobbies, sports, exercise, and so on, we must maintain proper balance and guard against being caught up in the fads and fancies of the world. In all these areas, it would be good for us to bear in mind the wise words found at Proverbs 27:20: “Sheol and the place of destruction themselves do not get satisfied; neither do the eyes of a man get satisfied.” Indeed, we need to exercise self-control so that in trying to satisfy our eyes we do not endanger ourselves spiritually.
*** w86 8/1 p. 14 Youths—Do Not Be Deceived ***
17 Be alert, also, to other designs of Satan. Sports, music, and dancing, for example, have become a prominent part of his world’s entertainment. True, these things in themselves are not necessarily wrong and can be pleasurable and even beneficial. (1 Timothy 4:8; Zechariah 8:5; Luke 15:25) Satan, however, has deceptively promoted the view that they pose no threat of harm, even when regularly participated in with people of the world. But God’s Word warns: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Think about it. If religion and politics are part of Satan’s system, is it not foolish to believe that the entertainment promoted by the world is free of his influence? You need constantly to be on guard not to “let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould.”—Romans 12:2, The New Testament in Modern English, by J. B. Phillips.
*** w86 11/1 p. 11 How I Conquered My Driving Ambition ***
My ambitions were being fulfilled. I was a Maori teacher and as such had achieved recognition both in the academic and in the sports field. Poverty had receded—what a far cry from the poor Maori boy of the 1930’s! *** w86 11/1 p. 13 How I Conquered My Driving Ambition ***
Deeper knowledge of the Bible and of Christ’s example began to put me to the test. Ambition was still a driving force in my life. A teaching career and sports had been giving all that one could want. But now a choice must be made between living the humble, simple life of a Christian witness of Jehovah or trying to fit my ambitions in with my newfound faith. *** w86 11/1 p. 13 How I Conquered My Driving Ambition ***
I forfeited my life’s ambition and a work I had grown to love, that of teaching children. I went to the Christian convention and lost my teaching post. Yet, looking back I know it was the right decision. I gave up teaching children, but eventually it led me to teaching adults over a much wider area. To support my family, I took up cleaning and gardening work. Eventually I did part-time office and shop work, which enabled me to spend more time in the ministry. Why could this person not have done both? Why to The WTBS can you not serve God and keep the things you love as your employment?
*** w86 11/1 Parents—How Can You ‘Build Up’ Your Home? ***
Choose according to needs of family. Be flexible. May be preparation of weekly lesson in The Watchtower. Specific issues may need to be discussed, such as problems youths face in school, dating, extracurricular activities, sports, and immoral tendencies. Use articles or publications that deal with these. Could divide up study time to cover different subjects
*** w85 7/15 p. 32 “Solution to All Our Problems” ***
Besides discussing masturbation and homosexuality, this book covers the use of drugs and alcohol, sports, music, dancing, dating, courtship, and many other subjects that affect youths
*** w85 9/15 p. 13 Insight on the News ***
Sports Violence
“Europe’s soccer stadiums are increasingly coming to resemble gladiator pits.” So observed Time magazine in a report on the tragic violence involving British and Italian soccer fans that resulted in 38 deaths at the European Cup finals in Brussels last May. Violence by fans is a growing problem in other parts of the world too. During May, Chinese fans in Peking rioted—smashing buses, overturning cars, and menacing foreigners—when their soccer team was eliminated from World Cup contention by Hong Kong.
Why do sports fans lose control? Authorities say it is because many sports enthusiasts are poor, bored, and ill-equipped to deal with defeat or humiliation. “But social class or economic considerations are not the main roots,” says Dr. Jeffrey H. Goldstein, an expert on sports-related violence. “It’s nationalism pure and simple. In an era of instant communications, people increasingly are making nationalist issues of international sporting events, and the people are abetted by the actions of the press, sports officials, politicians and the athletes themselves.” Goldstein adds that to fans “international sporting events have become tests of the rightness or wrongness of ideology.”
Although nationalism may spur many sports fans to violence, true Christians are neutral, peace-loving advocates of God’s Kingdom. Moreover, they avoid getting caught up in the worldly competitive spirit.—John 17:16; Romans 12:18; Galatians 5:26.
….But I want you all to know this is just the TIP Of The Iceberg on ANTI-SPORTS
Propaganda written by The WTBS. In some years I did not even put every Anti-Sport Comment. 
