Comments on: Wild eXtremes http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/110 ThoughtPaths with Ken Wilson et al Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:19:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: kwilson http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/110#comment-43 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 22:18:52 +0000 http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/110#comment-43 [quote post="110"]Is it poor stewardship of life and resources to partake in these things? Is there some positive aspect to these activities?[/quote] Interesting question. I would say no more than any other recreational acitivity - with the caveat that is would seem somehow wrong to do harm to oneself. My juggling thread is another example - there are Christian related lessons to learn but it should not become a ministry focus. What I wouldn see as error would be the enshrining of any of them into a ministry, other than as a peripheral activity. It then becomes an entertainment ministry. If that was the case, then the focus would be away from our Lord and His Word. Maybe my thinking it too narrow, but...

Is it poor stewardship of life and resources to partake in these things? Is there some positive aspect to these activities?

Interesting question. I would say no more than any other recreational acitivity - with the caveat that is would seem somehow wrong to do harm to oneself. My juggling thread is another example - there are Christian related lessons to learn but it should not become a ministry focus.

What I wouldn see as error would be the enshrining of any of them into a ministry, other than as a peripheral activity. It then becomes an entertainment ministry. If that was the case, then the focus would be away from our Lord and His Word. Maybe my thinking it too narrow, but…

]]> by: cnaphan http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/110#comment-37 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:37:41 +0000 http://thoughtpaths.com/archives/110#comment-37 Well, anthropologists always say that men used to be the hunters and women used to be the gatherers. And let us just say that compared to our line of work these days, even picking berries sounds thrilling. I don't think the primitive men came home and said "Boy, it was sure fun hunting that bear with sharp sticks. Now, I wish we could throw ourselves off a cliff with elastic bands around our ankles." Obviously, in a bygone era, the need for "thrills" was supplied by carnivore attacks, plagues, wars, floods, famines, deaths, etc...The modern man, with a bit of luck, could probably go his entire life without a single thrill. But how can a Christian decide whether an "fun" activity is risky to the point of being foolish and sinful? I enjoy martial arts, ski-dooing, skiing, wall-climbing, canoeing, etc... all of which have built-in risks. And none of which are necessary or glorifying to God per se. They also tend to cost money. Is it poor stewardship of life and resources to partake in these things? Is there some positive aspect to these activities? Well, anthropologists always say that men used to be the hunters and women used to be the gatherers. And let us just say that compared to our line of work these days, even picking berries sounds thrilling. I don’t think the primitive men came home and said “Boy, it was sure fun hunting that bear with sharp sticks. Now, I wish we could throw ourselves off a cliff with elastic bands around our ankles.” Obviously, in a bygone era, the need for “thrills” was supplied by carnivore attacks, plagues, wars, floods, famines, deaths, etc…The modern man, with a bit of luck, could probably go his entire life without a single thrill.

But how can a Christian decide whether an “fun” activity is risky to the point of being foolish and sinful? I enjoy martial arts, ski-dooing, skiing, wall-climbing, canoeing, etc… all of which have built-in risks. And none of which are necessary or glorifying to God per se. They also tend to cost money. Is it poor stewardship of life and resources to partake in these things? Is there some positive aspect to these activities?

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