A possibly non-female boxer inflicts major pain to female opponent in the Olympics
(Official Olympic logo for 2024)
A while back, we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
Olympics and Biology
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had a report published in the ‘British Medical Journal’ that claimed, ” No athlete should be precluded from competing or excluded from the competition on the exclusive ground of an unverified, alleged or perceived unfair competitive advantage due to their sex variations, physical appearance and/or transgender status.” Does that IOC position make biological sense? Do biological males have significant advantages in many sports? Why do we not hear of many females who want to compete against males? What are some of the biological advantages that males have compared to females when it comes to sports? Have Olympians objected to the inclusion of those asserting that they are transgendered? Does the Bible have comments that are relevant on these matters? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel go over some of these issues.
Here is a link to our video: Olympics and Biology.
Since that time, the IOC wisely pulled back on some of its intended allowances for males to compete as females against females.
However, there looks to have been at least one notable exception as at least one person is questionable:
“This Is Unjust!” Female Boxer Quits Olympic Match, Melts Down In Tears After ‘Biological Male’ Brutalizes Her In 46 Seconds
August 1, 2024
Feminists are once again silent after a female boxer was destroyed in 46 seconds by a ‘biological male’ in an Olympic matchup.
After just 46 seconds and two massive shots to the head, Italy’s Angela Carini threw her helmet onto the mat and abandoned the bout against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, shouting “This is unjust!”
The 25-year-old Carini, and Italian police officer, refused to shake hands with Khelif – who was previously banned from competition by the International Boxing Association after failing tests to establish gender qualification.
After the Olympic match was stopped, the referee raised Khelif’s hand in the air, while a visibly furious Carini yanked her hand away from the official and stormed off, the Daily Mail reports. She then dropped to her knees and burst into tears, saying she had never felt such strong blows in a match.
“I’m used to suffering. I’ve never taken a punch like that, it’s impossible to continue. I’m nobody to say it’s illegal,” she said after the match. …
On Wednesday evening, the IBA – which banned Khelif – said that the transgender boxer had initially appealed their decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but “but withdrew the appeal during the process, making the IBA decision legally binding.”
The IBA also directly criticized the IOC, saying “The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety,” however the IOC position is that Khelif, and Chinese transgender athlete Lin Tu-ting of Taipei, “are women according to their passports,” who had qualified under the rules of elligibility. …
Now, the IOC faces a harsh backlash – including UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who wrote on X: ” When will this madness stop? Men cannot become women. Why is the British Government not objecting to this?”
JK Rowling also chimed in, writing on X: “What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer killed?” https://www.zerohedge.com/political/unjust-female-boxer-quits-olympic-match-melts-down-tears-after-biological-male-brutalizes
The Olympics did the South Park meme pic.twitter.com/vddHXQUuHW
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 1, 2024
Allowing that was absurd.
The IOC needs stricter standards to prevent such from happening.
Of course, we in the Continuing Church of God do NOT condone boxing as a sport that any should participate in or watch.
Our position is consistent with that of the old Worldwide Church of God as the late WCG evangelist Lester Leroy Neff wrote:
Modern Christianity is a puzzle to many people. It does not really make sense.
Why?
Here is one outstanding reason.
A person reading the teachings of Jesus cannot reconcile His teachings regarding love and kindness to neighbor with the violent and bloody wars which many millions of “Christians” have participated in. No wonder there is confusion and uncertainty regarding Christianity today!
The pagans and heathens have looked at “Christianity” and have evaluated it as an hypocritical religion. It teaches love and kindness, justice and mercy, but completely fails to practice these virtues in such areas as war, big business, and brutal sports such as boxing and wrestling.
Because of the conflicts between the teaching and the actual practice of Christians, even many of the educated of our day have questioned Christianity and have accused it of failing. (Neff LL. SHOULD A CHRISTIAN FIGHT? A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology, 1982)
Yes, real Christians do not condone boxing.
Nor, do they condone males dressing as or pretending to be, female.
The old Worldwide Church of God also published the following:
Have you ever wondered why so many athletes look like ex-boxers? The cauliflower ears, broken noses and facial scars all attest to the reality that violence in sports has become part of the game. The number of crippled players at hospital casualty centers after various games demonstrates how injurious many sports have become. (Marshall G. Plain Truth. July-August 1984)
Yes, the fact of massive and frequent injuries from violent sports should help Christians realize they should not watch or encourage them.
The late Herbert W. Armstrong (also of the old WCG) wrote:
All Sports Not Wrong
Competition and not cooperation, is the attitude which Satan inculcates human minds. But that does not mean that all sports are wrong or to be banned. The law of God is based on the way of righteousness…The basic law is love, out flowing toward God above all else, and secondarily, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
To harm the other fellow and to gain by doing so for self is a kind of competition that is wrong. Hostility toward the other is sin…
At golf the one who wins is not the one gets the most by taking it away from the other…So golf is not a wrong competition–nor is any race at a distance, or hurdle race, or long jump, high jump, pole vault or other field competition in a track and field meet…
Boxing at Ambassador College is definitely banned. God did not create the human brain and head to be pummeled and knocked senseless by an antagonist.
Wherever a game in sports involves antagonists–in hostile attitude to harm the other and/or to “get” from the other–to get the best of the other then a harmful, satanic and evil attitude enters in, and the sport is evil, not good…
Football (American football) is a violent body-contact sport. It is often played with an attitude of hostility and is dangerous and is fraught with with physical injury. Therefore it is not played, but we do play American flag football, at Ambassador College. (Armstrong HW. An Overview from Higher Up. Plain Truth, July-August 1984, pp. 3-4)
Violent sports are played with a hostile attitude.
As reported earlier, the old WCG had some positive things to say about learning lessons from the Olympics:
God’s Word shows us many spiritual lessons we can learn from the Olympic Games.
Excitement is now rapidly mounting worldwide as hundreds of millions of people look forward to viewing, either in person or on television, one of the world’s greatest sporting events, the Summer Olympic Games. …
During the days of the early Church, the Olympic Games were an important and famous event every four years, just as they are today.
The apostle Paul used these Games, with which most everyone of his day was familiar, to help him explain vital spiritual principles. The same principles apply to God’s people today! …
The Isthmian Games took place every two years in Corinth, and would have been familiar to Church members living there in Paul’s time. So Paul pointed out some striking spiritual lessons to the Corinthians by referring to these Games.
When we understand this background to these passages, they take on added light and meaning.Strive for the prize
Let’s notice, for instance, Corinthians 9:24-27. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?” (verse 24). Only one person in each race at the Games received the victor’s wreath or garland.
“Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Paul compares our Christian life to a race and urges us to run earnestly, with the comforting knowledge that although only one person in an Olympic race can win, everyone who runs well in the Christian race can win.
In verse 25, Paul shows that every successful athlete at the Games had to exercise rigorous self-discipline. So it is at the modern Olympics, too. The athletes who will succeed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics will be men and women who have sacrificed many of the pleasures other people enjoy to devote countless hours of exhausting struggle, sweat and toil in training for their events.
It is interesting that the Greek word translated “competes” in verse 25 is agonizomenos, which literally means “agonizes.” Yet these athletes went through all this just to obtain a “perishable crown.” The winner’s crown at the Olympic Games was made up of olive leaves, which began to wither away as soon as they were plucked.
How much more, then, ought we as Christians to discipline ourselves spiritually and agonize for our prize, a “crown of righteousness” (II Timothy 4:8), a “crown of glory that does not fade away” (I Peter 5:4)!
The life of a true Christian isn’t a simple matter of coasting or cruising along effortlessly, merely “believing in Christ” and thinking we are already saved.
Rather, living God’s way is a constant struggle. It’s a continuing effort to keep sin out of our lives, to seek God and be close to Him in a materialistic world that hates His ways and hurtles along in the opposite direction. It’s something we have to strive for with great zeal and energy, something to “contend earnestly for” (Jude 3).
We need to drive ourselves forward with every ounce of spiritual strength and, determination we have, just as an Olympic-class athlete urges and pushes his body on to achievement.
In I Corinthians 9:26, Paul alludes to the boxing events at the Games, and says that he doesn’t fight like a shadow boxer, beating the air without purpose. We know our purpose — we know our goal of entering God’s Kingdom. We need to keep our eyes on that goal and never deviate from it.
The word translated “discipline” in verse 27 (“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection”) literally means “give a black eye to.” Paul realized he needed to box and “pommel” (Revised Standard Version) his own body, with stringent self-discipline, in order to ensure he stayed on the right track in his personal spiritual life.
Once again we see that a carefree and complacent attitude will not gain us entry into God’s Kingdom. God wants to see that we really mean business in following His way of life. He wants to see us straining and striving to really build tough, resilient spiritual character. Paul realized that he had to discipline himself strictly in this way “lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (I Corinthians 9:27).
The word translated “have preached” refers to the office of the “herald” at the ancient Greek Games. The herald had the job of proclaiming the rules of the Games and calling the competitors together and exhorting them. The word translated “disqualified” refers to a person whom the judges would reject as not having deserved the prize. See also Galatians 2:2 and Philippians 2:16.
Similarly, everyone of us is urgently warned, in the message to the Philadelphia church, not to run our race in vain and end up losing our crown (Revelation 3:11).
Consider past champions
Hebrews 12:1-2 portrays another aspect of the ancient Greek Games in order to bring us further vivid spiritual lessons.
Olympic athletes receive added motivation from the awareness that they are surrounded by stadiums full of spectators spurring them on to success.
Particularly in ancient times, when success at the Games was even more highly prized than today, all the principal leaders of the nation, as well as past heroes and champions, would be at the arena, supporting the competitors. Those in the audience would seem like a vast cloud because of the athlete’s blurred vision when running as fast as he could.
Paul comments that we also “are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). In our Christian effort, we can look to the outstanding examples set by the men and women of faith, the heroes and champions who have preceded us, such as those cataloged in the previous chapter, Hebrews 11. Meditating on these examples, keeping them in our mind’s eye as we run our race, should spur us on.
Cast off the weight of sins
An Olympic athlete can’t afford to carry any unnecessary weight. Heavy clothing is a slowing, hindering burden. Runners in the original Games even went so far as running naked to avoid any unnecessary encumbrances.
Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Sin is the heavy burden that holds us back and thwarts us from doing our best in our Christian endeavor. Proverbs 5:22 compares sins to strong cords binding us down. So sins of any sort must be discovered and cast off as we speed forward in our race for God’s Kingdom.
Hebrews 12:2 shows the importance of having a goal to strive for in our life, just as Olympic competitors fix their eyes on the finishing tape or the goal they have to reach. We need to always look to Jesus as “the author and finisher of our faith.”
He was there at the start of our individual race, showing us the way to go, and He will be there at the finish, awarding the prizes to the conquerors.
Jesus Christ is the great champion who endured in His life on earth, striving against sin “for the joy that was set before Him.” He kept His eyes on the great goal of reigning in glory with His Father. Considering the example of Jesus, who “resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin,” helps us avoid growing weary and faint in the strenuous, grueling contest in which we’re engaged (verses 3 and 4).
Paul gives another vivid description of the intense effort we need to employ as we drive ourselves toward the goal of God’s Kingdom in Philippians 3:13-14: “Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Instruction to Timothy
Paul makes frequent references to the Olympic Games in his epistles to Timothy.
In I Timothy 4:7 he tells Timothy to “exercise yourself rather to godliness.” The Greek word rendered “exercise” here is gumnaze, referring to the gymnastic exercises used by the Greeks of Paul’s time in preparation for the Games. Paul goes on to show in the next verse that physical exercises only profit the body for a little while, but the dedicated spiritual training we undertake — the exercising of our bodies and minds after godliness — living God’s way of life — is “profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
In I Timothy 6:12, Paul refers again to the boxing and wrestling contests at the Games, and to the crowd of witnesses in the on-looking audience: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Yet another allusion to the Games is in II Timothy 2:5: “And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”.
Athletes have to strive and work hard, to “endure hardship” (verse 3), for their success, and they have to abide by the rules of the contest.
In the same way, we as God’s people must labor diligently to enter God’s Kingdom, and we must be obedient to the laws of the greatest judge of all — God (Genesis 18:25).
Nearing the end of his life, Paul used an Olympic Games analogy to graphically sum up his life’s endeavors: “I have fought the good fight [the Greek words refer to a wrestling bout], I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7).
Paul was able to look back with satisfaction that he had run the race right to the finish and had kept the rules. Are we able to look at our spiritual lives with that feeling? Are we putting out as much effort as we can in our bold bid for the glorious prize of God’s Kingdom?
In verse 8, Paul concluded, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,” not just a wreath of fading leaves or a gold medal subject to tarnishing (see Matthew 6:19-20), “which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Will you be numbered among the group of conquering heroes who mount the dais along with the apostle Paul to receive the glorious reward of entrance into the universe-ruling Kingdom and Family of God?
Run to win in your personal spiritual “Olympic Games”! (Morgan RJ. Your Spiritual Olympics! Good News, June-July 1984)
So, while many of organizers of the 2024 Summer Olympics have perverse propaganda objectives, there are still some positive ideals we can glean from the Olympics.
The New Testament says that bodily exercise can help (1 Timothy 4:8), yet most Americans do not get enough physical activity. The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) has the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
A 2019 report shows that Americans are becoming sedentary. Since it is a physical thing, should Christians be concerned about exercise? Could not exercising possibly be a sin? What did the ‘Plain Truth’ magazine report about exercise? What is the US CDC reporting about exercise? Can exercise help prevent diabetes, heart disease, and obesity? Can exercise help sleep, endurance, and aging? Are there scriptures about exercise and health? What about laziness? What are some of the risks and benefits of exercise? Dr. Thiel addresses these subjects and more.
Here is a link to our video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Anyway, while there can be some good from the Olympics, it is terrible how perverse the world has become.
Yet, violent sports as well as letting a non-female pummel a female are not positive lessons from the Olympics.
They are lessons that the world has entered the last days. The Apostle Paul warned:
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, … 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, … 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-4, 13)
Men pretending that they are women were functioning as imposters in the Olympic ceremony. A non-female pummeling a women is certainly brutal. Yet sadly, those are messages from the world’s 2024 Olympics.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Is American Football Evil? Is the most popular spectator sport in the USA something that Christians should watch? What about violent sports like boxing? What do the Bible and early writings show? There is also a YouTube video available titled Should Christians watch American football?
USA pushing gender confusion On May 13, 2016, the Obama Administration sent notices to school districts around the USA on how it wants them to deal with toilets, lockers, sports, and other issues of interest to the LGBT crowd. The Obama Administration has redefined the word ‘sex’ as written in the 1964 Civil Rights Act as expanded in 1972. Does the Bible teach transgenderism? Are accommodations for those considering themselves transgendered helpful or evil? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing and other transgender issues? Does the Bible warn of terrible consequences for those who merely approve the LBGT agenda? This is a video.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also two YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; and When Will the End of the Age Come?
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