Fists for Jesus

Some Evangelical churches are using "Fight Club"–style Ultimate Fighting leagues to covert more men. Would Christ approve?

Fists for Jesus
(Image credit: (Fox 2000 Pictures))

A small but growing number of evangelical churches are using cage fighting programs to increase their odds of converting young men, reports the New York Times. Pastors say they hope to "inject" some irresistible "machismo" into their ministries by incorporating the bloody, but increasingly popular, sport of mixed martial arts: "What led me to find Christ was that Jesus was a fighter," Brandon Beals, 37, lead pastor at Canyon Creek Church outside of Seattle, told the Times. Is brawling consistent with Christianity? (See Diego Sanchez, a devout Christian cage-fighter, compete)

Christ would not approve: I must have missed the Beatitude that goes "Blessed are the face beaters, for they shall inherit all the publicity," says Betsy Phillips in Nashville Scene. Instead of trying to "trick men into coming back to church" by suggesting Jesus wants them to "beat the crap out of [their] friends," why not just refocus the church around a fiestier Viking diety: "Odinist fight clubs," anyone?

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