Do you think it's okay for a Christian to be involved in body building competitions where one has to wear a tiny bathing suit, get all oiled up, and pose for everyone?

I ask because I know someone who does this and has the pictures all over his Facebook account. Let's just say I wouldn't want my fiance looking at them, and he gets all kinds of comments from girls. I sent him a message asking if he doesn't think that it could be a stumbling block, and told him that I for one wouldn't want my wife seeing another guy like that, but he never replied to me. Should I send another message? Am I wrong here?

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Davidius
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

And though the really inspired artist may complain that, with the majority, piano-playing is mere strumming, and painting little more than daubing, yet, the exuberant feeling of having a share in the privileges of art is so overwhelming, that the scorn of the artist is preferred to the abandonment of art training in education. To have laid a production of your own, however poor, upon the altar of art becomes more and more the characteristic of an accomplished civilization. - Abraham Kuyper

I used to lift weights and powerlift, even after high school but I never could bring myself to wear skimpy outfits. I think you might have a point here.

I believe it could easily be a question of vanity that might arise.

One thing I have noticed about boys a few years shy of me and younger, is that they have become obsessed with having the perfect physique. I'm not talking about, mind you, being in shape. Rather, I'm talking about spending MUCH of their time daily to have a "sculpted, chiseled" body. They then buy the tightest shirts they can, go shirtless if at all possible (I'm not talkin' about playin' basketball out in the heat in a semi-non-public place), and so on and so forth.

Then again, my preceding paragraph could just be something chubby people like me say.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules-Signature Requirements-Suggestions?

I'm definitely uncomfortable with that, both from the immodesty angle, and to be honest, just with the whole "body-building" perspective. General good health doesn't appear to be the motive for those who really get into it.

Mind, now! This is NOT saying one single word against strength training, which I keep meaning to take up again, as that is very beneficial and helps to keep bones strong and tone muscles. Geriatric doctors (not that I'm at that point yet, only being in my 50's) earnestly recommend moderate strength training for their patients who can manage it.

So this is not to criticize appropriate use of weights, etc.

But driving oneself to be simply bulging with muscles, and putting oneself on display?

Ugh.

BTW, no, I wouldn't write him again. You did, he didn't reply, there's an end to it. I admire you for trying.

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Anne Ivy
Christ Chapel Bible Church
Fort Worth, Texas

Married to Don, mother of six, grandmother to an ever-increasing brood.

The Ivy Vine (my blog)

Just the phrase "Body building" shows its intent. Who are you building your body for? Advancement of self? "Hey look at me!"

We are called not to build our bodies, but our souls. That our "souls might be built up in the most holy faith" should be the aim of the believer.

That doesn't mean to neglect our bodies. Scriptures doesn't say bodily exercise is worthless, but it does say "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Tim. 4:8).

There is some little profit to bodily exercise but it should be viewed as that which keeps us fit, that we may follow after godliness.

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Sterling Harmon
Coventry, CT
PCA
Deacon
________________

"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk

You should shoot him.

In all seriousness, I wouldn't suggest one engage in those types of activities because it might be a stumbling block for someone else. Modesty is always encouraged in Scripture, from what I can gather. This would seem to ignore that encouragement.

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Andrew DeShazo, Deacon
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing." -Titus 3:13
http://foolish-wisdom.blogspot.com/

You must know my son, Dmitry. This is his stock suggestion for those who commit any sin at all. "Shoot 'em! Shoot 'em all!"

It's flesh and you will never convince him. Besides God's arm is bigger.

Free weights are the best exercise in my opinion.

At one time I bounced 290 for a double that's not much but I have long arms so it's more work than for a short guy. Now I just exercise my left arm so I can hang it out the car window.





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You seem to forget that without body building we would have grave difficulty in recruiting for the The Power Team!.

But seriously I would see it as christain liberty, as long as they keep it in its proper place (i.e. not to an idolitrous level) then good luck to our beefcake brethren.

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Mike
London City Presbyterian Church
London
England

"Surely, we wish to be orthodox, but we must first learn what real orthodoxy is. Surely, we wish to be progressive, but we must first have a basis to progress from."

This is the first time I've ever used this smilie.

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"On land, at sea, at home, abroad, / I smoke my pipe and worship God." -- J.S. Bach

That's very interesting, Andrew.

Yes, that makes sense. Although several people have brought up the question of idolatry, I was more concerned not about him lifting a lot of weights in general (I know there's nothing wrong with working out), but competing in competitions and posting pictures to show himself off posing in skimpy bathing suits.

It may very well be a chubby guy deal. After all, where do you draw the line? My sons all want to beat me in the bench press, and they train hard, and I'm rewarding them as they are able to beat me in athletic activities. The first one who beats me in wrestling gets 1000 bucks.

What sort of strength training is legal and which form isn't? Did the pictures provoke you to lust after him? Which sort of athletics is NOT ever about vanity? And if a champion loves to run his race as the Scriptures say, isn't there a lawful feeling of accomplishment?

And yes, bodybuilding disgusts me, like it does most wrestlers. But I realize that's my personal opinion, and that's all it is.

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Tim Vaughan, 48 years old, member PCA church but currently attending EV Free church. San Luis Obispo County, California.

Um...no...they didn't provoke me to lust after him. And I didn't mention vanity. Did you read all of the OP?

I'm wondering whether it's any better to be a male in a bodybuilding show than it is for a woman to be in the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated. I wouldn't want my little sister, if I had one, nor my fiance, perusing those pictures.

It's one of the differences between boys and girls. Women may find certain body types attractive, but there generally isn't the overwhelming hormonal response we guys feel when we see a skimpily clad nice looking female. And if it's immoral for bodybuilders to don those types of pants then what do you do with swimmers?

Knitted high necked knee length swimsuits.

For one thing, body-building does not actually make one strong. See Matt Furey's excellent take on this in his incredibly helpful book. I just started his exercize program, and I have found that it takes very little time, and gives me a huge energy boost. It's functional power, though, and not looks.

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Rev. Lane Keister
Teaching Elder, PCA, North Dakota (working out of bounds in a CRC and an RCA church)
http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com
http://brahmsgreenglove.blogspot.com
http://accenttranslation.blogspot.com

As a young lad I read "Education of a Bodybuilder" by Arnold Schwarzenegger and it was actually a very good seculer book. One of Arnolds ten rules for living still resonates with me to this day:

"Don't hang around with low lifes"

Who says it's one of the differences between boys and girls? Empirical investigation? I've read enough books on lust to know that it's not a male problem. In fact it's almost funny how some of them have made the point of pointing this out.

Also, I'm not talking about pants, I'm talking about tiny skin-tight spandex briefs that leave little to the imagination. Normal swimsuits don't put one's package on display (sorry if that needs to be moderated). And I didn't say that it was inherently immoral. I questioned whether it's expedient to flaunt pictures on the internet, and whether you would want your daughter to see them.

If I ran the world, people would be polite and grave diggers would be over-worked.

Which is a direct rip-off from Scriptural discriptions of godly men.