From: “Mike Dobony” <>

Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Subject: Re: Martial Arts

Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 16:15:31 -0600

Bradley <> wrote in message news:36f19478.0

>Mike Dobony wrote in message <>…

>
>Thankyou for your e-mail.

>

>> You are quite incorrect about martial arts and Christianity.

>

>I expected to encounter differing opinions. I believe God called me out from

>the bondage of Martial Arts and have been able to see how it had effected my

>life.

>

>> I was called by God on March 28, 1996 to be a martial arts chaplain.  This

>> calling was confirmed by several prophets of God.

>

>> Have you asked God about this

>> so-called incompatibility?

>

>Of course, why do you think I left? Why do yu think I started this web page?

>
Are you sure it was not YOU makeing it incompatible?  Are you taking

something God has prevented in you personally from doing and are now

preventing others fro doing what they are free to do?  Are you violating the

principle of 1 Corinthians 10:25-33?  Are you making what God has made

unlawful to you apply to others?
>> If taught properly, there is NO incompatibility

>> between martial arts and Christianity.

>

>Firstly, lets define what “taught properly actually means? Do you still

>practice traditional kata/forms? They are a typical example I use. They are

>religious exercises and there cannot be any argument about that.

>
There can be a LOT of arguement about that!  They are a practice of putting

individual techniques together.  They are hardly religious exercises (Ti Chi

excepted).  Practicing forms and 1-steps helps one train for sparring.  Yes,

some MAY apply a religious bent to these, but that is rare.  Forms are

simply a practice of combining individual moves together and demonstrating

such things as control, balance, smoothness, etc.
>> There is NOTHING

>> inherently evil

>> about martial arts.

>

>This is incorrect. They were developed to help practitioners attain the

>goals of the philosophy they were based on when they originated.

>

>> Consider Joshua, David, Saul, and

>> Abraham.  All of

>> these were martial artists and with the exception of Saul,

>> were all men of

>> God!

>

>Martial Artists? This is fanciful.

>
They were all trained in fighting.  That is martial arts.  Notice that John

the Baptizer did not tell the soldiers to stop their training as fighters,

but to simply refrain from abusing their power.  Likewise, the two

centurians mentioned in the NT were not told to stop their training in

fighting skills.  That is martial arts.
>> True, there are a FEW martial arts that DO include

>> demonology in its

>> core(Aikido and Ti Chi come to mind),

>

>I think you mean it is opemly demonic. The others are simply “watered” down.

>

>> but these are the

>> exception rather

>> than the rule.

>

>How so? They are all based on eastern spritualism and philosophy. You can

>water a Martial Art down as much as you like from the obviously demonic

>forms, but it will still be wrong.

>
All martial arts are based on self protection.  They originated out of a

need to defend ones family and country, NOT as demon worship.  You can force

such demonic activity in it all you want, but that will not change the

origin of martial arts.
>> Talk to God about your blanket statements.

>

>I used to use all the same justifications for over 6 years. I practiced a

>very watered down version of Taekwondo and it still placed bondages in my

>life.

>
NOW WE ARE GETTING SOMEWHERE!  What bondages did YOU experience?  I have not

experineced any bondage from it except a good workout ; ).  What bondage is

there from courtesy, integrity, perserverance, self control, and indomitable

spirit?  These are definately Scriptural characteristics we are to develop.

If you are talking about TKD as your SOURCE for these, then you are correct.

THAT is wrong.  God needs to be your source of developing these

characteristics.
>> He will guide

>> you in the truth.

>

>I know.

>

>> In Christ’s Love,

>> Michael Dobony, Evangelist

>> Minister of Self-Defense

>

>This is truly strange.. for some reason I can find absolutely no reference

>in my Bible to God calling us to minister in this way? What does that tell

>you?

>
The Bible never gave any reference to god calling anybody to focused

ministry to drug addicts, pregnant women, homosexuals, race car drivers,

prostitutes, truck drivers, students, prisoners, etc.  However the Bible

DOES tell us

that Peter was called to the Jews and Paul was called to the Gentile.  Paul

also says in 1 Corinthians 9 that he would be all things to all men so that

he might reach some of them.  If you want specifics spelled out in the Bible

before you will accept something as from the Lord, than you can count many

millions of Christians as lost because there was no calling spelled out in

the Bible to use radio or television or print media to reach the lost.  They

are not saved because they found Christ by unBiblical means.  You are

ignoring principles to justify your individual case of not being allowed by

Christ to continue practicing martial arts.  If God has put a stop to YOUR

practicing martial arts, that is fine.  Before you start condemning every

Christian who is free to practice it, you better have a firm Biblical

foundation for it first.  You have none.
In Christ’s Love,

Michael Dobony, Evangelist

Minister of Self-Defense
http://www.netins.net/showcase/gibbor/gibbor