Thursday, April 6, 2023

SDA Issues: Really Dudes?

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8

"The Southern Accent is the official weekly student-run newspaper at Southern Adventist University, a church-owned university in Collegedale, Tennessee. Today, The Southern Accent published an article that both celebrated and advertised a “Fight Night” community boxing event.
 
The Southern Accent published the following on April 5, 2023:
After attendance exceeded expectations last year, Southern Adventist
University
students Jake D’Avanzo, senior marketing major, and Cole Gentry, sophomore marketing major, are hosting a second Fight Night, an off-campus boxing event open to the community.
Fight Night is not affiliated with the university, but Southern students are participating as fighters.
As of Tuesday morning, the event was postponed to Saturday, April 15, due to weather. Doors to the pre-event will open at 5:30 p.m. Updates will be posted on Fight Night’s Instagram: @fight_night_2023.
Fights will begin at 8 p.m., according to Gentry. During the pre-event, there will be carnival games, a petting zoo, food and apparel to buy, said D’Avanzo. Nick Thompson, sophomore nursing major (stage name Rapper 407 NJT) will perform at halftime. The location has not changed since last year, and the address will be announced on Instagram.
Fight Night is a cash-only event. There will be a $5 entry fee and $10 parking fee. D’Avanzo and Gentry heavily encourage carpooling. VIP tickets, which can be purchased at the event or before, cost $100 and offer multiple benefits, including priority parking and seating, entry, a meal and apparel. Ticket details were posted on instagram.
The idea of Fight Night began near the beginning of 2022, when Gentry was at D’Avanzo’s house and said he’d like to organize a boxing event.
Everyone laughed at me in the house except for Jake,” Gentry said.
 
... supporting a fight night on media affiliated with a Seventh-day Adventist school amounts to openly condoning violence and flies in the face of Jesus and the church’s message of peace and nonviolence. It is important for the leadership at Southern Adventist University to carefully consider their values and priorities when deciding whether to take no action or to hold their students accountable and impose consequences for those who openly scorn our values and teachings." AdventMessenger
 
".....the spirit of the world is fast leavening the church. You are
following the same path as did ancient Israel. There is the same falling away from your holy calling as God’s peculiar people
. You are having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Your concord with unbelievers has provoked the Lord’s displeasure. You know not the things that belong to your peace, and they are fast being hid from your eyes. Your neglect to follow the light will place you in a more unfavorable position than the Jews upon whom Christ pronounced a woe.”
E.G.W.