Documentary to Examine Christianity in Mixed Martial Arts

Have you ever wondered how a mixed martial artist could thank God after a fight? Or have you ever found it a little strange that an athlete could enter the cage adorned from head to toe in Christian t-shirts and hats just as he or she is preparing to fight another human being?

Those are the questions that the makers of "Fight Church" are addressing. The movie's co-director Daniel Junge decided to take a look at how MMA and Christianity mix after "The Hammer" writer/producers Eben Kostbar and Joe McKelheer pitched the idea to him.

"I learned of this subject through Joe and Eben, who just finished a film called 'The Hammer,' which is a narrative MMA film," Junge said. "In the process of making that film, they ran into a pastor, Paul Burress, who helped them out a lot with the MMA scenes and by donating both time resources to the project. He is a former fighter himself, not in the UFC, but in the early days of MMA."

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Dionesius3

It is quite funny that people believe you can get into a cage and attempt to beat another human being into submission and end this display with the words, "Thank God" and it makes it morally acceptable.
Certain actions and attitudes are "a priori" wrong and no ammount of dedication or religious fervor will make the actions morally acceptable. It is like having a "strippers for Jesus" club. It is both silly and wrong.
When the Love of God dwells within your heart you don't desire or gain pleasure from beating someone. That is not to say that you are not able to beat someone but that your whole being if focused on other "higher" goals.
The great man is not the one who can win the bare knukles brawl but the man who could easily win but chooses not to fight because no one elses life is at stake.
The greatest man I ever heard of could have called down 10,000 legions of angels to defend himself but chose instead to humble himself and die upon a cross. And he NEVER put on a show to prove his fighting prowess.
There could be no greater contrast than that Christ died for us when he could have easily destroyed us instead. How can a man beating another man in a cage like animals bring ANY glory to God???
- Evermyrtle
  
  You are right, I do not believe GOD ever blesses anyone win a fight where people are trying to beat the tar out of someone for self ego. I cannot even imagine anyone praying over such a farce, I would be afraid He would strike me dead for praying for such a thing..
- seektruth
  
  I'll keep all references to Sampson aside.
  I disagree. While there are certainly those within MMA that don't have "the Love of God", there are those that do and it actually does show in the sport. I've seen those that genuinely love God and even though they compete and do so in a very sportsman like way. This is a sport and has a very high level of strategy that surpasses boxing and wrestling because it combines both (and more).
  I've also seen combatants embrace each other after a match in true brotherhood that few understand.
  And I'd certainly not want to put God in a box and think that He would use people ONLY how I think He should. (it's actually blashemy) I'd end up putting myself on a pedestal that I too, could get knocked off of.
  - DStaton
    
    What is wrong with you SeekTruth???
    Are you so blind that you can not see the moral injustice of MMA? A person whom Christ's love dwells within has a heart that has been changed. Changed in such a way that Fighting like a beast with another human being is apalling. ESPECIALLY fighting for ENTERTAINMENT!!!
    Someone who knows Christ will not fight for entertainment. They may fight to defend themselves, their family, or another from bodily harm. But they will not fight in a "sport" if they have truely been redeemed.
    The immoral, bloody, sadistic, sick, sport you call "MMA" or "Cage Fighting" or whatever you call it has NO posibility of being proven as a Moral, or Good "Sport".
    If you can justify this debauchery then the "Stripper for Jesus" movement is next along with the "Prostitutes for Jesus" movement. What is going to happen is that these "cage matches" are going to desensitize the viewers to blood letting and in a few years they are going to start leaving the "sport" and in order to retain the audience the organizers of the "sport" are going to have to start arranging matches so that there is more blood, pain, and gore.
    and it all will end in the revival of the Roman Gladiators of old.
- Vladimir
  
  I have to agree with Dionesius3. The point of the contest is to hurt another human being. How is that in keeping with the commandments of a kind and loving Savior?
mallen11

I believe one should know how to defend themselves; however, I have never enjoyed watching martial arts of any kind.
fight church

Check out http://WWW.fightchurch.com... We are not officially linked with the film, even though we share the name, but we have been doing a sports chaplaincy program for MMA for the last 2yrs… Things are going great! Not sure what the debate or hating is about. The people involved in MMA are tremendous athletes and they are regular people too! They have beliefs, struggles, issues, etc… I would love to talk about it with anyone. Email me josh@fightchurch.com!
- DStaton
  
  Are you so blind that you can not see the moral injustice of MMA? A person whom Christ's love dwells within has a heart that has been changed. Changed in such a way that Fighting like a beast with another human being is apalling. ESPECIALLY fighting for ENTERTAINMENT!!!
  Someone who knows Christ will not fight for entertainment. They may fight to defend themselves, their family, or another from bodily harm. But they will not fight in a "sport" if they have truely been redeemed.
  The immoral, bloody, sadistic, sick, sport you call "MMA" or "Cage Fighting" or whatever you call it has NO posibility of being proven as a Moral, or Good "Sport".
  If you can justify this debauchery then the "Stripper for Jesus" movement is next along with the "Prostitutes for Jesus" movement. What is going to happen is that these "cage matches" are going to desensitize the viewers to blood letting and in a few years they are going to start leaving the "sport" and in order to retain the audience the organizers of the "sport" are going to have to start arranging matches so that there is more blood, pain, and gore.
  and it all will end in the revival of the Roman Gladiators of old.