"Come on, dads, have some courage. Just say, “Over my dead body are you going to wrestle a girl.” Of course, they will call you prudish. But everything in you knows better. Yes, I am talking to the boys’ fathers. If the girls’ fathers don’t care how boys manhandle their daughters, you will have to take the lead. Give your sons a bigger nobler vision of what it is to be a man. Men don’t fight against women. They fight for women...
Okay, dads, here’s what you tell your son. You say, “There will be no belittling comments about her being 'a girl.' There will be no sexual slurs. If you get matched with her, you simply say to the judges, ‘Sir, I won’t wrestle a girl. My parents have taught me not to touch a girl that way. I think it would dishonor her. I hope you will match me with a guy. If not, I am willing to be disqualified. It’s that important.’”
Be a leader, dad. Your sons need you. The peer pressure is huge. They need manly restraints. They know this is wrong. But then they look around, and the groundswell of conformity seems irresistible. It will take a real man, a real father, to say to his son. “Not on my watch, son. We don’t fight women. I have not raised you that way.”"
As a dad, I think I agree with Piper. What do you think?
4 comments:
Yeah, Nicole sent this to me earlier this week. Two thoughts:
(1) In light of your sermon on Sunday regarding homosexuality, does this:
"Wrestling obliges you to grab, squeeze, and pull with all your might. If a boy tries not to touch or grasp a wrestler around the chest, or not to let his legs entwine with the other wrestler, or not to slam his full body length on hers, he will wrestle with a handicap. Of course, he is being taught that handicap is not a virtue."
...hold as a reason against men wrestling men, then??? (obviously, changing the context of the above quote)
(2) The whole gender thing being brought into his "argument" doesn't sit right.
I want Piper to define what manliness should be, then, in our culture.
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Also, I'm not saying whether this should or should not happen --- I just don't get his argument.
I see what you're saying here. he definitely needs define manliness better. And is it wrong for a brother to wrestle with his sister, or a dad with his daughter?
On the other hand I don't think I'd let my son in the ring either - not because of the men fight for women stuff, but I do think the contact in a wrestling match is inappropriate (and potentially embarrassing).
I don't quite see the connection with homosexuality.
I agree; boys should not wrestle with girls. Even in a brother/sister or father/daughter context, it could be inappropriate.
Interesting. I'm largely in disagreement with Piper, though I think it's mostly about his methodology and not necessarily about his conclusion.
I think there are two ways/reasons a male wrestler would refuse to wrestle a girl... one out of a desire to honor God, as Piper somewhat describes, and one bigoted... and they can be dangerously confused. The motives need to be made expressly clear.
I agree with you, Dan, in the aspect that it's more about the inappropriateness of it rather than the "protector" role of men.
Also, what do you suppose Piper means when he says:
"Of course, he is being taught that handicap is not a virtue?"
Anyway, long story short, I guess I don't know exactly what I think of this. Just throwing some things out there.
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