Religion and pro wrestling. I believe there's a metaphor here.


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Grapplin' for God

Christian wrestlers spread message, entertain in inaugural event

By MATT LAKIN,
October 1, 2006

The bell rings. The crowd cheers. Two men step into the ring, lock arms
and pound away at each other.

The show might look familiar, but this wrestling match opens with a
prayer and ends with an altar call.

For Christian Wrestling Entertainment founder Randy Justus, it's the
next step in spreading the gospel.

"This is what professional wrestling has always been," he said. "It's
the story of good vs. evil. We're trying to show people they can have a
good time without all the vulgarity and the gimmicks of what's out there
now."

Justus wrestled briefly in the 1990s with Maryville's All States
Wrestling. He came up with the idea for a Christian wrestling group last
year and brought it to life with help from his pastor and fellow members
at Ridgedale Baptist Church in West Knoxville.

"I probably wrestled less than 10 matches because I couldn't stand the
lifestyle," Justus said. "You couldn't leave your wallet in the locker
room. You didn't know what was going on in the next room with the ring
girl.

"I made the statement then that I would never get back in the ring if I
couldn't dictate the terms. Little did I realize that it wouldn't be me
but God dictating the terms."

The concept of Christian wrestling caught on in the past decade with the
founding of groups such as the Christian Wrestling Federation in
Rockwall, Texas, and Ultimate Christian Wrestling in Athens, Ga. Some
organizers use it as a new way to reach souls, while others want to
offer an alternative to the sex and violence portrayed on mainstream pro
wrestling shows.

"We have a totally clean, wholesome show," Justus said. "The wrestling's
still there. But we want this to be totally different from what's out
there on TV. We won't have scantily clad women. We won't have 15 minutes
of storyline and then hitting somebody with a chair."

The group staged its first event Saturday night in front of a crowd of
about 250 people outside Ridgedale. Christian contemporary songs blasted
from the speakers as the wrestlers strutted to the ring.

Some of the matches stuck to old-fashioned grappling and brawling.
Others illustrated Biblical storylines.

"A lot of people say you can't mix religion and wrestling," said Jeff
Ailshea, who wrestles as "Wild Man" Jeff Anderson. "But there's more to
religion than going to church and listening to the preacher."

In one match, a masked, chest-thumping wrestler calling himself "The
Machine" challenged the crowd to a fight, then sneered when 16-year-old
Chelsea Helton stepped through the ropes.

"Obviously you haven't read your Bible," she said. "Just like David beat
Goliath, I'm about to beat you."

She won - with a jump from the top rope filling in for the slingshot.

In another match, a demonic tag team ambushed Justus during his
testimonial.

Justus sent them running from the ring with some words of Scripture and
a few well-aimed punches. He celebrated his victory with a prayer of
thanks.

"The Lord says anybody who believes in him shall overcome," Justus said.
"Thank you God, for it's all about you and the sacrifice you made on the
cross."


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http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_5034078,00.
html

slide show at site or:

http://slideshows.knoxnews.com/index.cfm?start=1&slideshowname=1001wrestl
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--
John Hachmann aa #1782

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit
atrocities"
-Voltaire

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Religion and pro wrestling. I believe there's a metaphor here.

Religion and pro wrestling. I believe there's a metaphor here.