"Playing Chess is evil, not for Witnesses" -Awake 1973

by Witness 007 36 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  Witness 007

  Awake 73 3/22 P.12 "....the spirit of competition between players can lead to unpleasant circumstances, as the New York Times reported: Most families manage to keep the conflicts that arise in games to the chess board. But in some homes tensions linger long past checkmate. Chess has been a game of war since it was originated 1,400 years ago....the games connections with war are obvious...a play-substitute for the art of war. Also in playing there is the danger of "stirring up competition with one another" even developing hostility toward another, something the Bible warns Christians to avoid doing...What effect does playing chess really have upon one? Is it a wholesome effect? Surely chess is a fascinating game. But there are questions regarding it that are good for each one who plays chess to consider."

  Wooo Chess is evil...so says Awake magazine!

  Other games Witnesses should Ban; Monopoly - Greedy, materialistic ban it!

  Card games- Encouraging gamblers, ban it too!

  Hungry Hippos- Mis-use of Jehovah's purpose for animals, ban it also!

  Twister- Too sexy, Ban it, ban it!
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  Leolaia

  So I guess Wizard's Chess would be extra, extra evil?
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  changeling

  I know many an elder who plays chess. Obviously this was a piece of advise most pretended not to see.

  changeling
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  cabasilas

  I remember when that Awake! article came out. Many of us stopped playing for it for awhile. I went to Bethel shortly afterwards and it had had an effect on some Bethelites who used to play it for some distraction. There were some Bethelites who ignored that article, however. We thought they were "BAs" (Bad Attitudes). They thought we were "SRs" (Self-Righteous).
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  dobbie

  Ought to ban Cluedo as well that as thats got a murder in it!

  I'd love to be able to play chess, got no one to do it with though!Just have to stick with the playstation for now lol
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  R.F.

  the games connections with war are obvious...a play-substitute for the art of war.

  ....sigh...

  Also in playing there is the danger of "stirring up competition with one another" even developing hostility toward another, something the Bible warns Christians to avoid doing..

  So why not just outright speak against any type of game you can play since it more than likely would consist of you competing against the other person to become the victor?

  How did I survive in DubLand??

  R.F.
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  Witness 007

  I'm amazed at how someone can write an article in the Awake, based solely on their own opinion, and not have it flaged as in-apropriate. This must be Fred Franz's work, after all, he was "the oricle"

  Yeah as if anyone is gonna ban Chess. I loved to tease my Witness friends by saying ;"Yeah Chess is banned look it up in the Awake 73." No one believes me till they do, then they sort of embarrasingly try to brush it off.
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  Seeker4

  I remember this article. I was a serious chess player through high school. My freshman year, there was a genius senior in the school - he played chess against all comers every morning in the cafeteria. On Bach's birthday he brought his violin to school and played Bach in all his classes. And in case you have a stereotypical picture of him in your head, he was also a big kid and could box like a pro and kick anyone's ass if he wanted.

  Anyway, I played him everyday and he got me hooked on chess.

  That Awake! article came out shortly after the Fisher-Spassky world championship. Fisher's series of wins on the way to that match and the championship is almost without parallel in sports history. One sports writer said it was the equivalent of a baseball pitcher pitching a no-hitter. A chess expert set him straight - "Fisher's performance is so much more than that!" he said. "It's more like a pitcher pitching a no-hitter for every game of the season!"

  Fisher caught the imagination of the US. He was on the cover of both Time and Newsweek the same week. The matches were broadcast on TV, with commentary. Lots of people developed an interest in chess, including many Witnesses.

  Therefore, the WTS had to find something bad about it and put it down in an Awake! article. Wouldn't want the friends having too much fun now, would we?!

  S4
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  minimus

  I used to be on the chess team in high school and twice beat a guy who turned out to be a grandmaster.
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  Simon

  That Awake! article came out shortly after the Fisher-Spassky world championship. Fisher's series of wins on the way to that match and the championship is almost without parallel in sports history. One sports writer said it was the equivalent of a baseball pitcher pitching a no-hitter. A chess expert set him straight - "Fisher's performance is so much more than that!" he said. "It's more like a pitcher pitching a no-hitter for every game of the season!"

  Fisher was an amazing chess player ... incredibly, he hardly played again after winning like he did:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fisher