Can a JW be a professional boxer? Yes. (page 3)

cyberguy

WOW Leolaia!

Where in the world do you find this stuff? I suppose there are exceptions to every WT "rule!" Very interesting! As always, love your posts!

BroBennett

No doubt there is pressure to stay as a boxer since the pay would be great. But there would be a certain amount of time to end the boxing career if he wants to stay a Witness.

I have sent an email here to ask how much longer my brother expects to knock people out [email protected]

Badger

Yeah, I'm sure he appreciates second guessing.

If he takes too many shots to the head, He'd make a great Governing Body member.

BroBennett

Mr.Vanzie was able to answer my email question personally and he allows me to post his message here.

Dear George, Dave Payne kindly allowed me to personally answer your very pertinent question as to why,being a Jehovah's Witness ,i am allowed to box.... Myself & my family have been studying now for close to a year now,and have made many,many big changes in order to do the will of Jehovah God,as stated in his word,The Bible.Some changes are conscience motivated,where a person may have to look into the depths of his heart in order to make the changes,whilst others are easier to make,as they are clearly stated as wrong in the bible. Jehovah is a reasonable God,& knows that some changes are too big to make without having an alternative route,and he doesn't expect a man to not provide for his family without other means of support,which is where prayer comes in. Psalm 11;5 clearly states, 'jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the wicked one,and anyone loving violence his soul certainly hates'. This was the scripture that told me that my violent career was wrong in the eyes of Jehovah,yet 1 Timothy 5;8 clearly states,'Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own,and especially for those who are members of his household,he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith'. I know what decisions i must make,having taken all of this into consideration,and with constant prayer,my answers are slowly being made manifest. I have still to be baptized,therefore have not 100% dedicated myself to Jehovah and the truth,but i am very close.I do still have ambitions as a Boxer,hence me now campaigning at Light-Welterweight.I haven't many miles on the clock,having had a relatively 'easy' career,(no blood & guts wars). I am 30,and may decide to fully give myself to Jehovah in a few years,until then,i have much to study,and much to meditate on.The bible takes a year to read if you read 2 chapters a day! Jehovah is slowly putting my alternative career into action as i type this e-mail to you. Hope this answers your question George, Yours sincerely, Bobby Vanzie.

Stephanus

I am 30,and may decide to fully give myself to Jehovah in a few years,until then,i have much to study,and much to meditate on.The bible takes a year to read if you read 2 chapters a day!

Let's hope that he DOES read the Bible, and not the Watchtower spin version!

melmac

Well, he seems to be a very honest guy. Let`s hope he sees reason before it`s too late.

DWPDWP

I thought you might like to be updated on the status of my friend Bobby Vanzie's boxing career. Which has received attention, discussion and in some instance judegment from your readership. I find it hard to countenance the judgement some of you have passed on Bobby's life choices, given that you have never met the man.

Didn't Jesus once say something about 'let him who is without sin cast the first stone'.

Anyway, I dont wish to discuss the morale issues with you as I am sure you're all more qualified to debate the various points than I, suffice to say that Bobby has retired from ring, despite championship level opportunities still existing for him. He has suffered a number of injustices in the ring and some managerial misfortunes outside the ring too and has arguably failed to fulfil his potential as a professional fighter.

However, he has been a British and Commonwealth champion and shown courage and skill in all his encounters.

He is increasingly committed to his new found faith and now combines his family life with a presumably more acceptable role as a courier to supplement the media work his fighting renown has earnt him.

I wish him well in his new life and trust you all do to.

tijkmo

dwpdwp..thanx for your response in giving the latest information re bobby vanzie..

you mention that some posters were judgemental of your friend even though they had never met him.

i just wanted to say that if you re-read the comments made you will find that the judgemental comments were not so much directed at mr vanzie as they were at the watchtower society and the local elders

this is because most of the posters here have been victims of the blatant inconsistencies hypocrisy favouritism and ineptitude of either the wts or elders that represent it...and these they have met or have endeavoured to meet and engage in reasonable discussion only to be roundly ignored

the situation regarding mr vanzie would seem to be another example of this...as has been shown the rules of the wts do not allow a person professing to be one of jehovahs witnesses to also be a boxer or involved in the promotion of what is considered to be a unacceptable sport career or recreational choice.the stand on this is disfellowshipping if the person is baptised...even if someone is not baptised they would be unable to engage in the 'ministry' whilst involved in an activity that violates the biblical principle of learning war no more at isaiah 2 : 2-4...mr vanzie can be a boxer if he wishes and he can be a jehovah's witness if he so desires...he cannot be both...and yet that is what he would appear to have been saying he is

if he has given up his boxing career and is not going to be involved in promoting or coaching it as would appear to be what you are saying is his latest stance..then im sure that in the not too distant future the awake magazine will print his story and he will likely be interviewed at assemblies and conventions making a big deal about how he gave up a lucrative career in order to do gods will...but this too would not be totally true would it..as he has not so much sacrificed his career as waited until it has ended

that is his right..and i offer no judgement on that...only on the way i know through experience such will be handled by the wts

mr vanzie and his family i wish all the best for whatever his choices in life are

DWPDWP

Bobby hasn't had the luxury of the choice as I understand it, in the sense that he discovered his faith only a year or so ago , when he was already 9 years into his professional career. Indeed as recently as last November he commented to me following a hearing with the British boxing board of control that he planned to fight on despite the natural contradiction with his faith for two more fights.

He soothed himself by hoping theat his god would understand his need to provide for his family and to fulfil his ambitions within the ring. However, it would seem that morale dilema swung back and he elected to retire rather than pursue those potentially lucrative opportunties.

Bobby's only continued involvement with the sport will be as a media commentator, which is a shame because he has so much to offer the sport but his decision has been accepted and respected within the sport.

I do not wish to denegrate anybody's right to voice their opinion, nor do I wish to insult the faith to which all the contributors adhere as I have very little understanding of it - nor do I feel the need to investigate as I have a closely held faith myself - and I prefer not to debate about topics in which I have little understanding.

I'm sure Bobby will be something of an attraction to your group in the future and I'm sure he will be more favourably welcomed now he has retired from the ring, I just hope the difficulty the timing of the decision caused is recognised by contributors and that his attempts to balance the two conflicting interests are not too harshly viewed either. Bobby is a good, honest, generous man who deserves credit for his strength of will.

Regards

DP

minimus

Good for Bobby. But from his record, he was only a club fighter. It's good that he found religion so that at least he won't have his brains jumbled any longer....btw, being a commentator for boxing is the same as just being an employee for a church. JWs can't do it.

Can a JW be a professional boxer? Yes.

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