What about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes?
Question:
I was wondering if you could write something on the FCA? Fellowship of Christian Athletes. To me, this is an organization similar to the Promise Keepers.
Both of my sons have turned down offers of membership for scriptural reasons. First and foremost it's a fellowship of denominations.
I've looked on many websites of the church and have found pretty much zero on this group.
Answer:
I've poked around for several days and I think the reason you don't find much about this organization is that it works hard at avoiding taking doctrinal positions. It is an organization dedicated to blending sports and Christianity in that they encourage members to be active in sports while keeping their Christian principles open.
This isn't like the Promise Keepers in that the Promise Keepers state the positions they uphold in some doctrinal matters. It is more like the Boy Scouts, but with a stronger emphasis on the Christian religion.
You are correct that the type of Christianity it presents is watered down, so as to not offend anyone. It accepts all denominations as being equally correct. Most of the material is produced by various denominational leaders. Hence, in an FCA meeting, you're going to hear about faith discussed as a personal matter. You'll find people telling you what they believe (what they think). You probably won't hear discussions on sins, except for those people generally see as "not good," such as lying or stealing. The focus is more on motivation, effort, and sportsmanship.
In other words, what is there isn't so much objectionable as what is missing? If you see it as an organization promoting general Christ-like behavior among athletes and encouraging open discussion about beliefs, then I can't find much objectionable. But if you expect an organization to defend truth as taught in the Bible, then no this isn't an extension of the church. And yes, by definition, in its openness the organization as a whole will accept erroneous teaching. It just tries to avoid it by sticking to general topics that most agree about.
Response:
Thank you. I've looked for the information myself and pretty much found nothing. Just another "everything is o.k." organization. Again, thanks for your time and effort!
