Ellen Chat Conversation

No. Ellen White did not recommend sports as they were commonly practiced. She wrote that "the tendency of most athletic sports is a subject of anxious thought to those who have at heart the well-being of the youth" (Ed 210.2). While she didn't condemn simple exercise like playing ball, she cautioned that "this, even in its simplicity, may be overdone" (2SM 322). Her concern was that athletic games "stimulate the love of pleasure and excitement, thus fostering a distaste for useful labor, a disposition to shun practical duties and responsibilities" (Ed 210.4). She taught that such activities "produce a love and passion for such things that is not favorable to the perfection of Christian character" (2SM 322). Instead of sports for amusement, she recommended that the exercise most beneficial to the youth will be found in useful employmentand that "the best recreation will be found in some line of effort that is useful" (Ed 215.1). She specifically stated that "healthy young men and young women have no need of gymnasium exercises; nor do they need croquet, cricket, ball playing, or any kind of amusement just for amusement" (20MR 341.5). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White recommend as healthy alternatives to competitive sports? • How did she view the connection between recreation and character development? • What counsel did she give about physical exercise and outdoor activities?