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, 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 emphasized recreation in the open air over gymnasium exercises, stating that "exercise in a gymnasium, however well conducted, cannot supply the place of recreation in the open air" (Ed 210.2). --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White recommend as healthy alternatives to competitive sports? • How did she counsel balancing physical exercise with spiritual development? • What principles did she give for choosing appropriate recreation?