Father Edward Beck: UFC is murder
Priest: UFC is “murder” Father Edward Beck, a media-amenable Roman Catholic priest, appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America Now” on…
Priest: UFC is “murder”
Father Edward Beck, a media-amenable Roman Catholic priest, appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America Now” on Friday to debate the somewhat left-field topicof mixed martial arts with contentious host Chris Cuomo.
“If you have a sport where the primary objective is to pummel the other person until they are unconscious or hurting and can’t come back at you anymore, and that’s how you win, I don’t see that as a sport,” Beck said. “I see that as an immoral partaking of two individuals that should be censored in some way.”
Father Beck is welcome to his opinion, naturally, and I don’t see any issue in anyone being repulsed by MMA: unless you’ve been desensitized to the gore, it’s a pretty disgusting-looking attraction. He’s also far from hypocritical, stating boxing is equally reprehensible and quoting chapter and verse the number of deaths in a prizefight ring.
Host Cuomo played devil’s advocate to uneven effect, stating that the sport “is illegal” in many places, then defending the idea that smaller gloves and grappling means fewer solid strikes to the head than in boxing.
It’s an interesting watch, if only for the Father’s escalating desperation as he trots out some increasingly bizarre arguments. On the subject of the body being a temple, even in light of the fact athletes are consenting adults: “We don’t allow snuff films … they’re consenting!”
I need to see this guy’s Netflix queue.