AskCIS #18 | Should Christian sportspeople boycott events in controversial places?

The Winter Olympics begin in Beijing on Friday under a mountain of controversy. Beijing 2022 is not the only event suffering from allegations of human rights abuses and questions about whether they should have been awarded a major sports event. The FIFA World Cup next year in Qatar has also had large voices of opposition due to the poor treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums and accusations of slave labour.When a governing body chooses to compete however, is there anything an athlete should consider if they follow Jesus? Whilst it was definitely not the athlete’s choice to select Beijing to host the games, they are the ones now facing questions about whether it is right to compete there and what to do when they arrive if they do.The letter of 1 Peter can help us think through how Christians should engage in our world as it was written to Christians feeling exiled and marginalised in the world and unsure how to act in it. Five truths from 1 Peter 2:9-17 can help us think through this issue.