Normally, you do not see the words “Christian” and “bad boy” in the same
sentence, but the The New York Times did just that when the newspaper wrote an article about Brian Deegan. Deegan is a freestyle motocross rider, and he and his friends were involved in a group called the Metal Mulisha. Deegan and his crew covered themselves in tattoos and their lifestyle labeled them as trouble makers and bad boys. After years of drugs and destructive lifestyle choices, Deegan had a conversion:
After a near-fatal crash in 2005 while attempting a back flip during filming for a television show, he lost a kidney and four pints of blood, and found religion. When a surgeon told him he might not survive, Deegan, 34, who has won more freestyle motocross medals at the X Games than any other rider, made a pact with God. If he lived, he would mend his ways. When he finally pulled through, he sought a pastor, began reading the Bible and “gave his life to Christ,” he said.
This article underlines an on going misconception about Christianity, which is that you cannot do anything cool, rebellious, or extreme when you become a Christian. By rebellious I mean anything that breaks the stereotype and not anything illegal. Christianity is often branded by television and movies as being out of touch or old fashioned.
The NYT article goes on to list other Christian extreme sports athletes:
