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Faith

Will God Decide Who Wins the Super Bowl? Are Athletes Rewarded for Their Faith? Here’s What Americans Think

Jan. 31, 2013 12:45pm Billy Hallowell

Public Religion Research Institute Asks About God & Football | Super Bowl

Photo Credit: BaltimoreRavens.com

The majority of Americans (66 percent) are planning to watch the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers face-off in Super Bowl XLVII, according to poll results from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Of course, this is no surprise, considering that the annual football game is an immensely-popular U.S. tradition. What is, perhaps, more interesting, though, are the proportions of Americans who believe that God plays a role in Super Bowl outcomes and in rewarding athletes.

Nearly 3-in-10 Americans believe that God is involved in selecting which team wins a sporting event (27 percent, to be exact). While this is the case, a majority (53 percent) believe that the Lord rewards faithful athletes with good health and success (42 percent disagree).

Digging beneath these numbers, though, is essential. To begin, there are major differences between specific faith groups when it comes to belief in God’s intervention in the sports sphere. While Christians are the most likely to believe that God plays a role in game-play, unaffiliated Americans (not surprisingly) are the least. Similar patterns exist when it comes to whether God rewards faithful athletes. PRRI has more:

Roughly 4-in-10 minority Christians (40%) and white evangelical Protestants (38%) agree that God does play a role in the outcome of a sporting event, compared to less than 3-in-10 (29%) Catholics, less than 1-in-5 (19%) white mainline Protestants, and approximately 1-in-10 (12%) religiously unaffiliated Americans. [...]

More than 7-in-10 (72%) minority Christians and two-thirds (67%) of white evangelical Protestants agree that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success, as do a majority (56%) of Catholics. White mainline Protestants are divided (49% agree, 48% disagree). More than 6-in-10 (62%) religiously unaffiliated Americans disagree, saying that God does not reward athletes who have faith with good health and success. However, more than one-third (34%) of religiously unaffiliated Americans agree that God rewards religious athletes.

You can see the breakdowns in the below graphic:

Photo Credit: Public Religion Research Institute

Some players, like Tim Tebow, have been both criticized — and praised — for overtly showing their faith on the field. PRRI decided to dive into this dynamic as well, asking respondents if they approve or disapprove of public displays of athletes’ faith. Exactly half of those who responded said that they approve of athletes “expressing their faith publicly by thanking God during or after a sporting event.”

Interestingly, only 4 percent disapprove of public displays, with an additional 45 percent stating that they do not care either way. So, it seems Tebow’s famed pose (i.e. “Tebowing”) likely didn’t offend or annoy the vast majority of Americans. And talk of God is overwhelmingly, based on the results, an accepted action.

Read PRRI’s full results here, as there are a number of other intriguing indicators, including Sunday church attendance versus football viewing and the percentage of Americans who support public-school sponsored prayer before football games (more than three-quarters of Americans agree that this should be permissible).

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (62)

Just_Us2
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:20pm
I am sure God is much more concerned about things like the men leaving their families to watch the game at a bar, getting drunk and coming home to slap the kids and wife around since the game didn’t go his way, or the fatherless children of the players, or the aborted pregnancies, or the riot that follows the final whistle or the rent money your roommate lost betting on the game. I’m sure He mulls over why he gave man free will when it abused so much by so many making poor choices. But let’s distract ourselves with the frivolity of a game and what God thinks it.

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- mycomet123
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 5:37pm
  Amen, Couldn’t of said it any better!
  
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- Keatonc33
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 6:19pm
  nearly 3 in 10 americans are dumb as dirt
  
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- Southerner01
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:24pm
  God doesn’t intervene in sporting events. This is as dumb as the people who thought He kept the tortoise alive in a previous story.
  
  As far as Tim Tebow and his touchdown “prayers” I would refer you to Matthew 6.5 and 6.6 as to what’s going on there.
  
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WCJ
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:14pm
If it is for Gods glory then yes he may be involved. God moves through different people at different times.

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:14pm
Yes, He already knows the final score!

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SamIamTwo
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:23pm
What? Sillyness…God is God and it matters not what man thinks about what He will allow or not allow…just pray that it is His will and not yours in ALL things…then you are square on with God’s plan.

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The_Doors_Of_Perception
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:21pm
According to the bible football players should be stoned to death because they are working on the sabbath. I wonder what he has in store for those of you who watch this blasphemy?

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- rickfromthecape
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:03pm
  Apparently you missed the part where Jesus came to forgive us of our sins and be the fulfillment of the law. We are now under grace. Also, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. You should try reading for yourself instead of reciting atheists talking points.
  
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- Just_Us2
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:10pm
  Sounds like you have a JEW problem, perhaps you should make comments over at the Jerusalem Post site.
  
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- gac1218
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:12pm
  Sunday is not the Sabbath, and according to Jesus the Sabbath was made for mans good, not for some legalistic God pleasing thing.
  Where does the Bilble say to stone someone for not resting on the Sabbath?
  
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- formidable_foe
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:35pm
  Are they really working? I thought they were playing a game. Anyway…. I don’t believe God decides the outcome of sporting events. If He did, Notre Dame would have surely beaten Alabama in the National Championship. However, I do believe he rewards those of us, athletes included, who have a strong faith and put Him first in their lives.
  
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- rickfromthecape
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 5:52pm
  No “JEW”problem here…love jewish people, and Isreal. I do have a troll problem however.
  
  Report this comment
denkat56
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:46pm
The winner of the game was decided before the season started. The owners and the t.v. syndicate chose already. Just like the NBA, its fixed. Sorry I used to watch all the sporting events, now I just don’t care anymore. To many other important things to do.

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- rochrealtor
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:12pm
  I am with you Denkat. although I don’t believe the total fix as you do, sports has (like many things) lost it glamor. We won’t be watching either!
  
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nonofmybiznez
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:36pm
When you have faith, there may be good or bad in winning or losing. It depends on what you need at that moment. It’s how you react that matters and how you play the game. The good…good things come to you…you are an example to others… When you lose, you are an example to others too…Winners are looked up to. People also delight when you fall from grace. No one is without sin and you will fail. It’s about learning to be faithful and learning to be good. It’s easy to be bad. It takes more effort to stay out of trouble, because it will find you. Again its how you react.

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mcsledge
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:28pm
God doesn’t favor the 49ers over the Ravens or vice versa. However, He does bless and reward those who worship Him in faith and obedience. If you take enough players who worship God and have done their best to prepare for the game, the outcome may make one think God favors a certain team.

God’s law: reap what you sow…… and sowing faith, righteousness and reliance on God will go along way to reaping a large reward.

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- IMCHRISTIAN
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:35pm
  well stated!!!!!
  
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- rickfromthecape
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:10pm
  I agree. I’ve gone back and forth on this topic, but now I feel that God blesses in many ways. Success at “work” is certainly one of those. Not to mention, maybe He just wanted to bless all the Christians in New England for putting up with all this liberal crap for all these years and give us a few championships! (partially kidding there)!
  
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- On Eagle Wings
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:26pm
  Amen!! God could care less about a meaningless sporting event, what He cares about is your heart, His wish is that all men would come to Him. It does not matter how many christians or non christians are on any 1 team, how they express their faith in front of the camera, this is all antics and play for airtime.
  
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- Southerner01
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:29pm
  If God rewarded the faithful by making their team win, why are there so few religiously affiliated colleges that ever have winning football teams? Their players are more likely to be faithful, their fans certainly are praying more. The answer is that He might decide to keep an injured player from being paralyzed, but cares not who wins the game.
  
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h20sue
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:20pm
And the same people made fun of Tim Tebow. Shameful. It’s okay for these football players to praise God for their successes, but not okay for Tim to bow his head and thank God for a touchdown,or winning a game. Sounds a little hypocritical to me, how about you?

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- Southerner01
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:30pm
  When you pray, pray not as the hypocrite prays, aloud and in public. Matthew 6.5
  
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wouldubelieveit
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:16pm
They all have the same amount of Faith, and God is not a respecter of a person, I think any of those players are blessed for playing in that game. But as for the winner of the game God cares, and he knows who the winners are and he knows who will win the game. It will be based on his word, which team is prepared I’m not just talking about prayer I’m talking knowing you opponent and the one with the fewest mistakes. Just like life when you make wise choices you win, but when you don’t you start over. Hope your team wins. Happy Super Bowl Day.

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brother_ed
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:16pm
I have no idea, but He may care more about whether a person is keeping the Sabbath holy or not.

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:28pm
  saturday, or sunday?
  
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- wouldubelieveit
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:29pm
  God’s not worried about a sabbath any more. Not that he was in the first place. He tell us to bless and curse not. Religion has curses. Salvation is blessing.
  
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- brother_ed
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:33pm
  @SOY
  
  As long is it is one day a week and is consistent, and not changed due to ‘worldly concerns’.
  
  Of course, that’s just my opinion.
  
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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:49pm
  i tend to agree with you brother. i thought maybe you felt one way or another. the purpose of the sabbath was to remind us of the creation. without that day, we get lost in ourselves
  
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- brother_ed
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:38pm
  @SOYBOMB315_II
  
  You’re a good man and I always enjoy your comments.
  
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beggindog
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:08pm
At the risk of sounding like an illiterate tween, OMFG!

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SimpleTruths
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:55pm
Why anyone thought that was worthy of polling (or an article about it) is beyond me. Where was God during the Sandy Hook massacre? Oh I know the answer, “he works in mysterious ways” – except during football season.

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- wouldubelieveit
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:24pm
  The question is “Why did you kicked him out of school”. He left it just like you wanted it no divine “PROTECTION”. He will do just what you want. If you want him out he will leave. He’ll take his angels with him and you can stand against evil the best you can which you can see it’s not very good.
  
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- Free_Thought
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:44pm
  So samdy hook would not have happened if we still had religion in schools? Great thinking.
  
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- Just_Us2
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:14pm
  Sandy Hook would not have happened if everyone followed Jesus.
  
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- whitealaskan
  Posted on February 1, 2013 at 1:17am
  If it happened because God was taken out of the schools then what about the Amish school shooting a few years ago. The Amish are God fearing people are they not?
  
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Free_Thought
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:55pm
Jesus christ. Could glenn and the blaze pick a stupider thing to ask? Will god decide who will win the super bowl. Anything to discuss religion on this site.

Coming next week from the blaze “does god prefer chunky or smooth peanut butter?”

Epic fail blaze.

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semihardrock
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:53pm
kind of a misleading question……G-d has his hands in everything that exists on His planet.

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JohnJoseph
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:51pm
God is not concerned with the outcome of any sporting event! If that were true, than my team the Buffalo Bills would have won at least 1 of the 4 straight Super Bowls they played. What God is concerned is when any person (even an athlete) says that they are a “Christian”, God wants them to display a lifestyle of being a Christian (whether in win or a loss). However, there are too many that name the name of Jesus but are not living a Christian life. You have Ray Lewis – wears an undershirt with a Bible verse – but his language does not back up his Christianity. A baseball play with the last name of Hamilton (plays or had played) on the Texas Rangers – claims to be a Christian (but over and over again busted for drunkenness). I can go on but it is best not to say you are a Christian and then live the complete opposite of what you profess (that is what God is concerned about)!

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semihardrock
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:50pm
We ALL know HOW Americans “think”…..Look who was elected President…TWICE!

Not the sharpest knives in the drawer……..NBA, NFL and others have the “draft” every year…WHICH IS nothing but modern day slavery..SOLD to the highest bidder…for the amusement of the general public in the Roman Collisium every Sunday….

What else would they do? Become Politicians/Government Employees or live on the streets of Chicago?

Its an INDUSTRY…..and being “smart” has nothing to do with it…..

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Dagnabbit5
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:32pm
I would really hope that God spends his time betters than worrying about sports. Plus, since there are people on each side all praying how would he decide who to support? The most people praying or the most amount of prayers?

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- civilwarcometh
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:41pm
  Here’s what God is worried about…..http://weaselzippers.us/2013/01/31/msm-reporters-who-watch-abortions-tell-of-their-brutal-reality-into-the-muck-would-drop-a-foot-or-a-hand-or-a-piece-of-rib-cage/
  
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soybomb315_II
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:27pm
I dont think God cares about our stupid little games

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- AndYetItMoves
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:49pm
  But we do, and since we invented God, many of us believe that he does.
  
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- Bamagal0007
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:52pm
  I would agree but what some find stupid others are rather entertained. : )
  
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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:13pm
  oh believe me – i care alot about the game. i have always been a huge 49er fan. But the whole thing is stupid in the grand scheme of things
  
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Old Truckers
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:17pm
Sporting events are merely contests between human participants. The “game” is ruled and determined by the skill of the players and chance happenings during the play. Unforeseen events and the turning of events during the game is what determines the winner/s. It is like a chess game, that is all it is.

God’s purpose for mankind is bigger than a game that amuses us for a couple of hours.

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- Bearfoot
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:52pm
  Old Truckers,
  
  Yes, and as far as God’s purpose for mankind, Revelation 21 states what that is. Football games are actually irrelevant to God’s grand purpose!
  
  “2 I saw also the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.3With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them.4And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)
  
  These blessings is what God’s Kingdom is all about. – Matthew 24:14
  
  http://www.jw.org
  
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Gonzo
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:07pm
Well one thing is for sure, He doesn’t pick the halftime acts.

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MCON29
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:05pm
If god rewards faithful athletes with success…….then how do you explain Tim Tebow?

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- soybomb315_II
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:26pm
  So Tebow must have pissed God off this year, huh? If Tebow shatters his knee, does that mean God hates him?
  
  that is crazy man
  
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- Southerner01
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:35pm
  Because Tebow’s “faith” is public posturing. If he were truly faithful, he would pray in private, like the bible says to.
  
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Steelhead
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:57pm
another pointless article for the evangelicals to ‘argue’ about.

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- civilwarcometh
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:50pm
  What happen to tolerance and coexist???
  
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Sarah_Palin_Is_God
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:55pm
Be real. God has more important things to do than worry about puny humans and their sporting events.

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- walnutportconservative
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:01pm
  God uses things here under the sun, to advance His kingdom.
  Football?
  Who knows. My ways are not His nor His thoughts mine.
  
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- Al J Zira
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:02pm
  Agreed!
  
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Cavallo
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:53pm
Not watching. I hate them both. There are some home improvement projects that are more important. If God cares about the Super Bowl he’s got too much time on his hands.

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- Southerner01
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:36pm
  He only watches for the ads.
  
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