Faithful How, Pray Tell

Written in response to The League's question: Is there too much God in football?

As someone who writes regularly about how sports and religion intersect over on "On Faith," you probably think I am thrilled by all the God talk at the Super Bowl.

Think again.

After listening to player after player spout religious bromides, I was ready to scream: "Enough already!" Don't get me wrong. I believe faith plays an important role in some athletes' lives, and I am more than willing to listen to them explain how their beliefs helped them achieve success.

What I object to is evangelical athletes using their platform to "sell" Christianity. When Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner talks about his faith, he is trying to recruit people to Christianity. What's wrong with that, you ask? Well, suppose he wasn't promoting his faith but a brand of shoes. Would the sportswriters who give him a pass to say, "I'm trying to represent Jesus" do the same if he said, "I'm trying to represent Reebok."? Would they write glowing columns about how Warner's shoes made him the player he is today? As sportswriters, it's not their job to promote anything.

I sometimes wonder how often Warner mentioned Jesus when he was bagging groceries. Maybe he did it all the time -- "You're welcome, ma'am, but really Jesus deserves all the credit." -- but I doubt it.

Please understand that I am not mocking Warner or his faith, which I believe to be genuine. My problem is with the sportswriters and other members of the media who allow Warner and other players to go on and on about their faith without challenging them on it. For some reason, the media tends to be skittish about religion. They either ignore it or gloss over it.

That's too bad. I find you can really learn a lot about an athlete when asking them to explain their religious beliefs. Surprisingly, most of them don't mind having their faith challenged, either. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to talk about what is so important to them.

After World War II, it became common for athletes to profess their faith publicly. Soon organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action and Promise Keepers sprung up to encourage athletes to promote Christianity. While some may see this as a positive sign, I find it troublesome. Why is it we only hear about Christian faith? What about the Jews and the Muslims? And how about the atheists and agnostics? I've interviewed both Jewish and Muslim football players and they've told me how isolating it can be in a locker room filled with Christians.

I believe faith is personal, not public. Warner's religious views are a major part of who he is and shouldn't be ignored. But he shouldn't be allowed him to sell his Christianity to the millions of people watching.

By Kathy Orton  |  February 5, 2009; 9:32 AM ET  | Category:  Praying Fields Save & Share:                 
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