Super Bowl Time is Christian Testimony Time


Every year just before the Super Bowl there are press releases about players who are Christians. I don't know if the players themselves bring up the topic or if reporters/writers ask about their religion so the writers can fill some inches in the Christain media. I think most of the time it is the latter. What players had to say in the link is not all that obnoxious, they did not say "God wants me to win the Super Bowl."

If the 200 or so players who suite up for both teams this Sunday represent a cross section of U.S. society, a slight majority would say they "believe in God." These would be scattered among many versions of God, evangelical, liberal Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, etc. Larger than any one of the categories of "Christian" would be "Nones", those who do not identify with any religion. 

Why are there stories about the Christians but not about the Nones? It is because there is money in the Christian media. The Nones have, well, none. There are Christians who gladly give money that ends up in press releases about Christian players. So far as I know, there are no dollars donated to write stories about Nones. 

There is a source of money for Nones. The book, The God Delusion, was a block buster success as have been several other books about atheism. This has not translated into press about atheist athletes.

I've tried to think about how to make a story about atheists that is as dramatic as a story about a believer, Christian or something else. A football player is out there in a dangerous sport. Plus, a big mistake is done in front of millions in the stands and on TV. It is life on the edge, emotions and drama. Telling others about having no god falls flat. An imaginary god giving you the courage to face all of that makes great entertainment. 

In my observation, no sport engages the viewer with more emotion than boxing. There, in front of thousands of spectators and million on TV, two people enter into a sport that has killed many. A loss is a most embarrassing and humiliating experience. Before or after, some boxes knee in the ring.

The famous heavy weight boxer, Larry Holms, is an atheist. Where is the drama in that? There is no great dramatic story, or money to be made, by facing death in a matter-of-fact demeaner.

Only when there is money to be made by having no god will there be stories about such athletes.    

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