fbpx
46.9 F
Spokane
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
spot_img
HomeCommentaryBRIEF: Survey finds nearly 3-in-10 Americans say God plays role in outcomes...

BRIEF: Survey finds nearly 3-in-10 Americans say God plays role in outcomes of sports events

Date:

Related stories

Poem: The Great Letting Go

Experience the beauty of letting go in nature's autumn display. A poem by Christi Ortiz celebrating the vivid colors and graceful transition of the season.

Military veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide

Combatting the epidemic: Understanding the high rate of suicide among veterans and working toward prevention.

Loving Thy Neighbor in a Politically Divided World: Bridging the Gap Beyond the Yard Signs

Read the story behind the 'Harris for President' sign in Tracy Simmons' yard. Join the conversation on the intersection of journalism, values and political expression.

A tale of two states: Hope and progress vs. the hate and fear of Christian nationalism

Uncover the threat of Christian nationalism discussed at a recent conference. Explore the impact and implications of this ideology and why coalitions are important.

Spokane Pastor: It’s not time to gloat over your candidate’s win. It’s time to build bridges.

Dealing with post-election fallout? Discover strategies to build bridges and heal wounds in a divided America.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

Even though only 3 percent of Americans identify as fans of the Baltimore Ravens (1 percent) or San Francisco 49ers (2 percent), 66 percent of Americans are likely to tune in to Super Bowl XLVII, including 42 percent who say they seldom or never watch sports, a new survey finds.

Nearly 3-in-10 (27 percent) Americans believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins sports events, according to the January Religion and Politics Tracking Survey, conducted by Public Religion Research Institute. A majority (53 percent) of Americans also agree that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success, compared to 42 percent who disagree.

“In an era where professional sports are driven by dollars and statistics, significant numbers of Americans see a divine hand at play,” said Dr. Robert P. Jones, PRRI CEO.

Americans in the South are most likely to think God has a stake in the outcome of sports games. More than one-third (36 percent) of Southerners say that God plays a role in who wins, compared to nearly 3-in-10 (28 percent) Americans in the Midwest, 1-in-5 (20 percent) of Americans in the Northeast, and 15 percent of Westerner, according to a press release.

Religious groups also disagree on whether God has a stake in the outcome of sports games, the survey finds. Roughly 4-in-10 minority Christians (40 percent) and white evangelical Protestants (38 percent) say that God plays a role in who wins, compared to fewer than 3-in-10 Catholics (29 percent), fewer than 1-in-5 (19 percent) white mainline Protestants, and approximately 1-in-10 (12 percent) religiously unaffiliated Americans.

Half of Americans say they approve of athletes who express their faith publicly by thanking God during or after a sporting event, while 45 percent say it does not matter, and only 4 percent disapprove, the survey finds.

On any given Sunday, more than one-quarter (26 percent) of Americans say they are more likely to be in church, compared to nearly 1-in-5 (17 percent) who say they are more likely to be watching football, according to a press release.

“At a time when nearly every issue divides the country, passion about sports bridges political divisions,” said Daniel Cox, PRRI Research Director. “There are no red states and blue states when it comes to sports. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats and more than 7-in-10 Republicans say they are sports fans, and more 7-in-10 of both groups say they are likely to watch the Super Bowl this year.” 

Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of FāVS.News, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x