God and Sports

From Dan Merica at CNN.com:

There are a variety of influences here, including a Calvinist meticulous sovereignty theme, a Deuteronomy theme, an interventionist God theme, and others… what do you see?

Washington (CNN) – With millions of Americans set to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, a new survey finds more than a quarter of Americans believe that God “plays a role in determining which team wins” at sports events.

The survey by the Public Religion Research Institute also found that more than half of Americans believe “God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success.”

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

Asked if they believe God plays a role in who wins, 27% of Americans said yes. Poll results varied among regions and religions: 36% said yes in the South, 28% in the Midwest, 20% in the Northeast and 15% in the West.

Among nonwhite Christians and white evangelicals, 40% and 38% said yes, respectively; 29% of Catholics and 19% of white mainline Protestants also responded that God plays a role.

Jones said these figures reflect many Americans’ belief in a very active God.