Survey: 27 Percent Of Americans Believe God Helps Decide Who Wins Sporting Events

[Floppin 5,744]

Because it's Super Bowl time, everyone has to get in on the football. The Public Religion Research Institute conducted a survey earlier this month, and asked its random sample of 1,033 adults a bunch of questions about the NFL. Most of the responses aren't surprising or interesting (Lots of people watch football! Even more people watch the Super Bowl!), but two specific questions and results are worth highlighting.

Perhaps the most shocking is that 27 percent of those polled—more than a quarter—believe that "God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event." Watch a game with three of your buddies. Odds are that one of you wholeheartedly believes that God has a vested interest in the outcome of the game, and will influence it to get His way. This could really throw off Vegas's lines.

There's more. You know how athletes, in postgame interviews, often thank God? They believe God is specifically looking out for them and their health. A majority of Americans agree. According to the survey, 53 percent of respondents believe that "God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success."

http://deadspin.com/5980273/

Well isn't that nice.

[rayzor 13,174]

so?

[stirs 7,130]

27% would be wrong

[BANE 847]

Well good for them.

I always loved that saying, hows it go?

"If God is with us, who the hell could be against us?"

[Jase 12,806]

That percentage is probably pretty low compared to the number of people who think the following things help their team win:

-the food the person eats beforehand

-the brand of beer

-which direction said beer is facing when his team has the ball

-which item of clothing he's wearing

-which TV he watches said team play

[CarolinaPanthers8789 4,525]

Find this funny, because I go to Liberty University (a huge Christian school) and one of our coaches says "God doesn't give a piss about who wins or loses this game, so you better work hard one way or the other".

[PrimeTyme 87]

I'm not surprised.. 50% of the time it works 100% of the time

[BBQ&Beer 716]

That percentage is probably pretty low compared to the number of people who think the following things help their team win:

-the food the person eats beforehand

-the brand of beer

-which direction said beer is facing when his team has the ball

-which item of clothing he's wearing

-which TV he watches said team play

True... but the beer, food, clothes, etc... don't have anything better to do.

[Growl 8,171]

Randomly selecting a group of people that small seems like a pretty terrible way to determine something like this.

[jtnc 3,667]

[Sean Payton's Vicodin 5,055]

According to the survey, 53 percent of respondents believe that "God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success."

you gotta be kidding me

[RevJ 190]

They probably think He decides the winner of the game after He chooses:

• which town/community to send a hurricane to
  
• who wins the lottery this week
  
• which child gets cancer . . . and which does not
  
• who gets stuck in traffic
  
• when the next speedy checkout line will open