Democrats More Likely to Believe God Determines Sports Victories

And the South is more believing than the West, regardless of party

While the religious right gets all the attention, the religious left is quietly praying somewhere for victory on game day.

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe that "God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event," according to a new survey from DC's Public Religion Research Institute. 28% vs. 25%, respectively, and with a disproportionate amount of faith-on-the-field thinking taking place in the southern states among members of both parties. Those least likely to think God has any role to play in sports outcomes reside out west, claims the report.

"Americans are less likely to believe that God plays a role in the outcome of sporting events than they are to believe God rewards religious athletes," informs the survey. "While only about 3-in-10 Americans believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event, a majority believe that God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success."

Via the Public Religion Research Institute.

Do you believe that God plays a role in the success of some sports teams?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Slow news day....

[martydotcom]

Wonder how G-d decided who to root for orwho is going to win. So many games so many games.. off to soccer, then tennis, golf, disables so busy busy. Tough job being G d. Never gets to see the whole game

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@martydotcom - At least you belive in God. I feel better knowing that.

[martydotcom]

@Neo_NtheMatrix Neo you're far to clever to make assumptions. I'm not a believer but I respects other's beliefs.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

@martydotcom - Then I don't feel so good after all.

[RobertJHarsh]

@martydotcom And by "god" I am assuming you are referring to the team owners, bookies, govt officials, and whomever else that decide what team "wins"?

[Cheenoguy]

See. Not all liberals are godless. Just some of us.

[texas_cutie75]

Most lefties I know do not believe in God. Must be a trick question.

[JimCO55]

Well it is only 28% of dems vs. 25% of repubs ... I'm actually surprised at the small number of repubs that believe that god intervenes in sporting events?

[Tralee]

Democrats praying? To whom? What? Most don't have a religion and make fun of those of us who do. What a crock.

[Angry_man]

I know we have had our differences but I totally agree with you on this one.

[Zazziness]

To God, that's who they're praying to. Jesus was a radical liberal. Just because you don't have liberals trying to convert you to their faith don't think they don't have one.

[Tralee]

@Zazziness LOL - Jesus definitely was NOT a radical liberal, only radical liberals think this and try to spread the lie around. Sorry Zazzi - not gonna fly with anyone with even a modicum of intelligence and even a passing knowledge of the bible. Good try, don't feel bad, you aren't the first far left liberal to try to sell this Snake Oil to the gullible public.

[Zazziness]

@Tralee Actually, people who read the Bible and know what Jesus had to say think he was a radical liberal. He was a reformer who healed without expectation of payment, for instance. The Pharisees, OTOH, were big believers in the status quo. Pro death penalty, for instance. Very much the model of today's conservative.

[Denizen_Kate]

@Zazziness - You really are on a roll today. :)

[russ]

Dain, are you just bored and curious to see how many idiots like myself might respond? You're a funny guy......

[mimi57]

That's okay, Dain's still a cutie and he has a sense of humor... ( ; So does God.

[Rocker]

My opinion is that it's a little misleading. We used to offer up a few prayers to play to the best of our ability before the game and maybe afterward for the blessing to play as sports, without injury, (both teams), and the opportunity to compete on the field of battle as individuals and as teams. Prayer to 'win' is a misconception for players. We do what we do on our own. I hear that the fans pray to win sometimes. And for injured players.

[Rocker]

I do recall one game we played in the rain @ 39 degrees against a much superior team and across from an All-State rated defensive back that was wiping up the ground with me. I think I prayed that the game would hurry up and finish. I don't think that counts though.

[russ]

@Rocker I'm not sure sports players should expect an answer but in that case it sure couldn't hurt lol

[Rocker]

@russ - I don't think I actually blocked the guy all night but I recall making him trip over me 3 or 4 times while I was lying prone in the mud.

[stepped_in_it]

which god? which sport? and does it really matter?

[MrsM]

Has politix went nuts?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

No, they have not gone nuts, they have been nuts.

[cleverusername]

@Neo_NtheMatrix lol

[AceLuby]

28% to 25%... that has to be within their sampling error. What a stupid title.

[DapperDave]

Yeah, I'm sure the "big genie" up there somewhere in the sky really cares which team or individual wins a ball game, soccer match, golf tournament, boxing match, tennis tournament, etc. Praying for your preferred team or player to win is the height of religious ignorance and hypocrisy.

[Denizen_Kate]

Exactly. Because everyone knows god only cares about NASCAR. ;-)

[RiversideRed]

The question is not whether or not God determines the winning team, that's the trick question.

The question is does God help the faithful players on the teams? I think yes He does.

[twinertia]

Then it's a filthy cheater.

[Zazziness]

Very different than in the Bible, then, where God saved the most especially awful fates for those who were most faithful. Going by historic accounts of what happens to those God especially favors, I'd expect to see faithful sports fans martyred in some truly spectacular ways. Instead, they get paid way too much, so I think God isn't really getting involved in sports.

[Vance1]

Democrats are more likely to reject GOD in anything

[DerivePI]

How could God not play a role in the outcome of a game (preface - assuming you believe in God)? Very disappointing if this survey is true. Of note, more people believed God rewards faithful athletes with good health and success (53%) than believed God plays a role in the outcome (27%).

If God has a role in making athletes successful and athletes are included on teams, then God has a role in making teams successful.

[Keyjo]

I am mote likely to wonder who's side God is on in war.
Do you think God is pulling for us or them?
I can tell you, I used to pray to win the Lottery jackpot and it never worked. That whole " Ask and ye shall recieve," thing is hit and miss!

[Brownie]

I wasn't polled on this. Is Tbow a democrat?

[Happy2BeHere]

15 National Championships speak for themselves. Not saying every person in Alabama is religious, just in general people from the south tend to be more religious. RTR

[Buzzfriendly]

/sarcasm I think the winner can be predicted using Astrology /sarcasm off

[MadAmerican]

Isn't there a seperation of God and sports in the constitution? lol

[songbird]

I think this was a veiled poke at the south and the foolish idea to pray for sports victories. God couldn't care less who wins the Super Bowl.

[Grizz]

What kind of weed are you smoking? Democrats believing in god when they rid any reference to it in the government or schools. How absurd. Lol

[Zazziness]

Unlike the religious right, they also believe in the 1st amendment. You may be familiar with it. It's the clause you skim over while getting to the 2nd amendment.

[Grizz]

@Zazziness Yes unfortuantely the Constitution seems of little use to our President and our legislators. As you know we were formed under a Republic and under religious beliefs which was acknowledged by our government many years ago. The seperation of church and state has left a godless society with greed and corruption in our elected officials which is sad to see. History shows that any nation who has turned their back on recognizing god has fallen and I beleive we are at our point now.

[Zazziness]

@Grizz "...under religious beliefs which was acknowledged by our government many years ago"
Nope. The religious belief we were formed under was that the only way for each of us to be free was to keep religion separate from The State. If you can't attract people to your religion through normal means of discussion and persuasion, having the government force it on people at the point of a sword surely isn't going to work. History has shown that the theocracy you describe is the most stagnant, oppressive, violent form of government ever devised by man. All the worse aspects of totalitarianism, with the head honchos able to claim infallibility because "they speak for God." No, thank you. I'll take a America, land of the free.

[Grizz]

@Zazziness well America is not free dear. Our rights are those which they allow us to believe and in the end, it will be the G-d of Israel who sorts this mess out. Read your bible