According to a new survey, most Americans support prayer at public school sporting events.
The survey, conducted by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, was released after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 earlier this summer that Washington state high school football coach Joe Kennedy could pray on the field. Kennedy had been in a 7-year legal battle with the Bremerton School District for praying on the football field after every game.
According to Faithwire, the study found that 54 percent of Americans agreed with the high court’s decision, while 22 percent disagreed and 23 percent were neutral.
“Solid majorities think a coach leading a team in prayer (60 percent), a player leading a team in prayer (64 percent) and a coach praying on the field without asking the team to join in (71 percent) should all be allowed in public high school sports,” the Associated Press reported.
The survey also found that almost one-quarter of respondents (23 percent) have prayed about the outcome of a game. Thirty-five percent of evangelical sports fans and 21 percent of fans from other religious backgrounds said the same. Even non-religious fans (15 percent) admitted that they have prayed for their team to win.
The study further noted that about 3-in-10 American adults believe prayer “can play a role in determining who wins a sporting event, and a similar percentage say God plays a role.”
In a 2016 Lifeway Research study, about 88 percent of American adults said God does not care which team wins the Super Bowl. A large majority of Christians (89 percent) and those of other faiths (79 percent) surveyed agreed.
“Our previous research has shown most Americans think God is concerned with their day-to-day decisions,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said. “Yet this survey shows Americans do not see God as interested in their favorite sport.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/J. Bryson
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
