After organized worship, athletic competition is perhaps the oldest communal impulse known to mankind; today, sports and religion mirror each other as never before, experts say. That correlation has negative as well as positive aspects.

Experts say the symbiosis between religion and sports shows how deeply religion is embedded in American culture, and vice versa. Sportsplexes are used as worship centers, and pro athletes' testimonies may be the most widely seen expressions of faith in the public square.

Not every intersection of sports and religion is without contention, however. Some dislike the proliferation of prayers at school sporting events while others resent the intrusion of children's weekend sports schedules into worship time.

In addition, religious leaders and the general public are wondering whether the intimate connections between religion and sports are such a good thing. Drug scandals, violence on the playing field and in the stands, recruiting violations and ethical lapses are clouding sports at every level from the pros to college to kids' leagues.

Money seems to be the ultimate goal, and good sportsmanship often seems to be a thing of the past for fans, as well as athletes—and sometimes parents and coaches. Although religious traditions often praise athletes for their displays of skill and virtue, sports in the modern context often denotes a winner-take-all competitive mentality that is anathema to many religious teachings.

Background

Ancient civilizations elevated athletics to a spiritual plane; and Christianity, probably more than any other faith, continued that tradition. The Jewish world from which Christianity sprang disdained the mixing of worship and sports, as Judaism was concerned with distinguishing itself from the Greek and Roman polytheistic cultures. Experts say that as Christianity spread through the classical world, its leaders naturally adapted Christian customs to that culture. That is evidenced, they say, by the many athletic images in the New Testament. (See 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 2:2 and 5:7; Phil. 2:16 and 3:14; 2 Tim. 2:5 and 4:7; and Heb. 12:1-2.)

Early Christians also rejected the blood sport of the Roman gladiator competitions, and of course Christians—as well as others—often were sacrificed at ancient games. So organized sports were not a Christian priority for centuries.