đ Faith and football: Would Jesus bet on the Super Bowl? đ
Religious groups face long odds to stop the rise of sports gambling
By Bobby Ross Jr.
Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!
The Southern Baptist Convention faces two new lawsuits alleging cover-ups of sexual abuse in churches. Religion News Serviceâs Bob Smietana has the details.
Country singer-songwriter Toby Keith died Monday at age 62 after battling stomach cancer. In an interview with Robin Marsh of News9 in Oklahoma City late last year, Keith cited the strong role of faith in his cancer battle.
âThe Almighty, he has been riding shotgun,â Keith said.
This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. Ahead of Sundayâs Super Bowl, we start with the rise of sports betting and where people of faith stand on it.
What to know: The big story
The numbers game: âAn estimated 67.8 million Americans are expected to bet on Sundayâs Super Bowl, a 35% increase from last year, according to survey results published Tuesday by the American Gaming Association, a trade group.â
Thatâs the synopsis from the Wall Street Journalâs Richard Vanderford.
But donât expect many pastors to place a wager on Kansas City or San Francisco to win the game, Lifeway Researchâs Aaron Earls advises:
Despite its legalization across many states, U.S. Protestant pastors remain opposed to sports gambling, but theyâre not doing much about it, according to a Lifeway Research study. Few pastors (13%) favor legalizing sports betting nationwide and most (55%) say the practice is morally wrong.
âAnything can happen in sports, and many Americans want the same allure of an unexpected win in sports to translate into an unexpected financial windfall,â said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. âMost pastors see moral hazards in sports betting and believe American society would be better off without it.â
Long odds: Given the billions of dollars that legalized betting generates, faith leaders in the few holdout states that forbid it âknow the odds are against stopping it,â according to Religion News Serviceâs Bob Smietana.
Smietana explains:
Some of the nationâs largest faith groups have long considered gambling immoral, or a âmenace to society,â as the United Methodist Church social principles put it. But faith leaders like Davis are likely fighting an uphill battle, said longtime Boston College professor and Jesuit priest Richard McGowan.
McGowan, who has been nicknamed âthe Odds Fatherâ because of his research on gambling, said faith leaders were caught flatfooted by how fast legalized sports gambling became commonplace.
At ReligionLink.com, find statements on how various religious groups â from Muslims to Mormons â view gambling.
In a story last year, Christianity Todayâs Emily Belz delved into how Christians can respond to the âtrail of addictionâ the quick expansion of gambling is leaving.
Thanking God in Sin City: In other football news, faith played a starring role at Thursdayâs NFL Honors awards show, the Deseret Newsâ Kelsey Dallas notes.
But as winners took the stage in Las Vegas, many chose to shift the spotlight away from what happened on the field onto the faith that sustains them in good times and bad.
âI just want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,â said Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud as he accepted the first award of the night.
Sundayâs game will feature âtwo very pious quarterbacks.â Read the faith profile of the Chiefsâ Patrick Mahomes and the 49ersâ Brock Purdy by ReligionUnplugged.comâs own Clemente Lisi.
Finally, Lisi highlights five âreligiousâ Super Bowl ads that made headlines.
Power up: The weekâs best reads
1. Battle over the border: âCould evangelical Christian women hold the key to compromise on immigration reforms?â
USA Todayâs Lauren Villagran explores that intriguing question.
At Religion News Service, Aleja Hertzler-McCain covers faith-based organizationsâ concerns about the immigration policy landscape.
2. Divine intervention?: âIvory Coastâs unlikely â some would say miraculous â progression to the Africa Cup of Nations final has convinced locals that God is on their side.â
The Associated Pressâ CiarĂĄn Fahey reports from Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Here at ReligionUnplugged.com, Tom Osanjo details the role of chaplains at the soccer tournament.
3. Home chapels blessing America: âBuilt as standalone spaces or dedicated rooms, these small spaces of worship can cost homeowners hundreds of thousands to build.â
Check out the photo feature by the Wall Street Journalâs Sarah Paynter.
More top reads
Federal convictions of pro-lifers blocking abortion clinics are rising, Christianity Todayâs Emily Belz reports. ⌠âThe Autism Pastorâ Lamar Hardwick is a preacher, author and cancer warrior, Religion News Serviceâs Kathryn Post writes. ⌠The Popeâs inquisitor riles conservatives, and some call him a heretic, as the Wall Street Journalâs Francis X. Rocca explains. ⌠Venezuela's leftist leader is making a play for evangelical voters, NPRâs John Otis reports. ⌠A new initiative brings weekly Christian worship to the Oklahoma Capitol, The Oklahomanâs Carla Hinton writes. ⌠And in a think piece at The Atlantic, John Fea details âWhat I wish more people knew about American evangelicalism.â
Inside the Godbeat
Thereâs a whole lot to fit in here this week:
⢠Joel Belz, founder of World magazine, died Sunday at age 82 from complications of Parkinsonâs disease, and Marvin Olasky pays tribute to him at Current.
⢠Journalist and author Michael OâLoughlin has a new role leading an outreach program for LGBTQ+ Catholics, as The Associated Pressâ David Crary reports.
⢠âWhat is the future of Catholic journalism?â National Catholic Reporterâs Heidi Schlumpf interviews a variety of experts.
⢠And Religion News Serviceâs Bob Smietana â who, as this edition of Plug-in attests, has had a prolific week â insists, âI am not going to hate you.â
Charging station: ICYMI
Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.
âThe swelling number of Islamic clerics and Middle Eastern politicians and thinkers condemning Hamas continues to grow since the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel.â
Gil Zohar reports the latest from Jerusalem.
The final plug
I donât often shed tears over stories I write, even the sad ones.
But I did while writing about my interview with Matt and Macy Collins, whose 4-year-old daughter Hattie Jo died in a 2020 tornado.
The Christian couple, who live in Cookeville, Tenn., have started a ministry to support other parents who experience the pain of losing a child. Read my in-depth piece for The Christian Chronicle.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.