Honestly, i say this from a former sports-nut’s perspective:
The main theme across the board i observe about pro-sports is the way Christians defend it more than Jesus, and talk about it before church and talk about it after church and often check the scores during church.
Pro Sports are just one of a myriad of American Idols, and it wins and woos the hearts of lost and saved alike. It lifts up man and appeals to the pride of life. New coach of the Bills, Rex Ryan, is being paid $5 million dollars a year just to coach the team. Multiple Quarterbacks have $100 million salaries. This sounds like worship of man to me. The NFL went from once a week to Sunday night, Thursday night, Monday night, and now Saturday games. There is no off season now. Buffalo Christians are more excited for the coming of Jack Eichel than for the coming of Jesus. They call it the Lord Stanley Cup. Jesus said you cannot serve 2 masters.
Billy Sunday left a promising baseball career and made solid points why he did so. C.T. Studd was the top cricket player in England i believe and left it to be an evangelist. He preached/wrote an excellent booklet called “Chocolate Soldiers”.
Compare these men who I believe followed the bible and their fruit to a Tim “John 3:16” Tebow who wants the best of both worlds, and American Christianity loves his message.
Best case is pro-sports is a time-waster and a stumbling block and we who love Jesus should set the bar and turn from it, because most guys will not love God more than football.
It is a huge sacrifice for me to not dabble at all this year with all the hype going on in Buffalo, but if I love God and love others, I can basically cut it out best i can and redeem the time. Not because I am spiritual, but because what is at stake. We are on borrowed time, and from a hockey perspective, America is in Game 7 Sudden Death Overtime. Any second, it is over. There is no next season.
The bible seems to be clear about the gods of this world — cut them out, stay from them, radically amputate, walk not in their path, turn away, etc,
when it comes to the world – Can i watch a little porn? only spend a few minutes in a casino? drink a little booze? smoke a bit of dope here and there?
Or do sports followers understand about more about loyalty to their gods than Christians do to Jesus? Meaning, you can’t be a Yankee fan and own Red Sox Paraphernalia.
Why are the sins i like not given the same treatment? what I believe God showed me about America in general is we are like the Jews of the OT. God said KILL EM ALL, but we keep the best of the sheep, and the Rams, and the Bills, and the Sabres, to sacrifice.
Bottom line, I won’t fight you if you want to hold onto a love of pro-sports but I think the Bible is black and white on it. i believe it is idolatry and i believe we should encourage each other to turn from it and not defend it.
There is a real cost to be a biblical Christian. Leonard Ravenhill said “there is no cost to being a Christian in America. none.” He also said, “How can you be part of the bride of Christ and not divorce yourself from all that is in the world?”
I think I can find ways to justify pro-sports being an American Christian. I can’t though, find ways to justify it being a Biblical one.