In the past few days, the results of two surveys have been reported by national news programs. The first revealed that 50% of American adults believe that God will play some role in the outcome of the Super Bowl; the second indicated that a third of American adults plan to pray for their favored team.
It is one thing to have faith in a deity whose presence cannot be proven. It is another to believe that this deity is keenly aware of our personal thoughts and actions, responding to our requests and intervening in our daily lives. But it is quite a stretch for adult humans to believe that a deity, whom they credit with creating this magnificent Universe, would, amidst widespread suffering from war, illness and poverty, be persuaded to favor one group of millionaires and billionaires over the other.
Sadly, it is this belief in a personal God, focused on and receptive to our physical and emotional needs, that pits religious groups against one another. The outcome of the Super Bowl will have no effect on the welfare of humanity but the religious mysticism revealed by those surveys will be a continued source of social division, intolerance and civil strife across the globe.
