“You can be an agnostic or an atheist when it comes to religion but it’s much more difficult when we’re talking about the World Cup,” notes CCN editor Dave Schechter in The Religion of Football . He goes on to make the usual comparisons and ends with the platitude “Just as religion often divides or unites people, football can do the same.”
Well, yeah, though this can apply to books like The da Vinci Code or microbrewed beer if you’re among people who care about it. For a more interesting take on the sport, at least its influence in America, read Stephen Webb’s How Soccer is Ruining America .
We launched the First Things 2023 Year-End Campaign to keep articles like the one you just read free of charge to everyone.
Measured in dollars and cents, this doesn't make sense. But consider who is able to read First Things: pastors and priests, college students and professors, young professionals and families. Last year, we had more than three million unique readers on firstthings.com.
Informing and inspiring these people is why First Things doesn't only think in terms of dollars and cents. And it's why we urgently need your year-end support.
Will you give today?
