Are American sports going through a rough stretch, or does the turmoil point to something deeper? BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock argues that it may reflect biblical judgment, saying sports have turned away from the values that shaped them.
Whitlock says organized sports were developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries by Christian groups, including the YMCA. He argues they were intended to guide young men toward a muscular, masculine form of Christianity.
“Sports were a gift,” Whitlock says, adding that Christians have either abandoned that tradition or let secular influences take it over. He says he is considering whether sports are now “under judgment,” pointing to six warnings described in Isaiah 5.
Those warnings, as Whitlock summarizes them, include greed and land-grabbing, constant partying and escapism, defiance, confusion between good and evil, arrogance, and justice corrupted by bribery.
He also connects Isaiah’s account of a coming foreign invasion to what he sees as a wider loss of Christian influence in American culture. Whitlock asks whether the country is experiencing similar forms of judgment and whether its culture is being “hijacked.”
In his view, basketball, football, and baseball were meant to help Christian men mentor younger men. He says that purpose has been set aside, and argues that sports are suffering as a result.
Whitlock points to corruption, poor officiating, frequent athlete injuries, and declining play as signs of the problem. He believes sports cannot produce good results when they are driven by materialism and money.
