Texans running back Arian Foster has revealed something about himself that puts him far outside the mainstream in the National Football League: He doesn’t believe in God.
Foster has begun working with a nonprofit group called Openly Secular to spread his lack of belief, and in a lengthy interview with ESPN Magazine, Foster questions why religion and football seem so intertwined in the minds of so many players.
“If there is a God and he’s watching football, there are so many other things he could be doing,” Foster said. “There are hungry children and diseases and famine and so much important stuff going on in the world, and he’s really blessed your team? It’s just weird to me.”
Although the Pew Research Center recently reported that more than 55 million Americans classify themselves as atheist, agnostic or no particular religion, Foster said that being non-religious is so rare in the NFL that other players often ask if he worships Satan.
“I get the devil-worship thing a lot. They’ll ask me, ‘You worship the devil?’” Foster said. “‘No, bro, I don’t believe there’s a God, why would I believe there’s a devil?’ There’s a lot of ignorance about non-belief. I don’t mean a negative connotation of ignorance. I just mean a lack of understanding, a lack of knowledge, lack of exposure to people like me.”
Foster suspects that there are atheists in the NFL who don’t want to openly describe themselves as such because they worry it would affect their earning potential.
“You don’t want to ruin endorsements,” Foster said. “People might say, ‘I don’t want an atheist representing my team.’ Now, though, I’m established in this league, and as I’m digging deeper into myself and my truth, just being me is more important than being sexy to Pepsi or whoever. After a while, what’s an extra dollar compared to the freedom of being you? That’s the choice I made.”
Foster said he respects the beliefs of others and hopes others extend him the same courtesy.
“I have no ill will toward religion or religious people. I have no quarrels,” Foster said. “Believe what you want to believe.”
