NFL star Aaron Rodgers has a spotty record when it comes to faith — publicly abandoning his Christian upbringing in 2020 — but that hasn’t stopped the famed quarterback from pointing out the problems with atheism.
During a recent and lengthy conversation with podcaster Joe Rogan, the New York Jets player explained, from his secular perspective, the necessity of believing in a higher power.
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Of course, there is only one true God, the God of the Bible. Even still, Rodgers’ criticism of those who, in this relativistic age, choose to believe in nothing but the here and now resonates.
Human beings are created to worship. In the redeemed and sanctified lives of those who have trusted in Jesus as their savior, they know it is the God of Scripture they are created to praise and serve. But in the absence of salvation, human beings will worship something — often, the self.
That was the point Rodgers was making on “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“I think atheists can find their own religion,” he told Rogan. “It might be the religion of science, or religion of climate change, or whatever it might be, but to not believe in a higher power means that really nothing we do matters, and ultimately, I live and I die, and that’s it.”
“So whatever purpose you might have, it’s short-lived,” continued Rodgers. “It’s just for this. There’s nothing else going on. I have a hard time with that, because I believe there’s a seen world and an unseen world. And there’s forces of good and forces of evil, and that there’s a purpose for all this and there’s a lot of reasons why we’re doing this. There’s a lot of opportunities to do this. I’d like to get it right this time around.”
At another point in the conversation, Rogan — who was raised Catholic but does not consider himself a believer — said, “We need Jesus,” referencing the myriad problems plaguing society.
“I think, as time rolls on, people are going to understand the need to have some sort of divine structure to things, some sort of belief in the sanctity of love and of truth, and a lot of that comes from a religion,” he said.
Rogan continued, “A lot of people’s moral compass and the guidelines that they’ve used and follow to live a just and righteous life has come from religion. And unfortunately, a lot of very intelligent people, they dismiss all the positive aspects of religion because they think that the stories are mere superstitious fairy tales, that they have no place in this modern world; ‘we’re inherently good, and your ethics are based on your own moral compass, and we all have one,’ and that’s not necessarily true.”
As for Rodgers, he explained in 2020, during a conversation with his then-girlfriend, former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, that he was raised in a Christian home — and even served in YoungLife ministry — but no longer felt a connection to the faith.
“I had some good friendships along the way that helped me to figure out exactly what I wanted to believe in,” he said at the time. “Ultimately, it was that rules and regulations and binary systems don’t really resonate with me.”
The NFL star then mischaracterized God in his explanation for abandoning his faith.
“I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell,” he said, painting an inaccurate view of the Lord. “What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?”
That, of course, is an unbiblical and sinful view of God’s character.
In 2 Peter 3:9, it’s written, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (ESV).
And in 1 Timothy 2:4-6, it’s written, “[God our Savior], who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity — the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone” (NLT).
The Lord, in His perfect love, desperately desires all people to come to faith in Him through Jesus Christ. Several other passages throughout the Old and New Testaments point to God’s justice, grace, mercy, and immeasurable love for human beings, who were created in His image (Genesis 1:27).
Please pray for Rogan and for Rodgers, that he would return to the Bible-believing faith in which he was raised.
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