Football vs. Religion

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith recently lamented what he sees as a worrying decline in religious devotion, saying that "people no longer come to churches. They foolishly gather at football stadiums and other places of entertainment in large numbers." He also pointed to Europe's increasingly empty cathedrals as evidence that faith in God has weakened.

But rather than dismissing those who flock to football stadiums as "foolish," the more important question is why they are choosing sport over religion and whether people and countries are better off or not for doing so.  The answer may reveal less about a crisis of faith than a crisis of relevance.

Across much of the world, organised religion is confronting declining attendance, especially among younger generations. This is not because people have suddenly become incapable of seeking meaning or community. It is because many religious institutions have failed to adapt to the moral and social realities of the twenty-first century. Sri Lanka is no exception.

The Catholic Church led by Cardinal Ranjith continues to advocate positions that much of society increasingly rejects. On issues ranging from women's equality, divorce and reproductive rights to the equal dignity and rights of LGBTQ persons, the Church has remained firmly anchored in doctrines that many view as exclusionary rather than compassionate. It should surprise no one that younger generations, raised in a more interconnected and diverse world, are questioning institutions that appear unwilling to question themselves.

The problem is not unique to Christianity. Sri Lanka's Muslim community has for decades debated reforms to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, yet deeply discriminatory provisions remain. The law still permits the marriage of girls as young as 12 under certain circumstances, while denying adult Muslim women the right to sign their own marriage certificates, effectively treating them as dependents passed from one male guardian to another. Reform has been discussed endlessly but delivered sparingly.

Nor is Buddhism immune from scrutiny. The ordination of children, some as young as six, into the monkhood raises profound questions about children's rights and informed consent. These children are placed on a life path long before they are capable of making such a decision for themselves. At the same time, sections of the Buddhist clergy have played an influential role in promoting ethno-nationalism, lending religious legitimacy to policies and rhetoric that have marginalised minority communities rather than fostering reconciliation.

Across religious traditions, influential clergy have also opposed comprehensive sex education and other progressive reforms that would have improved the lives of women, children, and marginalised communities. Far too often, religious institutions have acted not as agents of social progress but as obstacles to it.

By contrast, sport has consistently demonstrated the power to unite. Football, cricket, rugby, and athletics do not ask participants or spectators about their religion, ethnicity, caste, or social status. They bring together people who might otherwise never share a common purpose. In a country as deeply divided as Sri Lanka, sport has often succeeded where religion has failed in creating moments of collective identity that transcend communal boundaries.

That does not mean sport is a substitute for spirituality, nor that religion has no place in society. Faith continues to provide comfort, purpose, and moral guidance to millions. But institutions that claim moral authority cannot expect unquestioning loyalty while refusing to confront their own shortcomings.

If churches, temples, mosques, and other places of worship are becoming emptier, blaming sport is a convenient distraction. The real challenge lies within. Religious leaders should ask why so many people, particularly the young, find greater inspiration in the inclusivity, excitement, and shared humanity of sport than in institutions that too often appear rigid, judgmental, and resistant to change.

Rather than criticising sports fans, Cardinal Ranjith and other religious leaders would do better to examine the archaic doctrines and entrenched prejudices that continue to alienate so many. If increasing numbers of people are rejecting outdated teachings that deny equality, resist reform, and perpetuate discrimination, that is not necessarily a sign of moral decline. It may well be evidence of a society that is moving forward.