[Sly Fox]

Still the strange cat he has always been. But now he's waxing poetic on his belief that religion is wrong.

The Confession of Arian Foster

Tim Keown, ESPN Senior Writer

LIFE'S BIGGEST QUESTIONS are leading me through a narrow street in a stately Houston neighborhood, where haunting piles of home furnishings-cabinets, carpet, curtains-lie on the north side of the street in mud-streaked abandon. Meanwhile, the south side, unharmed by the torrential rain, looks as if it took up arms and ravaged the other. The difference is so stark, so precise, that some might be tempted to invoke divine intervention.

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[Kiwon]

I remember when ESPN used to just report on Sports.

(Sounds from the ESPN production meeting) "Let's see.....We've done gays....We've done transgendered....Who's next on the list?... Oh, yeah, the atheists!...You know, society needs to be more inclusive of the persecuted atheists in Sports and rescue them from the wide-spread oppression of the (nominally) Christian NFL locker room....Absolutely! You know, some of those weird Christian guys, the ones who don't go to bars or strip clubs or have live-in girlfriends, actually believe that Bible stuff. Man, what a horrible environment for an atheist!...Yes, that's it! 'The alienation of atheists in the NFL locker room'....That's our story! If we do it right, Arian Foster will get the Arthur Ashe Courage award at next year's ESPYs!...Yeah, the Disney bosses will love us!"

So, Arian Foster, the man of Science and Reason "knows the Bible..." but he doesn't believe it or follow it. What's so novel about that? Lots of people claim to "know the Bible" and don't have a clue. If he really "knew his Bible" he wouldn't be an atheist, now would he? It's that simple.

Of course, knowing some philosophy and being an atheist has it's advantages. You can be arrested for assault, claim to have accepted $50,000 in illegal payments as an amateur athlete, while married get your lover pregnant and allegedly have your brother pressure her to have an abortion claiming that she is "being selfish" if she doesn't, and end your marriage in divorce all the while getting credit for "exploring your own path....setting your own boundaries....discovering your own truth." Ah, yes, 'Science and Reason' covers a multitude of 'behaviors that some might interpret are negative'......(the narrow-minded of us might substitute the word "sins" there).

But let a professing Christian do the above actions and all of Christianity gets called into question (Gospel of ESPN 1:1-4).

I like Arian Foster as a running back and he is a smart and articulate person as well. If he wants to be the poster boy for "Free Thinkers" in pro sports then so be it. But if ESPN wants to lift him up as a trailblazer, the first "openly" atheist player in a professional sports league dominated by Christians, it's an absurd narrative on so many levels. But that's what passes for journalism on ESPN in 2015 and they seem to realize the types of stories the gullible 'Science and Reason' crowd want to hear.

[JK37]

Yesterday on an ESPN Radio talk show in the afternoon, the host (I forget his name.), was calling it hypocritical of Tony Dungy to have such strong opinions about Michael Sam on the basis of religion, and not this.

[JakeP50]

Most people on my twitter feed who linked the article said they came away with more respect for Justin Forsett than Arian Foster. Foster comes off in that article like an obnoxious know it all child and Forsett comes off as a strong believer who won't let anyone or anything change his mind.

[Purple Haize]

I just care about the effect he'd have on my Fantasy Football team if I were to draft him!

[SuperJon]

Foster comes off in that article like an obnoxious know it all child

No he doesn't. Not even a little bit. He comes off as a secular humanist who is like more people in our society than most Christians care to admit. The quicker we realize that most with those beliefs respond to educated, level-headed discussions and not condemning arguments, the quicker we realize how to impact those around us. Justin Forsett treated Foster with respect, could intelligently back up his beliefs, and didn't come across as judgmental and, because of that, was respected and cared for by Foster. We should all take cues from that.

[Sly Fox]

I had opportunities to interact with Arian over the years back in my former life. He is a strange dude who tends to delight in considering himself the smartest man in every room. And it should be noted that he has taken pains not call himself an atheist. I get the feeling he is still searching for deeper meaning and wants to believe in something. But right now he is fixated on science as his god. I agree iwth SJ that this fits many folks I know. They just don't have the forum of Foster.

[RubberMallet]

Foster comes off in that article like an obnoxious know it all child

he's an atheist, stating this is redundant.

Foster has always been very strange. That they listed this as "coming out" is kind of absurd and silly.

[ATrain]

I had opportunities to interact with Arian over the years back in my former life. He is a strange dude who tends to delight in considering himself the smartest man in every room. And it should be noted that he has taken pains not call himself an atheist. I get the feeling he is still searching for deeper meaning and wants to believe in something. But right now he is fixated on science as his god. I agree iwth SJ that this fits many folks I know. They just don't have the forum of Foster.

Maybe he has a personality disorder with narcissistic traits?

[adam42381]

Foster comes off in that article like an obnoxious know it all child

he's an atheist, stating this is redundant.

Who sounds obnoxious now?

[Humble_Opinion]

"Arian pushes me to be a better man and a better man of faith," Forsett says. "He's going to ask questions, tough questions, and I take that as a challenge. I have to be prepared to give a response at any given moment. If I don't have a response, he's going to push me to go get it."

Says Foster: "Here's what I respect about him: Justin was never like, 'Hey, man, you're going to go to hell.' He was like, 'This is what I believe is the right way, and I'll pray for you.' I never feel arrogance or judgment. He never acted like he had something I don't have. He said, 'I would love for you to experience this,' which is more divine than anything I've ever come across."

As Christians, I think each of us needs to learn from the example of Forsett. I think most Christians fail this test and either refuse to engage individuals like Arian because it represents a challenge they don't have time for, or because they judge the individual outright and refuse to associate with them in any way. Proverbs 27:17 applies to more than just your fellow Christians. It ought to be broadened and applied across the board to people of other faiths/philosophies that are educated and willing to engage in heart-filled, but respectful debate. I think Arian's comments show that Christians have a bit of an image problem that we need to begin to address.

[RubberMallet]

Foster comes off in that article like an obnoxious know it all child

he's an atheist, stating this is redundant.

Who sounds obnoxious now?

your obnoxious meter must have a loose wire.