$15 Athletes You Didn\'t Know Were Atheist or Agnostic$

15 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Atheist or Agnostic

By Michael Terrill

15 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Atheist or Agnostic

Atheist or Agnostic — The beliefs of an atheist and agnostic a very similar. An atheist is someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of God, while an agnostic believes nothing is known or can be known of the existence of God. These 15 professional athletes have made it known they are either an atheist or agnostic.

15. Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili

15. Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili — Four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA All-Star Manu Ginobili has seen a lot of success in professional basketball since being selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft. On a public Ginobili was a part of, he confirmed to a curious fan that he is indeed an atheist.

14. Frank Mir

Frank Mir

14. Frank Mir

Frank Mir — Former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir became the first fighter in any major fight organization to admit he is an atheist. When he’s not taking on fight opponents, Mir is reading up on philosophy, historical science and religion. He believes religion is nothing more than “the retarded stepchild of philosophy,” according to celebatheists.com.

13. Jason Miller

Jason Miller

13. Jason Miller

Jason Miller — MMA fighter Jason Miller has never been shy about being an atheist. When asked by MMA Fighting about being described as a devout atheist, he responded:
“Exactly what it sounds like. I don't believe in God, the common conception of a higher power.”

12. Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman

12. Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman — Former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman enlisted in the U.S. army shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The decision would eventually be a fatal one as he was killed in action by friendly fire. Tillman’s atheist views were the reason his brother became infuriated with politicians. At Tillman’s funeral, his brother made it very clear that Tillman is not with God because he was not religious. He was simply dead.

11. Robert Smith

Robert Smith

11. Robert Smith

Robert Smith — Former NFL running back and guest ESPN analyst Robert Smith has stated on more than one occasion that even though he’s an atheist, he has no problem that the players around him are religious. He has made it very clear he doesn’t want NFL players to be denied the provided religious services, even if he doesn’t believe in them.

10. Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso

10. Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso — Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has 32 wins in his impressive racing career. The two-time World Champion has made it clear that he has never wanted a relationship with God. He also doesn’t believe in a superior entity.

9. David Feherty

David Feherty

9. David Feherty

David Feherty — Former PGA Tour golfer and CBS Sports on-course reporter David Feherty has 10 professional wins in his career, including five on the European Tour. The self-proclaimed diehard atheist once said, “If God wanted people to believe in him, why’d he invent logic then?”

8. Fausto Coppi

8. Fausto Coppi - Copy

8. Fausto Coppi

8. Fausto Coppi — Cyclist Fausto Coppi has several major wins under his belt, including multiple Tour de France victories. Coppi’s rivalry with Gino Bartali was very intense, which was even more scrutinized because of religion. Coppi was an atheist who stayed true to his belief. The most extreme it got was when Pope Pius XII showed his support for the religious Bartali by refusing to bless a race that Coppi was to compete in.

7. Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo

7. Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo — Italian soccer player Riccardo Montolivo has publicly stated he’s an atheist. With that said, like Robert Smith, Montolivo won’t allow his own beliefs to get in the way of what his religious teammates believe. He made that perfectly clear when he kept his thoughts to himself when AC Milan met with Pope Francis.

6. Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards

6. Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards — As a former world record holder for the triple jump, Jonathan Edwards has seen plenty of success in his career, which includes a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The former devout Christian lost faith in God in 2007 and decided he would become an atheist. The announcement stunned his fans, especially since there was a point in time Edwards refused to compete on Sunday’s due to his religious beliefs.

5. Steve Austin

Steve Austin

5. Steve Austin

Steve Austin — Former WWE superstar Steve Austin has been very outspoken about his atheist beliefs. The confirmed atheist went off on churches for ruling strongly against same-sex marriage.
“What chaps my (expletive) is these churches have this high horse they get on and say, ‘we do not believe in that,’” Austin said in a YouTube video. “Which of these (expletive) talked to God and God said that same-sex marriage was a no can-do? Can you verify?”

4. Chris Kluwe

Chris Kluwe

4. Chris Kluwe

Chris Kluwe — Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has made a name for himself several different ways. The World of Warcraft enthusiast has never been shy about his personal views on anything. That especially includes his religious beliefs. Although he has spoken at events for atheism, he prefers to align himself with agnostic views.

3. Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee

3. Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee — Famous karate champion, mixed martial arts specialist and actor was a confirmed atheist. Back in the early 1970s, Lee responded to a question that his philosophy doesn’t coincide with Confucianism. When then asked if he believes in God, he responded that he does not. With that said, he was said to be a very spiritual man who simply wanted no part of an organized religion.

2. Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

2. Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong — Cyclist Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times, but unfortunately, all of the wins were stripped from him after it was revealed he was using performance-enhancing drugs during the same time period. Armstrong is a confirmed atheist who expresses his beliefs in a way that people have to be good, but not because an organized religion tells them to.

1. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal

1. Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal — Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal comes from a Catholic background, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering he’s from Spain. Despite being raised a Catholic, his religious views have changed over time. Nadal considers himself an agnostic because he doesn’t believe in God, but he would like to know if God does indeed exist.

Share On Facebook

Share