God's place is in heaven, not deciding NBA Finals

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard was asked a simple question. Howard's answer shockingly veered off into some potentially highly controversial -- if not offensive -- territory.

Does God have the time to care about Dwight Howard's chances to win a title? (Getty Images)

Why, Howard was asked, should the Orlando Magic be picked by the media or others to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers?

"God," was Howard's response.

He apparently wasn't joking. Howard was claiming that God favored the Magic.

Howard was given a chance to reconsider his words. He didn't hesitate. "That's the reason" the Magic would win, Howard continued, according to ESPN. "I'm telling you."

•   Game 6: Magic 103, Cavs 90 | Nelson may return

And here we are again. Another athlete unwisely sticks God into a place where She doesn't belong.

God? God is the reason the Magic are going to win? God cares about who wins a basketball game? Really? Really?

And why exactly would God root against the Lakers? Does God hate actors? Is God not a Jack Nicholson fan? Did God disapprove of Dyan Cannon's last movie?

According to Howard, this is how God thinks. ...

Apostles: "Who you pulling for in the championship, big fella?"
God: "Not the Lakers, that's for sure."
Apostles: "Why?"
God: "Even I find Kobe insufferable."
Apostles: "You're on the side of the Magic?"
God: "Absolutely, so for the time being, I'm going to cease all attempts to end human suffering and halt my round trips across the cosmos so I can focus fully on the NBA Finals and do everything in my vast power to insure an Orlando victory. Go Magic!"

The only thing God-like about either the Magic or the Lakers is that Phil Jackson thinks he's God.

Otherwise, God couldn't care less about a basketball game and God certainly doesn't care about who wins one.

Some of you faux outrage generators will claim I'm mocking religion. Years of Catholic school would make me feel too much guilt for ridiculing anyone's faith. I'm not mocking religion. I'm mocking Howard. I'm using Howard's grossly flawed logic to make a point.

If I were a member of the Lakers -- particularly if I was of strong religious faith -- Howard's comments would be highly offensive.

In effect, Howard is saying that God favors the Magic, which ostensibly means Howard believes the Magic are somehow more worthy of God's backing than the Lakers.

Thus if God wants Orlando to win, does that mean Satan is pushing for the Lakers?

Or just the New Jersey Devils?

We see false choices and demagoguery in political debates and throughout the culture wars but, please, I'm begging Howard and everyone else to keep such things out of sports.

God has other great concerns besides Howard's scoring average, such as war, pestilence, disease, poverty and American Idol.

•  Series: Magic 4, Cavs 2

Again, false outrage generators, don't twist my words into mocking religion or Howard's faith. I'm simply ridiculing the notion of believing that God is on the side of the Magic.

Howard is extremely bright and should know better. Yet I saw something like this coming from him. After every playoff victory, before meeting the press, Howard thanked God. I always felt Howard was thanking God for the fact he and his teammates emerged from the game healthy, which would be honorable.

Then came Howard's statement after Orlando's Game 7 win over Boston.

"First, I want to thank God, man, because without Him none of this would be possible," Howard said. "I told my guys before the game if we come out, we play 100 percent, play hard for 48 minutes, then God is gonna do the rest, and He did tonight. We got a good victory; man ... it's all because of Him."

It seems that God hates the Celtics, too.

Howard believes that God is his team's sole supporter. Or, should I say, soul supporter.

If God really favored Howard and the Magic, God would make it so Howard connected on more free throws.

Faith is a powerful force. In its sincerest form it can change the world for the better. Faith has also been utilized as a tool to divide and oppress. It is in that form when some begin to believe their God is the better God.

How does Howard know what God thinks or wants? Did God tell Howard He's a Magic fan?

Also -- and this is just a guess -- there's probably a player or two on the Lakers who believe that God wants the Lakers to be victorious. So there's that.

Around and around we can go. God wants the Yankees to beat the Red Sox. God is a Dallas Cowboys fan. God must obviously be angry with the city of Cleveland. Yes, indeed, around and around we can go down this dangerous path.

Howard's religious beliefs are important, but they are starting to cross the line into wholesale arrogance.

And that emotion is quite un-Godly.