# John 3:16 signs at sports events **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 1999, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727 "1999-10-05T06:42:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![1420Vel.GN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/35a633/32.png) [@1420Vel.GN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1420Vel.GN)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/1 "1999-10-05T06:42:00Z")
what does this mean? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/2 "1999-10-05T06:51:00Z")
What does John 3:16 mean? It’s a Bible quote. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, or something close to that. * * * Cessandra [My Homepage](http://www.shsu.edu/~stdmed17/Home.html) [The RHPS: Website For Virgins](http://www.shsu.edu/~stdmed17/RockyHome.html) **Both Updated More Often Than This Sig** ---
**Author:** ![Geetsbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Geetsbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geetsbone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/3 "1999-10-05T06:58:00Z")
good quote! ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/4 "1999-10-05T07:07:00Z")
the original guy–in the rainbow wig, back in the 70s&80s–was a mentally unstable religious pothead by the name of Rollen Stewart. He later was involved in a hostage arisis and is in jail for it. Cecil wrote about it briefly. If you ever get a chance to read his story in full, do it. I find him to be a Flannery O’Connor character come to life. The people doing it now are copycats who want you to be curious enough to open your Bible and start reading. * * * “It all started with marbles in school…” ---
**Author:** ![1420Vel.GN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/35a633/32.png) [@1420Vel.GN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1420Vel.GN)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/5 "1999-10-05T07:44:00Z")
Furt, it worked, but failed. Well I don’t have a bible, but my friend looked it up. Said something like what Cessandra said, so it worked in that it got me to open and read some of the book, but failed because it did not seem to make any sense and I’m not likely to open the book again. Could it mean that they love the game enough to give their son? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/6 "1999-10-05T08:35:00Z")
2 Nephi 2:25 (also known as II Nephi 2:115) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/7 "1999-10-05T09:17:00Z")
Heres the link to the column that Cecil wrote about the Rainbow haired guy who popularized the John 3:16 signs. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/971107.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/971107.html) And you will note that it does read _“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,”_ etc. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/8 "1999-10-05T12:21:00Z")
The quote in the Bible is " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life" I did not know the story about the original sports event guy though. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/9 "1999-10-05T13:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Could it mean that they love the game enough to give their son? Wasn’t there a movie called The Game, perhaps something similar, in which the hunters were hunting people? ---
**Author:** ![BenDover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BenDover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenDover)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/10 "1999-10-05T14:52:00Z")
I was taught, in the good old Southern Baptist Church, that John 3:16 states the only real requirement for entering heaven. IIRC, the verse reads “For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life.” The churches I attended as a child interpreted this to mean that as long as you believe that Jesus existed, was the son of God, and died for you sins, you would go to heaven. You didn’t have to be Baptist, you didn’t have to be baptized, you didn’t have to go to church - just believe. I was taught that this was the most important verse in the Bible and the key to salvation, so I’m assuming that the sign-holders have a similar belief, and are hoping you will be curious, look up the verse, be converted by the simplicity of the message, and be allowed into heaven. Along with them, of course. * * * The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. - Henry Van Dyke ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/11 "1999-10-05T15:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Wasn’t there a movie called The Game, perhaps something similar, in which the hunters were hunting people? There is a movie with Michael Douglas called The Game. Is this what you are thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/12 "1999-10-05T15:30:00Z")
_Diane: There is a movie with Michael Douglas called The Game. Is this what you are thinking of?_ For anyone who wonders: **great movie!** Worth the rental price! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/13 "1999-10-05T16:14:00Z")
No no no. Monty means THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, made in 1932 by Ernest B. Schoedsack, starring Joel McCrae, Leslie Banks, and Fay Wray. Based on the short story of the same name by Richard Connell. Banks plays Count Zaroff, a master hunter who lures ships to his island, then tracks down his captives like wild animals. The story’s been filmed several times, but this is the one to watch. They used the KING KONG sets, BTW. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/14 "1999-10-05T16:15:00Z")
Sorry. McCrea would be the proper spelling. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/15 "1999-10-05T19:20:00Z")
And of course there’s the other famous Bible passage popular at baseball games, from Genesis. ## In the Big Inning… Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![Seraphim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Seraphim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seraphim)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/16 "1999-10-05T21:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Wasn’t there a movie called The Game, perhaps something similar, in which the hunters were hunting people? There’s a movie called “Surviving the Game” with that same plot, starring Ice-T and Charles S. Dutton. Was that what you were thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/17 "1999-10-05T21:28:00Z")
There was also a recent movie called _The Freak_ or _The Fool_ or something stupid, and it was a Jim Carey/Adam Sandler-type version of _The Most Dangerous Game_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/18 "1999-10-05T21:56:00Z")
There was a Van Damme movie (forgive me) called _Hard Target_ where rich people could hunt homeless people. Bright spot: Wilford Brimley was Van Damme’s ally! * * * “It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument” - William McAdoo ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 1999, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/19 "1999-10-06T02:30:00Z")
Ike: Thanks. The movie you described is the one of which I was thinking. Manhattan: If there is no pit of fire and brimstone, there should be; of course, to punish you for that pun. (Just kidding. I loved it!) ---
**Author:** ![1420Vel.GN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/35a633/32.png) [@1420Vel.GN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1420Vel.GN)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 1999, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727/20 "1999-10-06T02:31:00Z")
Thanks for the info. There was also an episode of Gilligan’s Island where a hunter hunted Gilligan because he was growing tired of “regular” game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-3-16-signs-at-sports-events/3727.md?page=2)