Rev. Van Ens,
What sports does God like? Really? Most monotheistic religions teach God is an all-merciful, all-wise, and all-just incorporeal entity who resides, in some fashion, in all of us. God doesn't pick sides -- in sports, politics, or war.
Whether to eat shellfish or not seems a trivial matter for a religion column -- unless the column seeks to inform a newspaper's readers why religions create dietary or clothing restrictions.
You mentioned women's suffrage and women's rights. You could have mentioned how society should handle abortion, the role of gay people in society, how religion and government should relate to each other, what religion has to offer regarding ethics or morality.
But, if religion columns were arguing that God favors the Denver Broncos or the Houston Astros, maybe there's a reason religion columns are on the decline.