Re : Christian witness and a homosexual basketball player The problem isn't that Chris Broussard is a Christian sportscaster who cites the Bible. The problem is that to cite the Bible as a political reference, and in lieu of discussion of relevant testimony of psychology or social science, is heavy handed. And in Broussard's case there was also apologetics involved, and the muddy-the-waters effect when dragging in to the conversation such things as pre-marital sex among heterosexuals. In other words, like all too many Christians, Broussard is uninformed and has no base of real-world knowledge to use in discussing the issue of homosexuality. In the end he merely witnessed for his private sense of morality as if nothing else was relevant except religious faith. Being a Christian means never having to say 'I studied' ? Not that anyone expects a sportscaster to be an experienced behavioral science researcher. However, PE degrees do include at least some behavioral science --it is part of sports analysis-- and any college degree should provide sufficient background to do the basics and to make yourself informed about any issue you decide to take a public stand on. At that , a degree is far less important than motivation to want to become informed, and making an effort to do so. Even as a Christian, however, Broussard dropped the ball. Since when is heterosexual sin in the same category as something the Bible labels an "abomination," a term used only for the most heinous of actions ? Not that I accept their classification system but Catholics, as I see it, have the idea basically right when they differentiate between mortal sins and venial sins. Among mortal sins there needs to be further differentiation since some sins are unspeakably evil, like murder and homosexuality. "Contextualizing" homosexuality by lumping it along with a man and woman shacking up without benefit of nuptials is also contrary to cases of sex outside of marriage commented on in parts of the Bible, which are put in a very different category than sodomy. Contextulaizing is also politically Very Stupid. News flash : It isn't only fire breathing Atheists who have sex outside of marriage, this custom is also indulged in by a goodly number of Christians and even the Apostle Paul commented on it and gave (at least grudging) approval if, anyway, it led to marriage. Large majorities of Americans are approving of unmarried heterosexual sex and to associate these people with homosexuals is self-defeating. It reminds me of a true-believer woman I once met who wanted to use the occasion of alarm --at the time-- about AIDS to campaign against husbands and wives in normal marriages having oral sex as part of their fun. You can almost hear a chorus of husbands say : You mean that if I want to oppose homosexuals then I must also tell my wife that she cannot give me blow jobs any more ? In other words, Broussard was not very smart. Yes, the thrust of the American Spectator article is for the good. However, the writer also leaves out factors of considerable importance. When fighting the good fight, dammit, get it right. Billy ==================================== American Spectator _A Sportscaster Comes Out As Christian_ (http://spectator.org/archives/2013/05/01/a-sportscaster-comes-out-as-ch) By _George Neumayr_ (http://spectator.org/people/george-neumayr) on 5.1.13 @ 6:11AM But then is told to go back into the closet.
As homosexuals come out of the closet, Christians go into it. “Authenticity” is highly prized in society today, provided that what one feels falls safely within the dictates of political correctness. Sports analyst Chris Broussard stepped briefly outside of the Christian closet on Monday and paid the price for it. “Personally I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly premarital sex [lifestyle] between heterosexuals. If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that’s a sin,” Broussard said on ESPN. “If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be. I think that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.” ESPN, not long thereafter, apologized for permitting these remarks to disrupt Monday’s canonization: “We regret that a respectful discussion of personal viewpoints became a distraction from today’s news. ESPN is fully committed to diversity and welcomes Jason Collins’ announcement.” Naturally, a Soviet-style clarification was in order from the guilty party, and Broussard supplied it via Twitter by Monday night: “Today on [ESPN], as part of a larger, wide-ranging discussion on today’s news, I offered my personal opinion as it relates to Christianity, a point of view that I have expressed publicly before. I realize that some people disagree with my opinion and I accept and respect that. As has been the case in the past, my beliefs have not and will not impact my ability to report on the NBA. I believe Jason Collins displayed bravery with his announcement today and I have no objection to him or anyone else playing in the NBA.” This may not be sufficient. The columnist H.L. Mencken defined American puritanism as the “haunting fear that someone, somewhere is having a good time. ” Political correctness, as the new puritanism, harbors the haunting fear that someone, somewhere is holding a Christian thought. Broussard, if he wishes to continue his career in sports journalism, will have to undergo PC-style reparative therapy and adopt a more appropriate level of enthusiasm when future canonizations of homosexual athletes occur. Unlike his colleagues, he failed to treat the news like a moon landing. It was so important that it warranted a presidential phone call. And he failed to compare Collins to Jackie Robinson. This was “enormous” news, decreed the media. Except it wasn’t. One detected considerable straining in the accounts as the reporters piled up the qualifiers: Collins is not the first homosexual athlete but the “first active male athlete in a major U.S. professional sports league to come out of the closet,” as the Washington Post put it. Complicating that heavily qualified distinction is that he is not active. He is a free agent who, prior to this announcement, may not have played again. “He’ s towards the end of his career and not that good anymore,” said Broussard. Perhaps Broussard will have to apologize for that judgment too. The media prides itself on the total lack of skepticism when stories like this one break, giving them a Pravda-style rollout. All the propaganda pieces fell into place perfectly, all duly reported by the media: the presidential phone call, a supportive pat on the back from the First Lady, the praise of Kobe Bryant, Bill Clinton, and America’s other moral giants, an adulatory Good Morning America interview. Broussard spoiled the festivities by bringing up God, whose celebrity continues to dim. The ruminations of rappers and reality stars now count for more than passages from the Bible. Last week the media informed those perplexed by the FBI’s lax oversight of the Boston bombers that good Americans shouldn’t care what people think, that the FBI was right not to give heightened scrutiny to people who dabble in jihadist thought. But that same media takes a great deal of interest in the thinking of Christians and monitors them very carefully. Christians, unless they change their thoughts, don’t belong in public life, according to America’s ruling class. They are “un-American,” as actor Tom Hanks once put it in an unguarded moment. Bill O’Reilly is also concerned that “thumping the Bible” somehow lowers our public discourse. Who needs the word of God when we have the tweets of Michelle Obama? From now on, Christian Broussard will be expected to leave his Bible in the closet. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
