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May 2nd, 2013
12:52 PM ET
Ex-NFL player's support for gay NBA player apparently costs him church appearanceBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) – LeRoy Butler, a former safety for the Green Bay Packers, is one of many professional athletes to tweet support for Jason Collins, the NBA player who came out as gay this week. “Congrats to Jason Collins,” Butler tweeted April 29, the day Collins came out in a Sports Illustrated cover story. But Butler says the four-word tweet cost him a speaking appearance at a Wisconsin church. He was scheduled to speak at the church (whose name he has not revealed) about bullying and his new book, "The LeRoy Butler Story: From Wheelchair to the Lambeau Leap." That was until the church, according to Butler, told him he was no longer welcome because of his tweet in support of Collins. "The pastor called me and that's when we got into the old, the whole religion thing about gay people and things of that nature and the conversation just went back and forth for us a couple of minutes," Butler told Anderson Cooper on Thursday. After the exchange with the pastor, Butler took to twitter to express his frustration. Butler later tweeted that “some parents went to the church and complained about my tweet” supporting Collins. The church, according to Butler, said that if the football player apologized, he would be allowed to speak. "They basically said this, if you apologize, ask God for forgiveness and remove the tweet, you'll be able to do this speaking engagement with the kids," he said. "I won't do that. That's taking my dignity and respect away." He continued: "I told the pastor, blame it on my mom because my mom brought me up to love everybody." Butler recently tweeted that the church apologized for the incident and thanked him “for not releasing the church name.” Butler played 11 years, from 1990 to 2001, with the Packers and helped them win a Super Bowl in 1997. He was a four-time All-Pro selection, the highest honor for a year of work in the NFL, and is credited with inventing the Lambeau Leap, the iconic touchdown celebration in which a Packer leaps into the Lambeau Field stands to celebrate with fans. As for Butler's stance on gay athletes in professional sports, he said they have "support from straight guys like me that won't judge them." "If we win a Super Bowl ring, I don't care who you bring to the ring ceremony, I just want to win the ring," Butler said. "That's what it's all about. ... Isn't that what it's all about? Winning the championship? Not who is in my bed when I turn the lights out." Since retiring, Butler has been active in the Green Bay community, and his Facebook page chronicles appearances and speeches he has given to churches in the area. soundoff (3,002 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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They probably could have Tim Tebow for a lot less. 🙂
I can even undercut the Tbow, what with lower taxes and expenses and all. Heck, I even missed the "cash for clunkers" because they said I had to get er done, err there.
Based on your tweets, I wouldn't pay you more than 85 cents.
Religion = ROOT OF ALL EVIL
Organized religion. As per Butler's sweet – "FYI the fee was 8500$,then I was told if i removed the tweet, and apologize and ask god forgiveness, I can have the event, I said no" That's not God telling Leroy, that's the church. It's their right as an organization – but it makes them look dumb. God is great – what's we've done within the church setting in many cases is not.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:10
Amen.
I think it's absurd for a church to be $8500 to someone for a speaking appearance. Shouldn't that money go to feeding the homeless or providing clothes to poor children?
yes, yes it should... and that's why you'll never see my church paying anything for some football player to speak to a congregation.
you'd be crying if they gave him a tenor
Sponsors pay his fee and the church collects donations for the church. Don't take this as anything but a money making endeavor in the name of the lord.
And btw, good on Leroy Butler for having his own thoughts and beliefs, and not relying on a 2,000 year old fictional book.
Preacher could have put a nice down payment on a Mercedes.
Nice hotel room and an alter boy.
where are the violins?
"William Demuth
Tell your God to blow me.
I live and die as I see fit, without his blessing or input.
He is a coward who hides behind old ladies and pedophilles"
spell much?
al qaeda, did you curse out william defoe here? get on it kid
not to worry.he will gain more speaking engagements due to his non reactive comments to the "church"
Probably to LGBT friendly and focused churches.
The what?? LGBTIKHRCJFKELVISKEYBYOB?
Lesbian, Gay, Bise'xual and Transgendered.
For 7500 I can tell the church about the A&A's bullyin' on CNN's belief blogs.
Shove it, crybaby.
Feeeeelll da LUV!
EEEEeeeeeewww
Do u people ever STFU.
Why'd you click on the link?
What if a gay person is very generous, helps old people cross the road, gives 10% of their income to charity, is respectful to others, and is very loyal to their partner. Oh my god, now that person is better than ME and my hetero friends. But hey, it's ALL about se$xual orientation. That's WHAT makes the person!
no, it all has to do with the purpose of life
fred,
If the purpose of life is reproduction, both gays and lesbians can reproduce so that's invalid.
So what is the "purpose of life"?
And what does sexual orientation have to do with your purpose in life? NOTHING!
The mysterious purpose of life....oh yes......to procreate. I can think of no other reason to live. Dang, and I just got my teenager out of the house.
Please don't knock the comment on the purpose of life. It is valid – did you see Steve Martin in the show "The Jerk". That's what he concluded too – there's only one purpose.
I have a special purpose! It's great!!
Observer
The purpose of life in a marco sense is to reflect the glory of God through creation. By that I mean if God elected to do nothing then there would only be an eternal void throughout the abyss. The glory of God is the eternal manifestation of radiant creativity rooted in perfect goodness.
The purpose of life to the individual is a lifetime of opportunity to rid self of all that could never join with eternal goodness. The Bible likes to use the model of being like Christ and giving yourself to Christ.
I would just like to voice my support of LeRoy Butler. He did the right thing, all the way around this equation. The church better get its act together. To demonize a minority segment of the population because they are different, because of the way they are born is no different than discriminating against someone because of where they were born. A church that is not inclusive is a bit of a contradiction, isnt it? It's time for us to start questioning their values. In fact, it's long past time.
Agreed. he had his opinion, he expressed in a polite and appropriate manner. When an organization attempted to punish him for his opinion, he remained true to himself. Thats what this world needs more than anything right now, people who are true to what they believe is right. Too many people and groups feel they can buy and force opinions onto others, and its sad that so many of them are proven correct in their ability to do so.
The church can do what it wants. it's a free country. Unfortunately for it, it starts losing relevance when it keeps someone out JUST because they support somebody that they don't agree with. He wasn't going to give a sermon on how everybody should be gay. but hey, the church needs to be true to what it is even to it's own detriment. And I have the right to say organized religion is a bunch of bunk.
You have the right and I thank you for doing it. It's long past time to push back. Keep pushing
no sir bubub. keep your opinions to yourself. it is bad enough that you are a sick, demented, hateful bigot, but if you don't ram your views down our throats, you can hang here, for now
The hypocrisy of those who claim to be the most devout never ceases to amaze. Once again, organized religion shows its true colors.
Oh please. The church name is all over the interweb.
I think I'd be more upset that my church was blowing $8500 on a speaker.
Cry me a hand full LeRoy. What an egotistical , selfish, "look-at-me-everybody" spoiled pro football player. You want to extoll the virtues of sodomy, go ahead, but don't cry to the media when a church disinvites you for it.
Delusional hyperbole.
Oh, shove it.
Patrick Henry,
Millions of heteros engage in sodomy. Ask your male hetero friends.
He said congrats to a person, he isn't extolling to virtues of sodomy, you hysteric.
Funny, the only one I hear crying is you.
You are so not living up to your name. Who are you to tell people how to live? You are the problem.
🙂 🙁 🙂
Mr. Butler was an excellent football player, and is apparently a great role model for athletes who got so much from their fans. He is attempting to give back to his community by appearances to combat bullying. He has shown compassion to both a human being who follows a different role, and an organization that ridicules his personal beliefs. Too bad churches cannot live up to the preachings they so eaisly hand out. I hope the congregation of this church takes a long, hard look at themselves and decide if they want to follow the teachings of the man called Jesus or their own bigoted beliefs. In church, there is only room for one of those.
Another liberal diatribe. This football player is the best person in the whole world (crying), and the big, mean, evil church did something mean to him (crying even more)........
Patrick henry, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HJA HA HA HA, aw, is Doc being a little more like Jesus than you'd like, showing exceptance a fucking puke sick GOPTPer can't? Fuck you, conservitard. You're a dying breed.
Wheat among the tares will ever be up to the gardeners to decide when to pluck for many tares grow faster then the wheat and choke much, killing much goodly wheat before harvest time.
Uh, WHAT, lackluster? Maresy doats and dosey doats, you fucking retard.
Patrick Henry
Another liberal diatribe
No, another educated human being.
Giving back to the community??? For the low, low price of $8500 he was 'giving' back to the community... Riiiiightttt...
Like I made mention earlier,
Funny things gays. I was always under the impression that gays were the sky pilots of stoned towers,,,,, my bad,,, 🙁
They are fairy nice people many a gay is! Sorry God, didn't mean to infringe upon what those atheist fruit of the looms tell you out to be!
Do you really think this post is so witty and wise that you needed to repeat it? You are such a boomin' idiot.
Oh, go beat your brother up, gibberishboy.
Oh well..............Loony...........the fairy resides between your ears only !
Scientists Find Genes Linked to Human Neurological Disorders in Sea Lamprey Genome
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130224142915.htm
Shouldn't there be a "moral clause" against a church paying $8500 for a guest speaker..?
LeRoy, thanks for standing your ground against religious hypocrites!
Throwing up....
Patrick Henry,
See if you can vomit out some of your hypocrisy.
the lambs judgement is upon us! Just like Mcdonalds says, "Have it your way!"
Burger King says that, not McDonalds.
Do you get everything wrong?