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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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What book of the New Testament did Jesus say "Hate who I tell you to"?
Do not believe people hate gays-just the lifestyle. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Get it? Why is this so hard for gays to comprehend? Christians are supposed to refrain from sin to the best of their ability (with God's help)-the gay lifestyle is a sin.
@worktolive – In that case why are they attacking the people themselves? Instead of showing compasion, and moral living, they are showing hate and intolerance. You can hate my "sin" all you want, but for you to impose your beliefs on me, without my choice in the matter, not only are you going against your beliefs, you are going against God himself (since by your belief it was God, and not man, who gave us the freedom of choice). It isn't up to YOU to make choices for ME, or force me to only have one choice. It is up to ME to make that choice. Your choice is whether to follow God's guidance and allow us to make those choices.
This is a real man. Secure enough in himself to stand up for what is right. Not afraid to show love and tolerance, even in the face of certain criticism. Kind of like Jesus (or at least, the stories we're told about the guy they call Jesus). Nothing like a little humanity to bring things into perspective.
WOW.....REALLY????
Even though i am not a christian, the good bible has said clearly
Thou shall not steal
Thou shall not fornicate
the good book has been clearly on gays, but the problem with most Christians is that they try to twist its meaning to accommodate their own bad ways and which is why I am not a christian, The church is right not allowing this speaker
WOW .....REALLY???? ( This response is for Jubril, not for OpenEye, with whom I agree).
The above post was meant for Jubril, not OpenEye, with whom I agree.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Can we go back to some good ole basketball and stay away from who's screwing who or who's gay and who's not. Leave that to the colorful gay world.
When they are given equal rights then people will shut up about it.
@Truth,
What 'rights' are not extended to gay athletes? This anouncement was not about 'rights', it was about some guy coming out of the closet to the professional world, which I as a sports fan don't care about. Just play basketball and do whatever else it is you do off the court.
Doc: I know what the article is about. However, it was stated to leave it to the colorful gay world...how exactly is that not stepping on the rights?? It's basically the same as saying: keep it to yourselves, we don't care.
Nuthin' like the se*xually challenged to bring out the hate in the race against the creator. Bigot is the chant. Must be a Strong drive. Chimps seem to do OK, BTW.
How many times do you have to go SPLAT to figure it out lol??
By the way lol?? gravity is noy up for debate !
Splat goes a fairy in the sky !...............bye bye tinker bell !
Einstein's Gravity Theory Passes Toughest Test Yet
Apr. 25, 2013 — A strange stellar pair nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth has provided physicists with a unique cosmic laboratory for studying the nature of gravity. The extremely strong gravity of a massive neutron star in orbit with a companion white dwarf star puts competing theories of gravity to a test more stringent than any available before
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142250.htm
This illustrates how religion seeks to control the minds of its followers. They never allow competing options to be heard because they fear their followers might think for themselves. If they started to think for themselves, they would certainly kick their religion to the curb.
Exactly, f***ing idiots man
Religion at it's finest here. It saddens me that we will never see an world without these fables dictating how people treat one another.
One word EVOLUTION. Religion and that book is BULLSH**. Science got us here, I'm tired of seeing close minded sheep who are controlled by religion talk like they know it all. Church is nothing but a business, OPEN YOUR MIND!
Mosstrates en cuenta de los mavilles nos llevaran al monte de la luna negra! Beware old boy!
Speak English jack ass and go read a book other than that stupid bible
Oh Dre......you have no idea the languages I know. You on the other hand sure sounds like your IQ needs help.
I can careless what languages you speak, that doesn't mean your wise or smart. Maybe you should OPEN YOUR MIND and stop being trapped in that religious mind frame. It's all a lie
You sound so sure, but you have doubts and you very well know it.
Doubts? I can assure you that there is not ONE doubt in my mind whatsoever! But I'm definitely sure you have plenty of them. I was just like you before so I've been in your position.. but I woke up
Woke up from what? A night of smoking laced weed?
Lol woke up from that bullsh** religion you all are trapped under but see some people like yourselves will NEVER understand or know the truth of it all and I don't smoke weed
I DON'T SMOKE WEED....sure you don't.
Lol because you smoke doesn't mean everybody else does, genius
All this talk just because some idiot comes out and says "I'm gay" who really gives a fat F....just play basketball and never mind what kind of meat you like. Don't want to hear about it.
Do not confuse religion and The Bible, as they are two very different things. The religions of Christendom have been lying for over 1700 years about what The Bible says for their own selfish gain; greed for money and lust for power. Revelation tells us that very shortly the U.N. will destroy all of the churches.
Don: The problem is that no-one can know what the true interpretation of the buybull is given how many times it has been translated.
If you're gonna go against the word of Christ, might as well go somewhere else. A sin is a sin no matter how much you dance around it.
Nobody's dancing around it, we're just ignoring your irrational and bigoted belief. As it should be ignored.
Lol
There's no such thing as sin
Both of you sound insecure. That's what happens to a lost soul that thinks we came from the monkey. One day you'll understand but you have to grow up first.
Would that be the same "christ" who ordered his gang of thugs to murder anybody who wouldn;t worship him? The guy who (if he'd ever existed) would almost certainly have been gay?
Connie,
Atheists don't necessarily have to believe in evolution.
Same for Christians who don't have to believe that God, who came up with original designs like for elephants and giraffes, ran out of new ones and so pretty much just copied an ape to make his greatest creation.
Lol so let me get this straight....we were "created" from dust in the form of god? Lmao at that! It's called EVOLUTION, science. It sounds like that book has turned you into a lost soul not me buddy
Dave....put down the Mad Magazines dude! Time to wise up. You have no idea when you live in fantasy.
Observer,
Exactly!
if the Bible's right, and we're created in God's image, why does God need eyebrows or nose hairs? Or a spleen?
Why does God need an Appendix? We don't even need the thing. What about the Coccyx? Why does God need a small part of a tail? Why does God need hemoglobin? Why doe God need an iris? Does God see in the same part of the electromagnetic spectrum we do? Since He exists outside the physical reality we participate in, why would he need ears to hear sound waves in a gaseous atmosphere? These are things I guess makes me think we made God in OUR image, and not the other way around.
Translation of Connie's post: I don't understand Evolution, therefore god. Sadly that lack of understanding also equates to incest, 2 people and their off-spring to populate the world.
Hey Connie..........rather read the fossil records. from Wisconsin. than the nasty bible...................... education works for
children !
First Snapshot of Organisms Eating Each Other: Feast Clue to Smell of Ancient Earth
Apr. 29, 2013 — Tiny 1,900 million-year-old fossils from rocks around Lake Superior, Canada, give the first ever snapshot of organisms eating each other and suggest what the ancient Earth would have smelled like.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130429154107.htm
Thank you Mr. Butler for demonstrating your integrity, compassion and tolerance.
And all the LOVE in the world.....you forgot to mention that.
And all because some idiot comes out and says "I'm GAY" who care....just play basketball and never mind what you kind of meat you like. Don't need to hear about it. Only in AMERICA.
Good for him, standing his ground and refusing to bow to the prejudice of a craven gang of bigots.
There is no god and there is no hell.....
I bet your nights are restless......you sound a bit insecure.
So... he told the pastor to blame it on his mom who raised him that way (in ignorance). Wow... really, really! His understanding and interpretation of love is as twisted as it gets. To love people does NOT means to be an abettor, accomplice and partaker of their wrongdoings. That's just plain ignorance of the Scriptures not love. Well done by the church who cancelled his speech, at least they corrected the mistake of inviting him in the first place.
Salero21,
Yep. Don't be ignorant of the Bible. Bring back slavery.
Better a good person in hell than a hateful, bigoted christian in heaven.
Solero, you're one of the serious problems this country has. A bigoted, opinionated, uneducated, religious asshole.
Super ignorant and Super stupid replies from stupid atheists. Can anyone understand now why I have to say that atheism is stupidity in Full bloom? I mean, it just doesn't get any more stupid than what these replies are showing. They speak for themselves.
AAMIN!
We cannot celebrate sin and glorify open rebellion against God.
Just because it's trendy and cute to twitter about doesn't make it moral or right.
We cannot celebrate sin and glorify open rebellion against God.
Just because it's trendy and cute to twitter about doesn't make it moral or right.
Salero21,
Speaking of STUPID, the Bible supports slavery and discrimination against women and the handicapped.
Why not read it SOMEDAY?
You have some serious issues. How is Butler being an aider, abettor, or accomplice by loving people the way they are instead of casting judgment on them like you do even though you're not God?
Butler is not playing pimp by finding mates for gay people.
But way to go twisting the whole the around to make you sound like you're high and mighty and holier than thou. You're not.
People like you really need to get over yourselves and your constant need to try and play God. When you try to do you just make yourself out to be a far lesser man than those you're trying to criticize.
Observer
You are more intelligent then to make that statement. That is like saying the U.S. Army code of conduct supports scalping Indians. That's right go back to the early days in America and the Army training that supported scalping Indians. Now, get real and stop with the Atheist.com sound bites. It is ridiculous and degrading for you because you know better.
I suspect you even understand the economy in the days of the Egyptian dominance.
fred,
Get serious. Are you saying God is smarter now and so has changed his mind?
Are you saying that God really opposed slavery but supported it to be politically correct?
I quote what the Bible says and you say I should be smarter than that. You really didn't think that through.
FRed,
Right on target. Observer dissembles constantly here.
He is the King of the non sequitors
So you base everything on 2000 year-old+ writings, and accuse others of ignorance....that's cute. Bet you believe the earth is 6000 years old too. Only in America....
Duke university raised tuition to pay for se.x change operations for people who want them.. We went from gay "gene" to hormone levels suddenly.........they have to be born that way to justify this mess.
What a bunch of liberal garbage. ! This has nothing to do with discrimination. This has to do with what is right, and what is wrong.
Observer,
You can't be serious.
Waht a flimsy house of cards you live in.
The Bible condemns slavery...Jesus came to liberate people and he did...
It is unbelievers like you who are slaves to your own prejudice and selfish desires.
Douglas,
lol. "non sequitors"?
I quote what the Bible says and you can't handle it.
Douglas,
Have you actually read a Bible?
It gives INSTRUCTIONS on how badly you can hurt your SLAVE without any PUNISHMENT.
Get serious. Get a Bible.
He mom raised him "in ignorance." That isn't what I read here. He said his mom raised him to love and respect everyone. If loving and respecting everyone is "ignorant," then I'm glad I'm one of the "ignorant" because I would surely despise being enlightened but filled with hate.
Salero21,
How about reading a book sometime? Perhaps you can start with the Bible. There you can learn something about that worthless evil s o b god you so adamantly defend.
Hail, hail, fire and snow, call the angel, we will go, far away, for to see, friendly angel come to me.
Doogie, fred amd sally ............all sitting in a tree..............K-I-S-S-I-N-G .....how sweet ......befoe they go splat !
By the way how many times you going to splat before you 3 figure it out ?
Splat goes a fairy in the sky !...............bye bye tinker bell !
Einstein's Gravity Theory Passes Toughest Test Yet
Apr. 25, 2013 — A strange stellar pair nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth has provided physicists with a unique cosmic laboratory for studying the nature of gravity. The extremely strong gravity of a massive neutron star in orbit with a companion white dwarf star puts competing theories of gravity to a test more stringent than any available before
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130425142250.htm
And by the way doogie, fred, and sally gravity is not up for deabte !
No fairy in the sky !
Oops............... debate.
By the way thanks for the help fred. doogie amd sally bill too !
In fact Bill here it is copied and pasted here ok !
Hey James Madison................religion has none it looks like.............with the comments on this blog.
The Big question is ETHICS ! does religion have any ?
The Ethics of Resurrecting Extinct Species
Apr. 8, 2013 — At some point, scientists may be able to bring back extinct animals, and perhaps early humans, raising questions of ethics and environmental disruption.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130408165955.htm
April 30, 2013 at 4:16 pm | Report abuse |
May 1, 2013 at 12:42 pm | Report abuse |
Congrats? What the hell is everyone congratulating him for?
For having the courage to be honest in the face of all the hateful, ignorant bigots, many of whom call themselves christians.
tallulah13
Aw shucks you just painted a class of people with the same broad brush. Guess we have an old tribal instinct that makes us group people into us and them so that wars can result to keep the population in check.
In the liberal world, anything goes to get a "congratulations" out of simply nothing. Hug a tree! Congratulations! Hug a bear....oh wait, a bear can and will kill you just like that moron in Alaska.
Man wrote the bible. Only close minded people follow a stupid book full of bullsh** telling you what you can and cannot do in order to be in paradise in the afterlife.. lol are you serious?! What a bunch of idiots
JavaPlain,
In the conservative world of HYPOCRISY, you pick on gays while ignoring that there are FAR FAR MORE Christians who commit adultery by divorcing and remarrying (unless the previous spouse already was an adulterer) than there are TOTAL numbers of gays and lesbians.
@Dre...Dude you sound ANGRY....maybe you should read the Bible and set your mind at ease. The devil is making you uneasy.
Lol another sheep whom is controlled by a book of BS and no I'm not angry, I'm very happy. I've read the bible and don't plan on reading it ever again, maybe you should OPEN YOUR MIND someday it's really refreshing
@Dre....You may have read a book but it sure doesn't sound like you read a Bible. You're in denial DUDE, that's okay you'll grow up one day.
All I can do is laugh at the oblivious like yourself lol you have NO idea dude. You're living one big fat lie
I was just like you before but I found the truth in it all...maybe, hopefully one day you too will find out, just maybe...
I remember that idiot hugging bears in Alaska. And then he got munched on. Poor bear, he ate the wrong meat.
Dre..win
Bengay..lose
But keep playing
God hating Nazis expect real people to buy their bull crap. They are so incredibly stupid.
Skull collapsing big bill dehaven?
Still not bright enough to know Nazis were last significant 60 years ago?
Recommendation: read "History for Dummies".
Obvious troll is obvious. And rather boring.
The Nazis were not "god hating". Try reading "Mein Kampf" or looking at Hitler's speeches. You'll find that Hitler and the Nazis were, in their own words, "doing the work of our Savior". Might I suggest a history class or two when you finally make it out of grade school?
Hitler wrote his books on his own beliefs and point of views. Not on what is written in the Bible. Here's a suggestion, go to Bible studies when you get a chance.
Ben, I spent over a decade trpaped within the prison walls of religious school. I know what your book says, and I know the history of Christianity quite well. It did NOT take long at all for the slogan "Convert or DIE" to become the mantra of the church.
you are a great friend and a real man. "god" loves you loads!
everyone...START HATING ALL christian churches THAT PROMOTE HATE.
No need to hate anyone, just avoid them. Bigotry thrives when good people go along with it instead of showing their displeasure. Just stop hanging around with bigots, even if that means leaving your church.
Oh here we go again! How much more hypocritical can someone get? So you want to promote hate, because in your pea brain calling things by their name is promoting hate.
Name a dozen
IT MUST BE ONE OF THOSE SO CALLED christian churches....they seem to believe GOD hates everyone except them....
they will all go straight to hell...where they belong!
I'd say too bad there isn't a Hell, but nobody deserves that. Only a sick mind would even allow a place like Hell to exist.
Nah. Not everyone. Every other one and you
Nah. Not everyone. Every other one and you. Lol
Collins...Packer...BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Collins Fudge Packer
Cain
Grow up.
This is an eye opener. People need to take a deep look into the values of the organizations they support.