An evolution in sports, but not in religion

As most have heard, earlier this week Jason Collins, NBA player for the Washington Wizards, openly came out as gay. He is the first player to come out in the "Big 4" sports in America (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL), making it a monumental step forward for gay rights and acceptance.  Sports are generally considered masculine, and a stereotype of gay people is that they are fluffy and not tough. So, with Jason Collins coming out as gay, this can hopefully help change that stereotype.

However, gay rights are not accepted in many churches, making the issue more complex. An article from USA Today talks about how LeRoy Butler of the Green Bay Packers gave support to Collins through a tweet, and in turn a Wisconsin church revoked Butler's event he was set to speak at.

The tweet from Butler was "Congrats to Jason Collins," a nice nod to a player who took a risk for a greater cause. The Wisconsin church, which remains unnamed, immediately told Butler if he did not apologize to God and take back his congratulation, he would have to pay a $8500 fine and his event would be cancelled. Butler said no.

I am a Christian myself, but the response of this church is ridiculous in my opinion. I like to think of myself, as well as other Christians, as being open and loving people. I have been taught that everyone is loved by God, and the response of this church is out of line in my humbled opinion.

Gay rights is the next big social movement in America, and hiccups like this show that not everyone is in favor of the movement. Jason Collins is a brave man, coming out in the testosterone heavy world of sports, and LeRoy Butler did the right thing too by not taking back his comment. Religion needs to evolve, and discriminating against gays is not a step in the right direction.