"Church Night" drags Phoenix Suns into Gay Marriage debate

AZCentral.com ^

[jmcclain19]

The Phoenix Suns are embroiled in a battle between a conservative religious group and some Valley churches over anti-gay-marriage literature that accompanied invitations to "Church Night" at a March basketball game.

The Suns dropped the Center for Arizona Policy as its "Church Night" sponsor for the March 19 game after several Valley clergy members complained about invitation packages sent by the Suns and the center.

[vpintheak]

The world hates us, Jesus said it himself. This is another example of the worlds hate. We will continue to stand strong, and know that we will prevail.

[Jaded]

Sounds like some of the pastors are trying to create God in their own image. The suns are going right along. Can't upset the people who buy the tickets.

[ppaul]

The homos have "dragged" everybody into this debate.....

Thursday, January 15, 2004, 12:00 A.M. Pacific

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001836932_episcopal15.html

Breakaway Episcopalian plan revealed in paper

[ppaul]

ping.

[ppaul]

The Rev. Peggy Roberts, pastor of Palo Cristi Presbyterian Church and president of No Longer Silent, called Munsil's comments "frightening." "This issue goes to the core of what we believe about ourselves and God," she said.

Yep.

[hunter112]

I guess you can't have it both ways, trying to develop a gay fan base for a WNBA team, and having "Church Night". What did management think would happen?

I'm disturbed when anything outside, from sexual politics, to ethnic and religious influences try to have an undue role in sports. I wonder how the guy who always waves the "John 3:16" banner at NFL games would feel if I sat in the front pew of his church and waved a Seahawks pennant as his preacher is trying to give a sermon?

[ppaul]

I wonder how the guy who always waves the "John 3:16" banner at NFL games would feel if I sat in the front pew of his church and waved a Seahawks pennant as his preacher is trying to give a sermon?

Huh?

[highlander_UW]

I'm disturbed when anything outside, from sexual politics, to ethnic and religious influences try to have an undue role in sports. I wonder how the guy who always waves the "John 3:16" banner at NFL games would feel if I sat in the front pew of his church and waved a Seahawks pennant as his preacher is trying to give a sermon?

You mean outside of sports such as cultivating a lesbian fan base for the WNBA team?

[hunter112]

That's specifically what I meant when I said, "sexual politics". It also includes trying to market to one gender in a way that seems exclusionary to the other gender. Fine for women's sports to send athletes out to inspire girls sports teams in high schools, but if they send a WNBA star to a small high school, they'd go a long way towards future fan base, if they included both boys and girls in whatever event that was held.

[hunter112]

Huh?

Have you seen an NFL game on TV? Sometimes you see it on the kickoff, or a punt, but usually, there's some guy in the end zone seats who's holding up some Bible verse banner, and waving it wildly while a kicker is either trying for a field goal, or a point-after-touchdown. It happens in every NFL stadium. No football-oriented twist to the religious message, just an attempt to make heavenly brownie points with an attempt to get the message out on TV.

[highlander_UW]

That's specifically what I meant when I said, "sexual politics". It also includes trying to market to one gender in a way that seems exclusionary to the other gender. Fine for women's sports to send athletes out to inspire girls sports teams in high schools, but if they send a WNBA star to a small high school, they'd go a long way towards future fan base, if they included both boys and girls in whatever event that was held.

Thanks for the clarification. There was a WNBA team in the city I live near, and I had thought to take my kids to a few games because the ticket prices were less and I thought to support a new league would be fine...but then I saw a few stories on the news and noticed that a large contingent of the WNBA fans were rather flamboyantly displaying homosexual behavior at the games. I'm not going to spend my money to expose my children to someone else's deviant behavior.

So, bottom line, the WNBA gained 2 lesbians and lost a parent and 2 children as ticket sales. They will have to work 150% harder to develop that lesbian base to make up for my family and who knows how many others. I suspect there are more parents with 2 children than there are basketball going lesbians in the Seattle area.

[Happy2BMe]

Awful.

No compromise to the gay agenda.

[ArGee]

He contacted members of No Longer Silent, an organization of about 100 clergy members who welcome the gay community to their churches.

Every pastor should welcome the gay community to their churches. Christ's message of salvation is for all since all are sinners and fall short of the glory of G-d.

That said, they should be welcome to seek Jesus, not welcome to try to change the clear intention of G-d that sex is intended to be practiced within a marriage between a man and a woman.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

Thanks for the ping.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

if I sat in the front pew of his church and waved a Seahawks pennant as his preacher is trying to give a sermon?

Actually, you'd want to sit behind the Pastor so that those listening (and not napping) would see your banner.

I myself have seen a Pastor give a sermon with a cheese hat on his head. I don't care much for football so I just thought it was silly.

Shalom.

[ArGee]

No football-oriented twist to the religious message, just an attempt to make heavenly brownie points with an attempt to get the message out on TV.

FYI, Most Christians don't believe (on paper) in "heavenly brownie points." I have heard it said that simply presenting the scripture is effective because of a particular OT verse. I myself think it is stretching that verse a tad to think that holding up a reference to a scriptural verse is at all effective. Then again, one never knows what will finally break through the veil.

If the owners of the stadium or if either team asked him to drop the sign or leave, he should do so willingly, IMHO.

Shalom.

[hunter112]

FYI, Most Christians don't believe (on paper) in "heavenly brownie points."

My mistake, I see people waving their religion wildly in every possible direction so much, scattergunning their devotion to their faith, I just assume that they think their deity is going to give them gold stars for it. I just can't imagine any other reason why one would go to to a football game and wave a bedsheet with the same verse reference over and over and over again, at an audience that clearly views for sports entertainment rather than moral edification.

If the owners of the stadium or if either team asked him to drop the sign or leave, he should do so willingly, IMHO.

Clearly, they have not asked. I've seen fans ejected from games for taunting fans of the other team. Also, I didn't question the right of anyone to do this, but I just wondered how those folks would feel if I dragged my football fan status into the front row of their church service. No doubt, they'd have a justification of how the two things are different.

[cookcounty]

"The Rev. Steve Wayles, pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Phoenix, said he was "angry and appalled" by the "right-wing trash" in the letter. He contacted members of No Longer Silent, an organization of about 100 clergy members who welcome the gay community to their churches. "

"No Longer Silent," also known as "THWAP": ---"To Hell With the Apostle Paul."

[hunter112]

I myself have seen a Pastor give a sermon with a cheese hat on his head.

Behold, the Power of Cheese?

Was the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Cheeses"?

Sorry, good buddy, I couldn't resist!