The new front in religion wars------softball?

[Curmudgeoness]

I was reading my local paper the other day, and ran across an article about a softball league in Missouri that kicked out one of the teams because the pastor of their church was bisexual. And all I can think is "it is only softball".

But in the last two weeks, this league of six church softball teams shrank to five when the pastors of three of the churches told one of the member churches that their teams would no longer take the field against that church's team.

The problem was not pine tar or steroids, it was the sexual orientation of the new pastor of St. John United Church of Christ.

"It seems like my sexuality doesn't have anything to do with how my congregation plays softball," Darnell said. "It's frustrating because this is who is representing Christianity in our community, and this is the message youths in our community are getting."

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/st-clair-mo-church-softball-league-is-split-over-gay/article_7bd47c9e-a37e-5bfa-a7e8-2d2e7404916d.html#ixzz1w7ew54b3



Then this morning, and was shocked to read that there is another problem in my own backyard with another church softball league. This time, the offending team are Mormons.

"It's more than softball -- it's church softball. If you're saying something's a church, that's more important than what's on the field," said Bryson Hoobler, 31, of Grove City, president of the league, who considers it a Christian league.

"Most of our churches don't view them as Christians. We don't regard the LDS church as a Christian church," Hoobler said. "When you include someone in a group -- that's kind of like saying they're fundamentally the same as most people in the group. We don't feel that's accurate with LDS."

http://triblive.com/news/1858404-74/church-league-softball-christians-hoobler-mormon-christian-mormons-grove-issue



Is it just me, or is this over-the-top? I am baffled by the attitude of the people involved in these decisions. What do you think?

[struggle4progress]

1. I think the concern is that if we let gays and mormons play softball, then soon people in Grove City

may become confused and may want to marry space aliens

[Curmudgeoness]

5. That is as ridiculous as these decisions

are to me. I suppose it could be that they are worried that gay and Mormon are contageous.

The Mormon issue brought up another point, though. It appears that the fundamentalists have a serious problem with LDS, and that seems to be an issue in the upcoming election. I was not aware that it was this serious.

[struggle4progress]

7. I think you just don't care if kids from Grove City hang out with folk from Mars

[Curmudgeoness]

10. Mars is only about 40 miles away

from Grove City. I suppose that it is possible for those kids to hang out together.

You either know a lot about PA geography, or made a great guess.

[struggle4progress]

14. I had friends in Grove City, Zelienople, and Mars in yesteryear

[cbayer]

2. I really hate it when people let their bigotry hurt kids.

Agree with you that this is over the top and really unfair to the coaches, but particularly to the kids.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Bigotry always hurts kids.

I don't know if these are kid's leagues or adult leagues, but that really doesn't matter.

I had not considered the word "bigotry" to define what is happening here, but that is just what it is....just in different terms than I normally think about when I use that word.

I am just saddened when people are so close-minded.

[laconicsax]

15. Can you give an example of bigotry NOT hurting kids?

[madamesilverspurs]

3. Speaking strictly for myself --

There are far too many people who would have nothing to do with religion if they couldn't extract from it some excuse to judge and control others. I chose to de-affiliate from any formalized religion and have been content in that choice; I'm at complete liberty to visit a gorgeous variety of rites and rituals and ceremonies and worship services, and I revel in it.

To be fair, I know many wonderful practitioners of faiths that are formalized; but it's their fellow congregants, who seem to exist in every human group, that pop up to screech and yowl about rules, that drive me out the door every time. And some of the most "Christian" people I know simply live their faith and do so without proselytizing. Not enough like them.


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[Curmudgeoness]

4. So is this like so many other groups,

where there are a few who seem to take over and take it upon themselves to speak for the many and take the group in their own direction? You pose a good question---I have to wonder if most of these people on the teams feel the same way as the ones who made the decisions. It just seems odd to me.

[rrneck]

8. Why is softball important to faith?

It appears that the game is transformed into something sacred if practiced by believers. That's the danger of religious bigotry. If believers live for their faith, and everything they do is in the name of that faith, then the most innocuous activities become a litmus test for those who enforce their will on a culture. It's called marketshare.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. It appears that this is about "Christian fellowship"

if you read the articles. The thing that they are stating as a reason is that they are wanting to bond on the softball field in unity for Christ. It is apparent that softball is not at all important to faith, but I suppose that keeping people who are not just like you out of your life is important----or at least this is the impression I am left with.

[rrneck]

13. I suspect they don't make much of a distinction

between softball and the constitution. There seems to be an epidemic of rebranding everything from soapflakes to science as "Christian" in the name of "fellowship".

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. And there was the fundamentalist Catholic school that wouldn't play baseball against a girl

http://www.democraticunderground.com/121826690

I think in that case it's a group of misogynists who have gravitated to an extreme version of Catholicism that gives their misogyny some cover.

[Curmudgeoness]

11. I don't know what the world is coming to, but

I want no part of it. At least in the case you cite, the team with the aversion to something about the other team forfeited the championship game over their beliefs (however assinine those beliefs are). The other two cases are a matter of throwing the "offenders" out of play----it appears to be the "I'll take my ball home" attitude.

[Rob H.]

16. Similar thing happened here at a local SBC megachurch

The church banned an entire team from playing because the team's coach is a lesbian and the team has both gay and straight players.

No word on whether the church banned teams coached by drinkers, adulterers, porn watchers, people who work on Sundays, or people who wear blended fabrics, though.

[Curmudgeoness]

17. WTF!

I guess they are afraid it is catchy.

[nancyleecole]

18. Mormon softball

IT IS CALLED THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS!!! WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T THEY UNDERSTAND? JUST BE HONEST AND SAY YOU HATE MORMONS.

[hrmjustin]

19. I am sorry but can you show where the Mormon hatred is?

[Cirque du So-What]

20. Better get used to it

Most of the Christian world considers LDS a cult. Like it or not, them's the facts. Doesn't take much to get yer ALLCAPS up does it?

[Curmudgeoness]

21. My point exactly.

The other Christian religions seem to have an issue with Mormons, and I don't get it either......but there it is.

[hrmjustin]

22. Mormon doctrine is completely different from most Christian churches.

Nice Godly people but different theology. But they are looked down upon by many Christians. I always enjoy when they come to my door. They know they are never going to get me to join but we love debating theology.

But Mormons also believe that pretty much everything after 100 to 200 years after Christ the church fell into heresy and it was Joseph Smith that restored the church. Many Churches don't like to hear that.

[Curmudgeoness]

23. You definitely said a mouthful.

The doctrine is completely different, although my OP was making the point that they are followers of Jesus and should not be treated by other Christians as if they are Satan worshippers. It just seemed wrong.

I have to agree with the Mormons about the church after a few hundred years getting perverted. It did. Now all the Joseph Smith and the other things that they believe are out there, in my opinion. But who am I to say.

[hrmjustin]

24. Yes some Christians can be very mean to them.

Theological disputes are not a reason to treat others with disrespect. I wish the Mormons would stop putting their money behind anti-gay measures.