Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers Trevor Williams and Clayton Kershaw called out the Los Angeles Dodgers for choosing to honor an anti-Christian hate group for June 16 Pride Night.
The Dodgers disinvited the hate group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who regularly mock Jesus and Catholics, after backlash but then apologized and reinvited them.
On Tuesday night, Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen released a statement through his friend and “Let Us Worship” founder Sean Feucht:
“I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins. I believe the word of God is true, and in Galatians 6:7 it says, ‘do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked; a man reaps what he sows.’ This group openly mocks Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of my faith, and I want to make it clear that I do not agree with nor support the decision of the Dodger’s to ‘honor’ the Sister’s of Perpetual Indulgence,” Treinen said.
Kershaw, the Dodgers starting pitcher, also spoke out on Memorial Day against the decision.
“I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions,” Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times. “It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion. So that’s something that I definitely don’t agree with.”
At his urging, the Dodgers recently announced the reinstatement of Christian Faith and Family Day on July 30, but another MLB pitcher took another approach, condemning the team’s decision.
“As a devout Catholic, I am deeply troubled by the Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor the group ‘The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ at their Pride Night this year,” Williams, a 31-year-old player for the Washington Nationals, began in a lengthy statement Tuesday.
“I know I am not alone in my frustration, hurt, and disappointment about this situation,” Williams explained. “As Catholics, we look to Jesus Christ and the way He was treated and we realize that any suffering in this world united us to Him in the next.”
The MLB star said everyone should be welcomed and respected at MLB games.
“To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization,” Williams said.
The Christian player accused the Dodgers of violating their own discrimination policy, “which explicitly states that any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated.”
Williams called on the Dodgers to reconsider associating with a non-inclusive, hate-filled group.
“I also encourage my fellow Catholics to reconsider their support of an organization that allows this type of mockery of its fans to occur,” Williams said.
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Within hours, Williams’ tweet received millions of views and a lot of support.
“Thank you so much for this Mr. Williams. Your courage to take a stand all alone in the pressure cooker of professional sports is a model for all faithful Christians,” Megan Basham, The Daily Wire reporter, tweeted.
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Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.
