By Mark Rhoads -
Billy Bean was an openly gay former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres. Since 2014 Bean has worked as vice president and special assistant to the MLB Commissioner with the unofficial title of "Ambassador for Inclusion." Who can argue with the idea of inclusion? Bean's specific mission is to "support diversity" and support the "LGBT Community" at all levels in organized baseball.
During June 12, MLB teams will host gay pride nights at home games. Much of what Bean talks about under the heading of "diversity" is not something that many Christians would argue with. No child of God should ever be the target of violence or hateful and arbitrary discrimination just because of who they are. But Christians who do not believe the gay lifestyle is a good role model for families also have a right to withhold their personal endorsement of the gay life.
Too often the gay pride movement is not limited to just celebrating the accomplishments of gay people. Too often in effect it also imposes a form of coercion on Christians who hold more traditional views about the nuclear family and demands their endorsement of something they do not agree with.
If Major League Baseball wants to promote the awareness of breast cancer with pink uniforms on Mother's Day or awareness of prostate cancer with pale blue uniforms on Father's Day then that is their right and privilege just as it is to promote gay pride under the umbrella of the words "diversity" and "inclusion."
But those two words can be taken to mean many different things in public discussions. Can you imagine that the NCAA or Major League Baseball, or the National Football League would ever adopt an official policy of inclusion for freedom of religious belief? I cannot imagine that because that kind of inclusion would not be part of the political fashions of the day.
I would like to see a more nuanced and genuine policy of major sport organizations that would truly welcome all fans and lead to authentic inclusion and diversity for many different beliefs including traditional Judeo-Christian values. Is that really asking too much?
