Catholic Perspectives Make News – Conservative Football Player, Progressive Pope

In the span of a month, both traditional and progressive Catholic views took a lead story position in social media and the news, the first from a professional football player's commencement address and the second from the Pope in an interview at the Vatican. The football player has been castigated across media for daring to say he appreciated his wife's choice to become a homemaker supporting his career. As a Catholic speaking at a Catholic college, he listed several conservative viewpoints about abortion, C-19 school closings, gender ideology, DEI, and more. For this he has been labeled a pariah and a petition with over 202,000 signatures called for his firing from his job - for what? For the fact he exercised his free speech and others did not like his views. Meanwhile, the Pope offered classic theological liberalism, progressive political talking points, and no real hope or expression from Scripture regarding immigration, climate change, same-sex marriage, and what he called the fundamental goodness of the human heart, a view contrary to Scripture. For more Christian commentary, check my website at rexmrogers.com. 

Transcript

I wonder if you caught the public fooforaw involving Catholics, who like Protestants, do not all agree?

Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #151 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.

Catholic Church beliefs have been front and center recently, both traditional and progressive. Traditional came from Kansas City Chiefs football kicker Harrison Butker, who gave the commencement address at Benedictine College, May 11. 

Butker is Catholic, the college is Catholic, he was invited to speak and got a standing ovation after his address, yet social media and the American Left has gone into meltdown mode.

Butker said, “Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”

Regarding President Biden, Butker said, “Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the Sign of the Cross during a pro-abortion rally. 

He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice.”

“This is an important reminder that being Catholic alone doesn't cut it. These are the sorts of things we are told in polite society to not bring up. You know, the difficult and unpleasant things. But if we are going to be men and women for this time in history, we need to stop pretending that the ‘Church of Nice’ is a winning proposition. We must always speak and act in charity, but never mistake charity for cowardice.”

Butker noted, “The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority.”

While media hasn’t notice, actually, Butker spent most of his speech talking about getting our own house in order, meaning the Catholic Church, and he chided bishops and priests for their too frequent shallow and cowardly values. 

Then Butker dared to say something that just a generation ago virtually every American believed, but today you say it and you are a pariah, one who must be fired, cancelled, or condemned as a misogynist. Butker said, “it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.” [Applause lasting 18 seconds]

Now this is after he acknowledged many women will pursue successful careers. 

He did not denigrate this. He merely praised those women who consider being a wife and homemaker a holy vocation.

Then, “to the gentlemen here today,” he said, “Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.”

“Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy.”

Finally, Butker noted, “a life without God is not a life at all, and the cost of salvation is worth more than any career.”

In various asides in his speech, Butker disagreed with “abortion rights, Pride Month, COVID-19 lockdowns and what he called ‘the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion’ and he also rejected “dangerous gender ideologies.”

These are holy issues for the Left and why the reaction has been loud, over-the-top, and nasty. 

But don’t miss this: Butker spewed no hate speech, leveled no insults, called no one names, evidenced no animosity…just disagreement with certain ideas and values. He simply shared his convictions, his free speech right, and still, mainstream media, from shallow celebrities to Taylor Swift fans to women TV anchors to the NFL, and even an order of nuns, people have reacted as if Butker committed heinous unpardonable sins – which is interesting in itself because most of those who are criticizing Butker probably don’t believe in sin or moral absolutes.

What they condemned, what a petition to get him fired from the Chiefs, which garnered more than 202,000 signatures, is that he dared to speak up for his conservative views. His speech has been described as dehumanizing, “sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist."

But ESPN NFL broadcaster, Samantha Ponder, called the petition to fire Butker “totally un-American.” She asked, “Is a Catholic espousing traditionally Catholic views to a Catholic audience really that shocking?”  “Why can’t we just respectfully disagree?!”

Now I mentioned at the top of this podcast that the progressive side of the Catholic Church also made news recently. None other than Pope Francis sat down for an interview April 24, 2024 at the Vatican for “60 Minutes” with CBS’s Nora O’Donnell.

O’Donnell reference the Pope’s earlier comments about blessing same-sex couples. “She asked him how he would respond to ‘conservative bishops in the United States that oppose your new efforts to revisit teachings and traditions.’ In his reply, Pope Francis defined a conservative as the ‘suicidal attitude’ of ‘one who clings to something and does not want to see beyond that.’” To say this is a weak and biased definition of conservative is an understatement.

“O’Donnell also asked Pope Francis for his thoughts on the state of Texas’ efforts to shutter Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit sheltering migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. He said, ‘That is madness. Sheer madness. To close the border and leave them there, that is madness. The migrant has to be received.  Thereafter you see how you are going to deal with him. Maybe you have to send him back, I don’t know, but each case ought to be considered humanely.’” Now the Pope did not say why a migrant “has to be received.” Nor did he say how many migrants are being received at Vatican City.

O’Donnell noted that global warming was among the factors driving the increase in immigration numbers (a scientifically unproven but oft-repeated political allegation). The pontiff said, “Unfortunately, we have gotten to a point of no return.  It’s sad, but that’s what it is.” “Climate change at this moment is a road to death.” “He blamed wealthy countries in ‘great measure’ for the situation because of their economic strength and for having energy policies focused on fossil fuels.”

Here you must wonder. The Pope said we’re at a point of no return on the road to death. If this is true, he offered no solace, no way out. He did not mention the Sovereign God or for that matter anything from Scripture. He only made an anti-capitalist comment blaming wealthy countries, failing to acknowledge it is capitalism that has helped more people out of poverty and enabled more advances in quality of life than any other system.

Pope Francis drew accusations of heresy on social media…for his comments during the…interview about the human heart.

The Pope said, “People are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good."

Responding to Norah O'Donnell's question regarding what gives him hope when he looks at the world, the pontiff said ‘everything,’ and then went on to list examples of people doing good things as evidence of humanity's essential goodness.” 

Many criticized Pope Francis for his remarks, with some accusing him of failing to grasp the basic teaching of the Gospel. Scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).

Pope Francis offered classic theological liberalism, shared politically progressive talking points, did not point people to the Word or the Lord, and gave his audience no encouragement, means of reconciliation, or hope.

It’s a fascinating time when a professional football player shares views more consistent with Judeo-Christianity and Catholic understanding, more uplifting than the Pope of the Catholic Church.

Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. 

And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.

© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2024   

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