Sadly, according to many liberals, Christians who believe in traditional marriage are now intolerant homophobes.
Case in point:
As some of you may remember, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team announced in 2017 that it would celebrate LGBT Pride month by wearing “pride-inspired rainbow numbers” on their team jerseys for two matches between Sweden and Norway.
Jaelene Hinkle, one of the team’s players since 2010, objected. Ms. Hinkle is a Christian who believes marriage is between a man and a woman. In response, she rejected the offer to play in the matches because she could not in good conscience wear the jersey.
In a 2018 interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Hinkle said, “I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn’t my job to wear this jersey…. I’m essentially giving up the one dream little girls dream about their entire life and that I’m saying no to.”
For this decision to follow her faith, she was recently harshly criticized by one of her former teammates on the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team.
Teammate Ashlyn Harris tweeted, “Hinkle, our team is about inclusion. Your religion was never the problem. The problem is your intolerance and you are homophobic. You don’t belong in a sport that aims to unite and bring people together. You would never fit into our pack or what this team stands for…. S[h]ame on you.”
In all due respect, does Harris hear herself?
How can she claim that the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team is about “inclusion” while at the same time disparaging Hinkle’s character by calling her “intolerant” and “homophobic”?
If Harris is so tolerant, why is she intolerant of traditional Christian beliefs?
In modern society, the word “tolerance” is often used to attempt to shame Christians into supporting ideas and practices they disagree with. That isn’t tolerance. That is coercion. True tolerance is a willingness to acknowledge the beliefs of others in spite, not in absence, of disagreement.
What would Ashlyn Harris think if the Women’s Team was required to wear a T-shirt supporting traditional marriage? If one of her teammates refused to wear that jersey, would she still think it was intolerant?
Tolerance cuts both ways.
If they were being intellectually honest, the LGBT movement would move away from outrage and exclusion and choose to protect true tolerance and rights of expression.
Jaelene Hinkle was given a choice. She could have chosen to ignore the convictions and teachings of her faith. Instead, she chose to honor God even at the risk of losing her career.
She provided a great example for every Christian by putting her faith first – and for that she’s labeled “homophobic.”
Make no mistake about it. The increasing secularization of American culture will continue to challenge the faith of Christians like Jaelene Hinkle.
Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter
Leave a Reply