Suspend Chris Broussard From ESPN for Homosexuality Comments, Say 20,000 People
Homosexuals Are 'Walking in Open Rebellion to God and Jesus Christ,' Says Broussard
Chris Broussard should be suspended from ESPN, according to over 20,000 Americans who signed a petition helmed by a religious organization.
Broussard, the 44-year-old ESPN analyst, recently sparked a debate when he spoke out against the NBA's first active player to admit that he was a homosexual, Jason Collins. While Collins, 34, spoke about being gay and Christian in Sports Illustrated magazine recently and in follow-up interviews, Broussard appeared on ESPN's "Outside The Lines" to say the NBA player claiming to be Christian was glorifying a lifestyle that contradicted biblical teachings.
Faithful America, a online religious community that promotes left-wing agendas, does not agree with Broussard's stance. The community is calling for ESPN to suspend Broussard and created a petition called "Tell ESPN: Don't Use The Bible to Gay Bash Athletes" which over 22,000 people signed on faithfulamerica.org.
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"When Jason Collins became the first openly gay player in the NBA, he emphasized the importance of his Christian faith in accepting himself and deciding to come out," the petition states. "Chris Broussard's hateful attack on Jason Collins for being gay was an unacceptable misrepresentation of the Christian faith. ESPN must immediately suspend Chris Broussard and guarantee that their network will never again be used for gay bashing."
Michael Sherrard, Executive Director of Faithful America, explained his stance further to The Christian Post.
"Our members are appalled that ESPN would allow one of their sportscasters to mischaracterize our faith and use the teachings of Jesus as the basis for gay bashing," Sherrard told CP.
However, Broussard has insisted that he is not bashing homosexuals. After receiving backlash from critics, including nationally syndicated New York City radio show "The Breakfast Club," the ESPN called the radio show to clarify his stance on the matter.
"I'm fine with homosexuals I have no problem with homosexuals. Obviously as I stated on ESPN, I'm a Christian," Broussard revealed on "The Breakfast Club." "I come across various lifestyles covering the NBA on an everyday basis. LZ Granderson (a homosexual ESPN commentator) we've been friends for years. We've had discussions on his lifestyle and my faith and we've respectfully disagreed."
Broussard told the radio show that he could not deny the words in Biblical scriptures 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Romans 1, which inspired his initial statement on ESPN. In his statement, Broussard pointed out sins made by both homosexuals and heterosexuals promoting sexual immorality.
"Personally I don't believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or (have) openly premarital sex between heterosexuals. If you're openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that's a sin," Broussard said on ESPN Monday. "If you're openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be. I think that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ."
