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Bob McCoskrie
The name Harrison Butker is trending on social media at the moment. Why? Because the three-time Super Bowl champion NFL kicker who is also a Catholic dared to speak about Catholic teaching at a Catholic school to Catholic students. In the words of Greta Thunberg, “how dare you”.
TRANSCRIPT:
Have you heard of Harrison Butker? Up until last week, I hadn’t.
Have you heard of Kansas City Chiefs? Maybe if you follow NFL? They did win the Super Bowl this year.
Heard of Benedictine College – a catholic school in Kansas. Nope – me neither.
But now Harrison Butker is one of the biggest topics in the US. Why? Because he dared to speak about Catholic teaching at a Catholic school.
I know! Shocking!
Some sports stars make headlines for drug abuse or acts of violence or sexual assault – or even gambling (as we saw last week with an ex Phoenix player), but one NFL football player in the US is taking heat for publicly promoting Christian values.
A week ago, Three-time Super Bowl champion NFL kicker Harrison Butker (who I’d never heard of) delivered the commencement at the Catholic Benedictine College, encouraging young graduates to stand firm in their faith and live out authentic Christian virtues.
The 28-year-old Butker, who is a professing Catholic, took aim at what he considers to be absent, negligent, and even narcissistic leadership – both within his own church and the wider culture.
Let me play a few excerpts. You’ll quickly realise why the left and the media were triggered by his speech in a major way.
And then he dared to poke the bear. To challenge the new cultural religion – and have a go at the media as well. And this was in relation to the fact that this Catholic college has experienced significant growth.
Well, you probably know now why there was such a furore. How dare he. But it got worse.
The critics hated that Butker paid tribute to his wife, Isabelle, for making him successful, for assuming “one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.” That is like a curse word to the feminists.
And note – he didn’t say they shouldn’t have careers. He did suggest that many women—especially Catholic women—(in fact Christian women) put motherhood first.
But before you judge his word to the women, he also had a word for the men,
Wow. Fancy encouraging women to be mothers and men to be fathers. Next we’ll be really radical and encourage girls to be daughters and males to be sons. How unique. Don’t tell InsideOut or the Human Rights Commission.
Following his remarks, the NFL distanced itself from the kicker. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,” the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer wrote, “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
Just to clarify – IF the speaker had praised Biden, abortion, gay marriage and Pride Month, it would be sweet. Diversity and inclusion only applies if the cultural priests agree with your view. If they don’t, then you’re EXcluded.
Butker’s speech predictably prompted a Change.org petition calling for him to be fired by the Chiefs. Change.org is a bit like rent-a-signature. The petitions mean nothing and do nothing.
But it calls the player’s “dehumanising” comments “sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist” – and every other mean label they can put on it.
For some reason they don’t mention that it was pro family, pro marriage, pro life etc
The worst thing was that the Kansas City website doxed him – which means they published where he lives. Shocking.
So they shout “inclusion” as they exclude someone who they disagree with.
Ironically, Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs’ owner Clark Hunt, released a statement in support of the team’s kicker via Instagram on Thursday.
“Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother, is not bigoted,” she wrote. “It is empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain. Countless highly educated women devote their lives to nurturing and guiding their children.”
She also knocked down the ludicrous notion that a difference of opinion is meanspirited.
“Someone disagreeing with you doesn’t make them hateful,” she said. “It simply means they have a different opinion. Let’s celebrate families, motherhood, and fatherhood. Our society desperately need dedicated men and women to raise up and train the next generation in the way they should go. Proverbs 31:28 says, ‘Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Embracing the beautiful roles that God has made is something to celebrate.”
Now you know how the NFL put out a statement condemning the speech?
The same week, wide receiver Rashee Rice turned himself in to Dallas police on multiple charges, including aggravated assault, after he was involved in a high-speed crash that left four people with injuries. He left the scene without providing information or determining whether anyone needed medical attention. Rice was also suspected of assaulting a person at a downtown nightclub.
What did the NFL say? Nothing. Crickets.
But here’s the funny part. His jersey is now one of the most popular. In fact, I’ve never purchased an NFL shirt – but this might be the first one.
By the way, even the NZ media got triggered. Here’s the NZ Herald story NFL kicker Harrison Butker rails against Pride month, President Biden during commencement address
This was an associated press report – AP – the media that Butker had a dig at.
But then the Herald had their own kiwi reporter have a go also 2 days later Kansas City Chiefs Harrison Butker’s controversial speech kicks off celebrity criticism
They list the critics of the speech 6 of them v 1 supportive voice. That sounds like the usual ratio for balance in the media. Interestingly they didn’t mention Tavia Hunt’s comments – and given she’s the wife of the owner, they’re quite significant eh.
And as you’d expect, Newshub got triggered also
Backlash after Kansas City Chiefs player Harrison Butker calls Pride Month a ‘deadly sin’, bemoans diversity initiatives
Diversity initiatives? What?
Oh wait – see the circled it. It’s a CNN report. Newshub ha become NZ’s version of CNN. And one of the big criticisms of the speech is that he quoted a line from a Taylor Swifty – yes Tay Tay. He said “Familiarity breeds contempt” – and remember that Taylor Swift dates Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. And Tay Tay fans aren’t happy with him – apparently. If you believe the media.
The report slammed the speech and could only find people who hated the speech
Interestingly they never contacted people who were actually there
You may not agree with everything he said in his speech – now be sure to read it all in context before judging – but when a Catholic speaks to catholic students at a catholic college about catholic teaching, he’s probably on the money.
The fact that the media and cultural elite got triggered absolutely confirms he was speaking truth.
I tried to buy his jersey yesterday. It’s sold out at the moment. So popular,
Something the media won’t mention.
