DANIEL MURPHY "100 PERCENT" DISAGREES WITH HOMOSEXUALITY, BUT STILL ACCEPTS IT
March 4, 2015 | 11:00 PM Sean Newell
SHARE TWEETDANIEL MURPHY "100 PERCENT" DISAGREES WITH HOMOSEXUALITY, BUT STILL ACCEPTS IT
Billy Bean, a former player who came out after his playing career and is now Major League Baseball's "ambassador of inclusion," visited the Mets spring training facility earlier this week on the invitation of GM Sandy Alderson, Unfortunately, Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy was asked for his thoughts on Bean and homosexuality in general. In the nicest way possible, Murphy revealed himself to be a self-involved bigot.
"I DO DISAGREE WITH THE FACT THAT BILLY IS A HOMOSEXUAL. THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T STILL INVEST IN HIM AND GET TO KNOW HIM. I DON'T THINK THE FACT THAT SOMEONE IS A HOMOSEXUAL SHOULD COMPLETELY SHUT THE DOOR ON INVESTING IN THEM IN A RELATIONAL ASPECT. GETTING TO KNOW HIM. THAT, I WOULD SAY, YOU CAN STILL ACCEPT THEM BUT I DO DISAGREE WITH THE LIFESTYLE, 100 PERCENT.
It seems clear that Murphy is not hateful, or otherwise virulently opposed to Billy Bean's existence, but this is still garbage. It may even be worse than outright hate because it's so sneaky in its bigotry. He's OK in my book, for a homosexual. Daniel Murphy didn't so much clean his room as he just stuffed all his shit under the bed. And this isn't totally about Murphy, it's almost certain he's a decent guy who has no real issue with Billy Bean, but this is a talking point. Hate the sin, love the sinner, as they say. To put it another way, hate what I disagree with based on a work of fiction written thousands of years ago, but not the poor souls who do not to abide by my own personal moral compass.
"MAYBE, AS A CHRISTIAN, ... WE HAVEN'T BEEN AS ARTICULATE ENOUGH IN DESCRIBING WHAT OUR ACTUAL STANCE IS ON HOMOSEXUALITY. WE LOVE THE PEOPLE. WE DISAGREE WITH THE LIFESTYLE. THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD DESCRIBE IT FOR ME. IT'S THE SAME WAY THAT THERE ARE ASPECTS OF MY LIFE THAT I'M TRYING TO SURRENDER TO CHRIST IN MY OWN LIFE. THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF MANY THINGS, LIKE MY PRIDE. I JUST THINK THAT AS A BELIEVER TRYING TO ARTICULATE IT IN A WAY THAT SAYS JUST BECAUSE I DISAGREE WITH THE LIFESTYLE DOESN'T MEAN I'M JUST NEVER GOING TO SPEAK TO BILLY BEAN EVERY TIME HE WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR. THAT'S NOT LOVE. THAT'S NOT LOVE AT ALL."