It’s About the Hate
Posted by
Kevin
John Amaechi is getting death threats, according to the radio this morning. Before last week, no one knew who John Amaechi was. I follow the NBA, could probably name you fifty players right now, off the top of my head, and I had no idea who Amaechi was. I still have no idea who he played for, which should give you some idea of how insignificant his playing career actually was. But now he is getting death threats. What has changed? Now he is out of the closest. And some people don’t like it at all:
You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,” Hardaway said. “I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”
Hardaway doesn’t hate the sin, he hates the sinners, to borrow a phrase. He thinks they should not exist in the world. The difference between Hardaway and someone making a death death threat is one of difference, not one of kind. They both want to see Amaechi go away, they both hate him for what he is, and they both don’t think that homosexuals should have any place in the NBA or the world. Hardaway just isn’t homicidal.
But he is a bigot and a hater.
There will be people who defend Hardaway’s comments — heck, based on the email the talk show I was listening to this morning received, there already are — based on religious scriptures. That is ludicrous. First, the case for Homosexuality being a sin is ludicrously thin. To be blunt, to consider homosexuality in and off itself a sin, you have to want homosexuality to be a sin. Second, homosexuality engenders reactions that are completely disproportionate to its place in the Bible. There are perhaps six passages that even obliquely mention homosexuality in the entire Bible. Jesus Christ never mentions homosexuality at all. There is a Gospel of the Poor, but no Gospel of the Homo Hating.
And yet it sometimes appears that the entire Religious Right is based around two things and two things only: abortion and homosexuality. Abortion I can understand. If you believe that a fetus is a life, then you should try your best to get rid of abortions. But homosexuality? Does a thing that is hardly mention in the Bible and that probably shouldn’t even be considered a sin really take up so much time? Does something that Jesus apparently cared so little about really deserve to be the focus of so much commentary and work by the religious right?
This si not about religion or God’s word. If they were concerned with God’s word, they would spend more time focusing on the things Jesus actually spoke about, and they would condemn those who work to keep people poor or refuse to help provide the enough to make sure no one starves or dies of exposure in the same harsh terms they reserve for homosexuality. That they do not, that they reserve the worst of their vitriol for the least of Biblical issues is telling.
“I hate gay people” says Tim Hardaway. He is not alone, unfortunately, and, even more unfortunately, too much of American Christianity has become a vessel for that mindless, un-Biblical hate.
I wonder if John Amaechi were a hairdresser or a florist, would he have gotten as strong a reaction to his coming out. I think what is most disturbing to alot of people is you have, again what most people would assume to be a locker-room-joking, towel-snapping, macho kind of guy who’s gay. It cuts right through alot of commonly-held assumptions and stereotypes. In that way, it is really subversive. It equalizes gay people, makes them more mainstream, less marginal, much less the other.
Comment 2/15/2007
Janusz
I am sure that makes it worse. Amaechi had the gall to be an NBA player, which means he is more athletic than 99.999% of the men in this country — a double insult. Not only did he not know his place and leave the real tough jobs to real men, he was actually better at that physically demanding, macho-inspired job than literally almost anyone else in the country.
Comment 2/15/2007
I read in the paper today that Hardaway is dialing back his original comments, but I read his “apology”, wow was it lame.
Comment 2/15/2007
Before I answer here or at NIT, I need to know if I’m dealing with a professional theologean, or an amateur one.
It matters. I will defer (to a point) to someone more learned than me; otherwise, we can discuss your theological points as peers.
Comment 2/15/2007
1) Hardaway is a bigot, but he served one useful purpose in that he felt comfortable openly avowing his bigotry: “I hate gay people…. I am homophobic.” Of how many other forms of bigotry could that be said? For example, who would feel they could casually and publicly declare “I hate black people. I’m a racist.” Or “I hate Jews. I’m an anti-Semite.”
I suppose it’s an indication both of how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
2) I am uninterested in hearing Biblically-based condemnations of homosexuality from anyone who does not live by all the other Biblical precepts.
Comment 2/15/2007
A Biblically-based condemnation of homosexuality from an NBA player who is also an upstanding citizen of the US would sound something like this: “I hate homosexuals. I am homophobic. I do not want to associate with gays. Since there are gays in the NBA, I am giving up my career in the NBA to honor my religious beliefs and not associate with gays.” I don’t recommend anyone hold their breath waiting for such a pronouncement.
Comment 2/15/2007
I think I’ve mentioned this here before, and I should point out that I don’t believe a word of the following, but my understanding is that the modern scriptural argument against homosexuality is that Jesus said having sex outside of marriage was wrong, and that marriage was between one man and one woman, hence homosexual sex (though perhaps not the state of being) is wrong. Clearly that covers a lot more than homosexuality, which highlights another hypocrisy from the religious right.
Comment 2/15/2007
Slat
No, I am an amateur.
Comment 2/15/2007
Hardaway booted from All Star weekend.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/02/15/sports/s150652S15.DTL
Good for the NBA. I still find hoopsyball dull. Yeah, even college, sorry!
Comment 2/15/2007
hi.
One hell of a sensative subject.
Why is this big news?? (thank espn,fox sports,etc)
This happens every so often in (mostly mens) professional sports,but it is always ex-players.I doubt u will ever see in the near future a active player(mlb,nfl,nba etc) come out,not that it should be news anyways.
There are more important and intresting issues going on in this world than the someone’s sexuality.The same goes for the reactions.The are numerous figures in todays entertainment media,fashion,buisness etc, who are gay,some more openly than others,and its essentially a non-issue.
Why are people who dislike gay people generally slammed for it in the news??.Outward hate towards a gay person,is beyond wrong(hate can be a dangerous word),but i feel in just my opinion,and it is just that,that as much right as any indvidual has, to chose to be gay,a straight indvidual has just as much right to dislike that alternative lifestyle.Just as long as that personal dislike stays just a dislike,not exhibiting hate and or violence.
Is it so wrong a straight person can’t have their say on the issue in today’s media without getting lambasted by offended indviduals,both in media and public,when as there are numerous openly gay figures in today’s entertainment world that can and do???.
I try to live a stress-less, fear-less life,and with that, for me someone’s sexual preference,either way,is of no intrest to me.
This should not be a leading story on shows like espn.
If you are gay,your gay and if you are straight,your straight.
You only live once,you should’nt give a damn what other people think about your sexual preference.
Peace,Im done.
Comment 3/10/2007
Tim Hardaway should have thought before he spoke I don’t think he will be doing any endorsement deals anytime soon by showing his true colors.
Chris
Comment 6/6/2007
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Trackback 10/22/2007