Softball, Religion And Stupidity

When most of us think of softball (or even sports in general) we think of a fun and non-discriminatory activity. It simply doesn't matter what age, color, sex, ethnicity, religion, political persuasion or sexual preference you are. You can either hit, throw, catch and run well, or you can't. Softball, like all sports, respects only ability and not the silly differences that mankind has invented to keep us apart.

On a professional or world-class level ability is everything. But sports are played on many levels and for most of us without a lot of ability, softball and other sports are just a fun activity -- a way to socially interact and have fun with our fellow humans. This is a good thing because for a little while it lets us forget our differences and just have a good time getting along with each other.

Well, that's the way it is for most of us. But some religious fundamentalists have a different view. They think they must inject their religious world view even into an innocuous sport like softball. For them, there are some of us who just aren't good enough to participate in a friendly game of softball.

All across America many churches create and manage softball leagues every year. Even though I am an atheist, I think this is generally a very good thing. The church leagues are not used to proselytize but just to give kids and adults a decent, fun and safe activity to engage in. But sadly, there are exceptions to every rule -- like the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

This church decided to create a women's softball league and advertised the league was open to everyone who could pay the entrance fee whether they were Baptists or not. Jana Jacobson, who coached a girl's team looking for a league to play in, took Bellevue Baptist up on their offer and paid the $350 team fee. She attended the pre-season organization and rules meeting and got ready for a season of fun and competition for her team.

But then she got called to attend another meeting -- this time with church ministers and leaders. It seems they had found out that she was a lesbian and because of that they decided to ban her team from competing in the league. They told Ms. Jacobson that her team could not compete "because it would send a message to their congregation that they condone our lifestyle."

That is so ridiculous that it almost leaves me speechless. Do they really think that banning this team will clear their league of all lesbians? And why should it even matter? What if the coach was an atheist (or Democrat, Catholic, liberal, Moslem, socialist, etc.)? Would they ban the team in that instance to keep their congregation from thinking they condoned those things?

Softball is just a sport and participation in it condones nothing except fun, competition and sportsmanship. Letting this team play would in no way have condoned the lesbian lifestyle, but banning them absolutely condones bigotry and discrimination. These small-minded people are just wrong and the lesson their actions teach has no basis in morality or ethics. Whatever happened to "love your neighbor" and "judge not lest you be judged"?

Making matters even worse the church has refused to refund the teams $350 entrance fee. This is the type of "christian behavior" that drove me out of the church (and religion in general).