ESPN Analyst and Christian Under Fire For Comments about Openly Gay Player

Chris Broussard is a regular on ESPN and one of the most respected sports journalists in the country.  Now, he is being criticized for being a Christian who feels the right to have his own opinions about being gay and what that means from a Christian perspective.


Broussard went on air this week to speak about Jason Collins, an NBA player who just admitted that he is openly gay.  Collins made the announcement as part of an interview with Sports Illustrated, and it’s led to a great deal of debate about gay players in NBA locker rooms.
This is the right time for Collins to come out, since the gay lobby has more power than it’s ever had.  Anyone who doesn’t agree with the gay point of view is typically attacked to the point of being fired, and almost always accused of being homophobic. This means that a Christian can easily be fired simply for stating the bible’s views, even if he doesn’t attack any gay person in the process.
Speaking on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, Chris Broussard said that he would “not characterize [Collins] as a Christian.” Chris was speaking alongside LZ Granderson, who is openly gay himself:

BROUSSARD: Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly, like premarital sex between heterosexuals.If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that, you know, that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.

“I really don’t need Chris or anyone else telling me if I’m a Christian because Jesus tells me I am,” said Granderson, who took offense to Broussard’s remarks.
Broussard has written about NBA players coming out in the past, stating that he thinks that the league is ready for a player to be openly gay.  But he did say that some non-gay athletes might be uncomfortable showering alongside a gay teammate, in the same way that anyone would not shower in front of a person of the opposite gender.
Chris also is of the view that there may not be any clear biological reason for people to be gay.  Instead of buying into one side of the debate or the other, Broussard simply says that the studies appears to be inconclusive.
“There are many scientists on both sides of the genetic debate, and I believe a truly objective person would admit the biological evidence for homosexuality is far from definitive,” he said.
Of course, GLAAD is going to come after Broussard for his remarks, but does he have the right to be an honest Christian or does that make him automatically homophobic?