Former VP Mike Pence accuses the MLB of "sexualizing children" by celebrating Pride Night

[Ferguson97]

https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/MLB-Open-Letter-Finalized.pdf

An Open Letter to Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Dodgers 

Dear Commissioner Manfred, 

For almost two hundred years, Americans have united around the great game of baseball. And for a very long time that was true. Since 1909, congressional Democrats and Republicans could put aside their bitter divisions and compete together in the friendliest of rivalries. During the 2001 World Series, President George W. Bush rekindled the American spirit by throwing out the first pitch of game three in Yankee Stadium, just a month after one of our country’s darkest days.   

But baseball’s long track record has come into question in recent years. In 2021, when my friend and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a law to protect election integrity in his state, you chose to relocate the All-Star Game from Atlanta, citing concerns about “voter suppression” (a claim put to shame by the actual impact of the law, which produced historic voter turnout, including among African Americans). In doing so, you not only undermined the game’s apolitical reputation, but you robbed the legacy of one of baseball’s all-time greats, Hank Aaron. Atlanta hosted its first All-Star Game almost 50 years beforehand, a game in which “Hammerin’ Hank” played and helped bring about an incredible victory. The 2021 game would have been a beautiful opportunity to honor the Atlanta Braves legend, who had died just months before. 

Now in 2023, Major League Baseball is standing by as our national pastime is desecrated by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic hate group with a history of religious bigotry. For reasons completely beyond understanding, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to give an award to the “Sisters,” giving a public platform and spotlight for their indecency that risks sexualizing young children. For a moment, it looked like the Dodgers might reverse course, but sanity has not prevailed in Los Angeles. As Bishop Robert Barron has made clear, this kind of religious intolerance and public indecency would never be celebrated if it were targeted against another religious group like Jews or Muslims.   

Baseball once stood for American greatness, but when the MLB openly invites attacks on Christian faith, sexualizes children with graphic public displays, and undermines the family-friendly environment that baseball has long stood for, it is clear that those days are fading fast.   

While baseball has had a bad streak over the past few years, that does not mean the book is closed on the MLB. “Pride Night,” when the Dodgers will recognize the “Sisters,” is not until June 16. It is still not too late to reverse course and recover the reputation of American baseball.

Baseball has long been cherished as America’s pastime, transcending political, social, and cultural boundaries. I firmly believe that baseball still has the power to bring people together and foster a sense of American unity centered around our civic virtues. If you act quickly, I am hopeful that the league can once again become a source of inspiration for millions of fans across these United States.

A longtime baseball fan and concerned fellow citizen,

Vice President Mike Pence

Conservatives are deranged lunatics.

[Suburbia]

Baseball is seen by white conservatives as the last sport they have, Americans really don't care for hockey, Kaepernick ruined the other last conservative-leaning sport, and the NBA is liberal-ish.

A lot of baseball athletes are homophobes (John Rocker, Keith Hernandez, Blake Triechen, Brandon Nimmo, etc.)

[Alben Barkley]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That said, I am almost sympathetic to his argument. Would American liberals really tolerate a group that made fun of Imams or Rabbis by dressing up as them and flagrantly disrespecting everything they believe, only to be awarded by a major national organization like the MLB? I doubt it, to say the least.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

[Alben Barkley]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

No offense BRTD, but you don't really count. Your experience is highly abnormal for Christians in the US today, and simply cannot be extrapolated to most. Pence left the RCC because he felt it wasn't conservative ENOUGH for him. This simply can't be compared to those who left to join more liberal protestant groups/denominations.

[DrScholl]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That said, I am almost sympathetic to his argument. Would American liberals really tolerate a group that made fun of Imams or Rabbis by dressing up as them and flagrantly disrespecting everything they believe, only to be awarded by a major national organization like the MLB? I doubt it, to say the least.

The Catholic Churches traditions have been parodied for years (ever hear of the Flying Nun?). There's a difference between parody and making fun of religions. Calling Muslims terrorists and making Jews out to be greedy are the sorts of stereotypes that would come along with humor making fun of Imams and Rabbis. That's not what the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are a non-profit that supports HIV/AIDS awareness. They were out there looking out for gay men dying of AIDS when conservatives were ignoring the disease or outright cheering that it was killing "the right people".

You know who is really anti-Catholic? Evangelicals.

[GregTheGreat657]

Looks like someone is trying to get back in the headlines before they announce their campaign

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

There is zero meaningful difference between what Pence and nearly every other prominent Republican is claiming about LGBT people being a threat to children and what the openly Qanon freaks are claiming - the only difference is that Republican elected officials aren't yet advocating mass executions.

[Person Man]

Everyone I disagree with molests children.

[jojoju1998]

Like how Josh Duggar cared about " family values " while molesting his sisters and viewing child porn ??

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

He looked at the polls and saw the thing people like best about him is his homophobia!

[PSOL]

This talk won’t win over independents

[HillGoose]

sounds like russki & red chinese funded communist propaganda intended to divide Americans from their countrymen, Mike Pence has clearly sold out to the Axis of Evil who seek the destruction of our nation

[Continential]

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an anti-religious organization that shouldn't be celebrated.

[Benjamin Frank]

Earlier this week Republican state lawmakers in Wisconsin circulated a new bill that would allow workers as young as 14 years old to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants, down from the state’s current age minimum of 18 years old.
https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/5/3/23702464/child-labor-laws-youth-migrants-work-shortage

Let children be children, except when working adult jobs, then children should be adults - Republican 'logic.'

[Mercenary]

Pride is wrong as pride itself is wrong regardless what group is doing it. And some pride nonsense is definitely sexualizing stuff and kids do attend things. No idea what a pride night at the mlb entails though as to whether that specifically involves any sexualization or not. But itd be better if pride wasnt celebrated in general..

[Del Tachi]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

No offense BRTD, but you don't really count. Your experience is highly abnormal for Christians in the US today, and simply cannot be extrapolated to most. Pence left the RCC because he felt it wasn't conservative ENOUGH for him. This simply can't be compared to those who left to join more liberal protestant groups/denominations.

You obviously have an ax to grind...you cannot get more "conservative" on social issues than Catholic orthodoxy.  Pence, like most ex-Catholics in Evangelical churches, converted in response to finding a more transformative, personal faith (i.e., being "born again.")  That isn't a political conversion. 

[Horus]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

No offense BRTD, but you don't really count. Your experience is highly abnormal for Christians in the US today, and simply cannot be extrapolated to most. Pence left the RCC because he felt it wasn't conservative ENOUGH for him. This simply can't be compared to those who left to join more liberal protestant groups/denominations.

You obviously have an ax to grind...you cannot get more "conservative" on social issues than Catholic orthodoxy.  Pence, like most ex-Catholics in Evangelical churches, converted in response to finding a more transformative, personal faith (i.e., being "born again.")  That isn't a political conversion.  

There is some truth to this. As much as many on the left complain about Evangelicals, it is right wing Catholics who are the most socially reactionary and nanny statish when it comes to sex. It's not 2003 anymore.

[Pres Mike]

I'm with Mike Pence. The MLB should not invite any organzation that mocks any religion. Unacceptable. Hopefully the once again disinvite the group and award another group on June 16th.

[jojoju1998]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

No offense BRTD, but you don't really count. Your experience is highly abnormal for Christians in the US today, and simply cannot be extrapolated to most. Pence left the RCC because he felt it wasn't conservative ENOUGH for him. This simply can't be compared to those who left to join more liberal protestant groups/denominations.

You obviously have an ax to grind...you cannot get more "conservative" on social issues than Catholic orthodoxy.  Pence, like most ex-Catholics in Evangelical churches, converted in response to finding a more transformative, personal faith (i.e., being "born again.")  That isn't a political conversion.  

There is some truth to this. As much as many on the left complain about Evangelicals, it is right wing Catholics who are the most socially reactionary and nanny statish when it comes to sex. It's not 2003 anymore.

Ahem, for example, Catholic intergralism......

[Ferguson97]

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an anti-religious organization that shouldn't be celebrated.

False.

[DrScholl]

Mike Pence would know all about "anti-Catholic hate groups" considering he left the Church to become an evangelical.

That's like a quarter of the people at my former church...who of course are all way more progressive than Pence. For all of the many obvious flaws with Pence, this is not one of them.

No offense BRTD, but you don't really count. Your experience is highly abnormal for Christians in the US today, and simply cannot be extrapolated to most. Pence left the RCC because he felt it wasn't conservative ENOUGH for him. This simply can't be compared to those who left to join more liberal protestant groups/denominations.

You obviously have an ax to grind...you cannot get more "conservative" on social issues than Catholic orthodoxy.  Pence, like most ex-Catholics in Evangelical churches, converted in response to finding a more transformative, personal faith (i.e., being "born again.")  That isn't a political conversion. 

Not so. The Catholic Church opposes the death penalty and many ideological social conservatives are very much for it.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

It's just so odd to see the GOP circle back to being anti-gay/trans after it stopped being a winning issue. We've been having pride celebrations all over the country for so many years and no one made an issue about it until the last 2-3 years.

Perhaps it all has stemmed from the qanon conspiracy with all this talk of "grooming children."

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

It's just so odd to see the GOP circle back to being anti-gay/trans after it stopped being a winning issue. We've been having pride celebrations all over the country for so many years and no one made an issue about it until the last 2-3 years.

Perhaps it all has stemmed from the qanon conspiracy with all this talk of "grooming children."

Its as much that as the increase in "parents rights" school groups taking political action. As soon as COVID stopped being a salient issue, it was pretty obvious that those groups were gonna turn their attention to culture war issues like LGBTQ+ tolerance & sex ed. They've taken up the mantle in spreading the "grooming children" attack lines.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

It's just so odd to see the GOP circle back to being anti-gay/trans after it stopped being a winning issue. We've been having pride celebrations all over the country for so many years and no one made an issue about it until the last 2-3 years.

Perhaps it all has stemmed from the qanon conspiracy with all this talk of "grooming children."

I feel its as much the "grooming children" talk as it is "parents rights" school groups taking political action. As soon as COVID stopped being a salient issue, it was pretty obvious that LGBTQ+ tolerance & sex ed was gonna be the next targets

That too. I for the life of me don't understand why some people think parents need to be the ones dictating curriculum in schools. It's almost like saying you know better than your doctor when it comes to your health. Leave that up to the professionals.