Letters to Sports: Criticism abounds for Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers and Sisters
Regarding your story "Kershaw Disagrees With Sisters Honor, Urges Faith Day": I am a big fan of Clayton Kershaw and admire his work on and off the field. However, I feel like he is missing the point about the honor for the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Both he and the Sisters are actually promoting the same things. Their methods may differ, but both are urging respect and tolerance for other people and their beliefs.
Peggy Jo Abraham
Santa Monica
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If Kershaw wants to stuff Christianity down our throats at Dodger games, let him also offer us nights for Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, any other common religion, and, for some of us, an Atheist night. His hypocrisy has me gagging.
Dell Franklin
Cayucos
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Clayton Kershaw’s push to prod the Dodgers to stage a Christian Faith Day is an incredibly bad idea that the Dodgers should decline. The Dodgers are a city and regional institution that, with the right leadership, fosters inclusion and unity in our community. Everyone is welcome to become a Dodgers fan regardless of ethnicity, location, religious and political beliefs, sexual preference, income, or other factors that often divide people.
Choosing to formally celebrate one religion, in this case Christianity, at the expense of all other religious beliefs necessarily tears at the unity that normally exists among Dodgers fans.
Ray McKown
Torrance
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Clayton Kershaw is wrong to say that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are making fun of religion. They are providing comfort and support to people who are being marginalized by and rejected by bigots, which is the same type of work that Jesus was known for providing.
Kershaw is not acting like a Christian. He is acting like a wealthy celebrity who is looking out for himself. I hope that he will read the Bible, see the errors of his hurtful words, and apologize to those he has offended. That would be the Christian thing to do.
Brent Trafton
Long Beach
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As if Christians haven’t done enough to destroy the family with dogma to help keep LGBTQ+ members in the closet, frightened and vulnerable within communities all across America, this event is not a shadow of the bigger problem with homophobia; it is a rally call for more hypocrisy, divide and a "wink" to those who are legislating anti-LGBTQ+ agendas in the name of “Christian” ideals across America. Congratulations, Dodgers and spokesperson Kershaw, for this political stunt disguised as faith, and bowing at the feet of pressure from those who continue to make life a living hell for the LGBTQIA community!
Scott Matz
Los Angeles
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Bravo to Clayton Kershaw standing up for his religious beliefs and articulating what many of us think. It's mind-boggling to think the Dodgers would honor a performance group that satirizes Christianity by depicting a raunchy Jesus being crucified. Thank you, Clayton, for your thoughtful, Christian response to this insult.
Mary Curtius
Coronado
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By claiming that “loving Jesus” is his response to Pride Night and the Sisters inclusion, Clayton Kershaw says the quiet part out loud. Catholics view the Queer community as their opposition. By framing Christian Night as a response to their Pride Night, he’s only furthering the divide.
Nick Chatillon
Newport Beach
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Having been a stand-up guy his whole career, it comes as no surprise he would take a stand against honoring a group that mocks religion. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are fortunate they operate in the U.S. If they attempted their brand of "humor" on Islamic traditions in any other country they would find out what intolerance really means.
Ken Blake
Brea
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To say that I am disappointed in the Dodger organization would be a colossal understatement. When did MLB embrace Christianity as part of the rites of summer? When did religion become conflated with our beloved national pastime? Religion belongs in the home, at church, in a synagogue, mosque and temple. Where it doesn’t belong is in our ballparks, especially when it celebrates one religion to the exclusion of all others. Shame on Clayton Kershaw and shame on the Dodger organization.
Marna Shulberg
Sherman Oaks
The Angels, too
I have been attending Angels baseball games since 1960 and I am shocked and angry by the Angels’ recent religious advertising, both on the walls and the pitcher’s mound of Angel Stadium. Specifically, the advertising of HeGetsUs.org, the evangelical Christian group with well-known ties to right-wing, anti-LGBTQ groups.
Will the Angels permit other groups, including atheists, a similar opportunity? Are they interested in other opinions? If a group of Orthodox Jews wanted to advertise, would they be allowed? The rise and influence of the Christian, religious right during Trump’s presidency is well-documented. Do the Angels have a like-mindedness for the positions of the individuals at HeGetsUs.org? I would like to know if this represents the owner’s beliefs, or if his stadium is up for grabs to anyone who can pay for their religious or political agendas.
Mark J. Wittenberg
Long Beach
Expiration date
When will the Dodgers give up on Noah Syndergaard? He clearly hasn’t got it anymore. He is like a batting practice pitcher. Maybe they can recoup some of his salary by renting him out as a pitcher in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.
Alan Abajian
Alta Loma
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During his last start, I thought I noticed a label on Noah Syndergaard's uniform waistband that said "Best if Used By 2020."
Ron Yukelson
San Luis Obispo
Full disclosure
I think in terms of full disclosure, the Dodgers should have an * when they say you can see all of their games on SportsNet LA, except when they are blacked out and available on Hulu, TBS, ESPN, Peacock, Apple+, FS1 or YouTube.
Ira M. Friedman
Beverly Hills
Staying grounded
History tells us that “white men can’t jump.“ How good would Denver's Nikola Jokic be if he could jump too?
Loren Coleman
West Hollywood
Forgetting something?
A lot of numbers were thrown around in the attempt to sell the move of the A’s to Las Vegas, but the one that wasn’t mentioned is 102. This is the average daytime temperature in Las Vegas during the months of June through September, and the rendering of the stadium does not show a covered, air-conditioned facility. And the idea of a 4 p.m. start time to accommodate evening shows? That’s typically when the day has reached its hottest. It seems someone forgot to remind John Fisher that baseball is played in the summer.
Peter Maradudin
Seattle
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