This guy is a religious fanatic. A far right wing Christian, who has strong anti LGBT beliefs, and who mixes his Christian beliefs in with his coaching. This would be fine if he were coaching at a private, religious based University. But, he is coaching at a PUBLIC University that receives tax payer money, and which has laws against discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation.
He is free to believe whatever he wishes to believe. To force him to change his beliefs would be discrimination against him, and a violation of his Constitutional rights. At the same time, people like Ron Brown have a very, very, very hard time not letting their personal religious beliefs get intertwined with their job as a football coach. And, forget his views on sexual orientation. With a person this outspoken about their Christian faith, is this someone that a player who is Muslim would feel comfortable playing for? How about a person who is Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu...etc. For that matter, even kids who are Roman Catholic, because people with the belief system of Ron Brown often do not believe Catholic's are "saved".
He was not granted an interview for the head coaching job at Stanford back in 2002 because of public remarks he had made. There was a petition to have him removed from the coaching staff at Nebraska, because of remarks he has made in public. Bo Pelini stated that no players ever complained about Browns preaching at Nebraska. But, how many kids age 17-23 would complain, knowing if they did they could well lose playing time? I'm going to share an article written in 2012 by Gene Wojciechowski for ESPN.com. As far as I know, the writer is neither gay, nor a gay rights activist. He is a sports writer and commentator for ESPN.
This hire may play well in Ytown/Warren, which is far from a place full of open minded, tolerant people. Which is a major reason why I moved out of Ytown. Diversity, whether sexual orientation, gender identity, race, practicing a religion other than Christianity, females having several tats, people with several piercings, muliple colored hair, interracial couples..etc is not exactly looked at as something positive in the Ytown area. Something tells me the same is true in Lincoln, NB . This is the kind of hire that leads me to question if I still wish to be a fan of YSU football, and YSU athletics in general.
I find it very, very, very hard to believe that a person this outspoken, and who has a Christian message on his voicemail is open minded when dealing with players that do not share his beliefs. I've met to many people of this ilk. And, think about this for a moment. What if instead of Christianity, Brown were a devout Muslim and had the same fervor and outspokenness, only with Islam being the One, True Faith, and all people having to follow Allah and The Prophet Muhammad, or burn in hell. Something tells me that would not go over well, no matter how good of a coach he was. So, why is it different when the person in question is Christian, given we are talking about a SECULAR, PUBLIC INSTITUTION?
...""To be fired for my faith would be a greater honor than to be fired because we didn't win enough games," he told the AP.
So Brown would be a willing martyr. And if he continues to confuse faith with a person's fundamental right not to be discriminated against, then Perlman and Osborne should fire him. Because while his religious beliefs are his own -- and his opinions protected under the First Amendment -- Brown remains a representative of a university whose core values stress the "diversity of ideas and people."
Brown has the absolute right to express his views. But at what point do those views bleed into the workplace? It's a small thing, but Brown's office voice message is proudly nonsecular. And Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini has said that Brown discusses religion with his players, but, according to the AP, no team member has complained.
But what does that mean exactly? That the players want Brown to continue mixing religion with football, or that they're reluctant to say anything, in fear that it could affect their standing with a coach who controls their place on the depth chart?
And what if there were a gay player on the Nebraska roster? Or what if one of the players Brown is trying to recruit this week is gay, or has a family member or friend who is gay?
These are not unreasonable scenarios. Would you want to play for a coach who thinks God loves gays less than women or African-Americans? Would you want to play for a coach who preaches compassion and love, but is willing to turn his back on a fellow human being because of that person's sexual orientation?
Discrimination is discrimination. It isn't a buffet line where Brown can pick and choose who can be protected from it. It is repugnant in all forms.
Whether he realizes it or not, Brown's supposed private stance has public -- and Nebraska football -- implications. His beliefs find their way back to his players and the message is this: I've got your back -- as long as you're not gay."
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7863307/nebraska-cornhuskers-assistant-ron-brown-confusing-faith-rights http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/nebraska-coach-tells-fca-prayer-breakfast-that-christianity-is-the/article_f31aed93-e96f-579f-8123-407fdab2153b.htmlNebraska coach tells FCA Prayer Breakfast that Christianity is the only correct religion..."The 24-year Nebraska assistant also articulated his belief that only followers of Jesus will receive eternal salvation.
“Jesus didn’t say he was a way, a truth, a life,” Brown said. “He said he is the way, meaning he is the only way. Now listen, this is fundamental, just like a ball carrier carrying the ball … ask yourself this question, 'Is Jesus truly the only way?' It’s easy to say yes now, but in your public school system they say no. He is a way, a truth, a life. You willing to go to your death for that? It can’t be 'a.' There can’t be 5,000 different truths. There’s not even two truths.
“There’s one truth … any faith on this planet, any philosophy, any notion, any religion that can’t sign off on John 14:6 that Jesus Christ is truly God, God the son, that he is the way, truth and the life, that he is the only way you can have a relationship through God the son with God the father, they’re wrong. They’re dead wrong. Any other faith outside of Christianity is dead wrong. That don’t go over well. That don’t go over well in this culture.”"...
