Dori: Christian soccer player persecuted for beliefs

I want to tell you about a young woman named Jaelene Hinkle who plays soccer for the North Carolina Courage. She was identified at a young age as a very impressive soccer player. She grew up in a house with a strong Christian faith. She went to a private Christian high school. And she was so talented that she went on to play soccer at Texas Tech, a huge soccer school.

She went on to play soccer professionally for the North Carolina team. And now she has been invited to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team. That’s as big as it gets.

However, there was one challenge for her — a spiritual one, from her perspective. The jersey that the U.S. Women’s National Team was going to wear for two friendlies had in huge letters, “LGBTQ.” She said that while she understood honoring the community and did not personally have a problem with gay people, she did not want to be seen promoting that lifestyle as a Christian.

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So she had to decide — was she going to fulfill a dream that she has had since she was a little girl, or do what she felt her faith was calling her to do? She quietly decided that she did not want to promote that and respectfully declined the invitation. She didn’t threaten a lawsuit, make a stink, or do anything for self-aggrandizement. Now the dream of playing on the U.S. Team is over.

When the North Carolina team had a match in Portland last week, every time Jaelene touched the ball, the wild-eyed liberals in the stands booed her. Because she didn’t conform. Because she didn’t do what the army of the politically-correct demanded of her. Because she wasn’t part of the liberal indoctrination.

For so many people, the guiding light in life is how to be politically correct. It has nothing to do with personal character, convictions, or a well-thought-out analysis of any issue. She was not doing this to bring attention to herself. She chose not to accept the invitation for deeply personal reasons, and now in other aspects of her career she is getting booed for sticking to her personal convictions.

Portland is a crazy town where conformity is the most important thing — very much like Seattle. A lot of people — including in the media — base their path on that of the least resistance. It’s really sad to hear of this 25-year-old young athlete who made a decision and is pilloried for it. It’s not surprising. But it’s sad.

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