So I lied to you when I said I’d stop posting so much about Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. I mean, I don’t want to turn this blog into the Chris Kluwe fan club, but man, I certainly would sign up!

This time, Kluwe has written an open letter to Archbishop Nienstedt and Pope Benedict XVI. In the letter, he asks several questions:

I read your views on gay marriage in the Star Tribune, Archbishop Nienstedt, and it fills me with great sadness and regret that a steward of the Catholic Church on this Earth feels the need to take a stance of oppression, intolerance, and fear. Surely, is this not what Jesus spoke of when he said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit”?

How can we reconcile our version of the Catholic Church as salvation to the sick, the needy, the poor, when we must also bear witness to the Catholic Church as oppressor, tormentor, and executioner? Where, in all of Jesus’ teachings, did he ever say to deny the humanity of other human beings; where did the Son of God proclaim that mortal Man knew God’s will; where, pray tell, did Jesus ever say to harden your heart against those who may not be exactly the same as you?

I say to you – nowhere. Nowhere does Jesus preach hate, or intolerance, or loathing. Nowhere does Jesus say, “You shall deny the humanity of gay people because it makes you feel uncomfortable”. Nowhere does Jesus say, “And the mortal men of the Church shall be the sole conduits of the Word of God, for they are perfect and infallible.” Nowhere, in all of the recorded teachings of Jesus, does it say anything about discrimination or prejudice.

Seriously. The above excerpt is just Kluwe warming up before his kick to win the game! I strongly encourage you to read the letter in its entirety on his Out of Bounds blog.

Chris, if you ever stumble upon this blog, you’ll have to let me know when your next fan club meeting is taking place! ;)