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KHTK-AM’s owner, Bonneville International, fired Napear with cause. The company felt Napear’s tweet was insensitive and offensive. Napear challenged the firing on several grounds. He stressed that, as a Christian and member of the Unitarian Church, “all lives matter” expresses his faith. Napear also invoked California Labor Code sections 1101 and 1102. This statute prohibits employers from interfering with an employee’s engagement in politics or political activities. It also makes it illegal for an employer to fire an employee based on a political motive. The case has been in litigation since 2021.
But even before they’d connected that weekend, Mazzulla said he felt like he knew Holiday because of their shared Christian faith. More specifically, Mazzulla would often use a mobile app that featured Holiday reading Bible verses to users. “His voice is on the app, reading verses, and I would listen to it,” Mazzulla told The Athletic. “So I’ve always had, like, a spiritual connection to him.”
Orlando Magic player Jonathan Isaac has launched his own athletic apparel company marketed towards Christians and conservatives. The NBA forward made headlines in 2020 when he stood during the national anthem as his teammates knelt in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, Isaac is running UNITUS, which he hopes will capture consumers who appreciated his decision
Michael Singer: Asked #Nuggets SL head coach John Beckett about decision to not have Christian on the roster. Said that call was above his paygrade, but said that Christian and MPJ were both planning on being out in Vegas to work with team.
At the time, Isaac’s stance was interpreted by some onlookers as a protest against the Black Lives Matter movement. Isaac said he was trying to promote his Christian beliefs and offer those beliefs as a solution to racial injustice — and was not attempting to denigrate Black Lives Matter. “Everybody’s about solutions,” Isaac said. “People were kneeling and people were wearing the T-shirt. And I completely respect that. That is (people’s) answer or that is a portion of (people) going about rectifying a problem or answering this situation.
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Director Brien Ivie: Stephen, who is known very widely as a Christian athlete and a voice for faith, wanted to align himself with a story that shared his faith in a way that he really felt was compelling and authentic and not typically what you see in a lot of Christian media, which is typically very neatly packaged and doesn’t really feel like real life. This is his first film he’d done in Hollywood, and a way for him to make a statement.
What is your view on extremist groups who say they are Muslim? Faried: To me it’s like, ‘Hey you have extremist Christians.’ So you have debates for both sides. As long as you don’t in a sense try to disrespect my faith and beliefs, like I’m OK with it. I can’t control what you’re doing and what you believe in. Kanter: It sucks, man. The majority, almost all, Muslims are peaceful. But you have radicals who do stupid things that no Muslims approve of and they become the face of Muslims in the media. Most Muslims I know donate money to charity, and help others. They are good neighbors.
What has been the typical reaction from teammates, coaches and executives when they find out you are Muslim? Abdul-Rauf: Initially, when I became a Muslim, it wasn’t looked at as a threat … And [people] say they’re Christians or they’re Jews, but you don’t necessarily see them practicing it, according to scripture. So, when I first became Muslim there was nothing. No concern on their faces. But when they saw me, ‘Hold on this guy is actually praying? He’s trying to find a closet and places to pray, talking about fasting.’ You know they had concerns about that, like, ‘I don’t think that’ll be a good thing.’ And, when they see you really trying to practice what you say you’re about, that’s when you start to see a little bit of the resistance as if though you’re not in this country club atmosphere.
After regularly reading the Holy Bible last year, Hood is currently ingesting a self-help book written by popular evangelical Christian pastor and author Rick Warren titled: Daily Inspiration for The Purpose Driven Life. Hood hauls the brown-covered book with him while traveling, has been spotted carrying it with him while entering the arena this postseason and keeps it in his locker for easy access. The motivational messages, which include 1,000 scriptural passages and reflections by Warren, soothe the soul of this young player and newish dad. Hood is soaking up the inspiration. He's trying to find his way in life as much as he’s trying to find a way to contribute to the Jazz’s success on the court during the franchise’s first postseason in five years.
When did you first feel that your faith was challenged? Dwight Howard: When I had my first child. ‘He’s supposed to be a Christian. He had a child without being married.’ I had to learn that a lot of times that the devil wants to destroy your testimony by trying to embarrass you. No matter what, I’m still a Christian. This is what Jesus died for, for my sins and for everybody else’s. You can’t allow the persecution to make you be afraid to talk about who you believe in.
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The retired NBA pro apparently had some free time on the holiest day of the year for Christians, Easter Sunday, to check out the offerings on Pornhub. When an ad popped up asking for very important feedback — “Who would you rather spend time with during Easter?” with “A pornstar” or “Your family” as his options — the 34-year-old Arenas faced a moral quandary the likes of which he hadn’t contemplated all his life. He wrestled with each option, reasoning that his family should be the answer, but what if Pornhub would send a porn star his way if he clicked that enticing choice? Because the website sending an adult star your way is an actual thing that happens, the hopeful undercurrent of his Instagram post posits.
The next day, Christian waived me over. “Jason, did you write my mama is 6-9?” he asked, to which I of course responded yes. “My mama’s not 6-9," he said. "My mama’s 5-9!” I was flabbergasted. “Christian,” I said. “Jeff and I went over and over this with you. We asked you five times!” He just laughed. A few minutes later I shared the entire saga with Byron Scott, who just silently shook his head. “Now you know what I’ve been dealing with all year,” he said.
Williams was baptized while playing for Utah. He and his wife, Amy, were members of Salt Lake Christian Church, a nondenominational church in Salt Lake City. A commitment to read the Bible, pray and surround himself with other Christians has helped him grow spiritually. “It’s a crazy world we live in,” he said. “Everywhere you look there is sin and temptation. You have to ignore it and stay focused on the Lord.”
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