The battle for ladies’s rights in the world of sports has been ongoing, but considering South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach, Dawn Staley’s contradictory remarks, controversy has been ignited once more.
After a third-straight championship win, within the post-game interview, Staley stated, “I got to offer honor to the Most High God for allowing us to be back at this same place, wherein we had sad tears. I just want you to know that the God I serve…when He closes a door, He opens up a door that can provide unimaginable success. This is an unusual favor.”
This wasn’t the one time Staley spoke out about her faith, giving credit to God and denoting how He has blessed her young players, whom she lovingly calls “daycare,” as a consequence of their growth and achievements.
Yet, her comments on faith caused some backlash amongst unbelievers, and in response to the Christian Post, South Carolina’s university president, Michael Amiridis, received a proper letter from the Freedom from Religions attorney, stating that he needed to “take motion to guard its student-athletes and to make sure that Staley understands that she has been hired as a basketball coach and never a pastor.”
Proceeding that, Staley made a comment saying she would welcome transgender athletes in women’s sports (Washington Times), which caused an uproar amongst women rights activists, equivalent to Riely Gaines. On Fox News, Gaines states, “I really like and respect Dawn Staley…her record is unprecedented, and clearly she is great at what she does… but she is proving to be either incompetent or a sellout.” Gaines goes on to say that Staley knows that men’s and girls’s sports are vastly different and believes she caved under political pressure, lacking the courage to support women.
As Christians, how can we honor God and the people who find themselves made in His image?
First, we’re called to proclaim the reality with justice and style (Micah 6:8), Which means we must oppose anything that goes against God’s Word and His design. Yet, at the identical time, we must extend compassion to those that could also be scuffling with their sexual identity.
The truth is God’s design consists of two genders, female and male (Genesis 1:27, Galatians 3:28). While each gender holds unique attributes and different qualities that complement each other, God created men to be physically stronger (1 Peter 3:7). This isn’t just Biblical, in response to BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation, “During short and maximal exercise, male performed higher with their hands, back, and legs than female students. Excess fat for female students has a disadvantageous effect on vertical and horizontal jump performances. The persistence of sex differences after weighting of male students indicates that body fat is answerable for 30 to 70% of the observed differences between sexes’ performances and power outcomes during jump tests.” Conclusion: Women are built in a different way, and never as physically as strong as men.
As believers, we must take the stand that biological men mustn’t be competing in women’s sports, because it not only has unfair disadvantages but additionally puts women in harm’s way and may be dangerous.
However, we will’t disregard that we currently live in a society that bases one’s identity, gender, and sexuality on feelings and perceptions. These feelings are sometimes marked by past pain, trauma, confusion, or rejection. That said, the transgender community must be enveloped in love and shown mercy.
It’s a positive line we must walk, showing love while not condoning or accepting sin. We must navigate these times by standing firm in reality and speaking up for injustice but doing so with dignity, grace, and poise.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is nice. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to like mercy and to walk humbly along with your God. Micah 6:8
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