Former NFL star Ryan Clark has sparked a debate among social media users about religion and social issues, specifically the LGBTQ+ community. Speaking with his co-hosts on an upcoming episode of the “Pivot” podcast, Clark condemned former Chicago Bulls player Jaden Ivey for sharing an anti-queer statement on social media.
Ryan Clark Condemns Jaden Ivey, Other Christians Who Use Religion To Spew ‘Hate’ Toward Other Groups Of People
Clark shared a snippet of an upcoming “Pivot” episode, in which he and his co-hosts discuss the drama currently surrounding the NBA. In the episode, Clark voiced his disagreement with Ivey, who recently caused waves after speaking about LGBTQ+ issues and the Bible.
“So many times we use Christianity, and we see that more and more in today’s society, we use Christianity to veil the hate and evil we want to spew,” he said. “Because if I can say it comes from God or point to where it is in the bible, now I’m bulletproof.”
Clark went on to say that the Bible actually instructs Christians to love God first and then love their neighbors as themself.
Ryan Clark Says Ivey Put Himself In A Position To Be Treated A Certain Way
Continuing, Clark said that Ivey put himself in a position to be scrutinized by going on a “rant” about religion and social issues that the NBA and WNBA support.
“And for Jaden Ivey, I think we have to look deeper into the mental health of what’s going on as well,” Clark added. “Somebody needs to check on that young man. Somebody needs to have a conversation with him. Somebody needs to wrap their arms around him.”
What Did Jaden Ivey Say?
Clark’s comments come days after Ivey, a former Purdue University basketball player, made waves after condemning the NBA for supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
“The world proclaims LGBTQ, right?” he said. “They proclaim Pride Month, and the NBA does, too. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it on the streets. Unrighteousness.”
After being waived by the Bulls for conduct “detrimental to the team,” Ivey doubled down on his stance.
“I’m against what is contrary to the word of God,” he continued. “Man is not supposed to lie with a man and a woman is not supposed to lie with a woman.”
Ivey received support from social media users and athletes, including New England Patriots player TreVeyon Henderson, who responded to Ivey’s claims with a Bible verse.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” Henderson wrote. “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10.”
Ryan Clark Faces Some Pushback For Comments About Religion
Clark’s comments on Ivey and religion sparked further discussion on the topic, with one user saying they completely disagreed with the former Pittsburgh Steelers star.
“I was with you, for a moment, but I think you’re missing something BIG,” someone else wrote. “Loving your neighbor does not mean approving of everything they do. That’s where people get it twisted.”
“Unreal take bruh,” another shared. “I’m sorry but are you questioning this mans mental health based off his stance for what he believes …i am so disappointed what i just heard.”
“How is he ranting because he’s proclaiming the word of God?” a fourth netizen replied to Clark’s video. “He’s standing on Jesus Christ and the word of God. I do not agree with you at all. You took them scriptures my Savior Jesus Christ said out of context to fit what the world thinks and wants to be comfortable with.”
Clark clapped back, however, questioning whether Ivey’s comments criticizing people he doesn’t consider righteous enough are OK. “Man I disagree!!” he added.
Bulls Head Coach Speaks Out On Ivey Drama
The Bulls’ head coach, Billy Donovan, shared a few thoughts on Ivey and the current situation shortly after Ivey’s removal from the team.
Donovan said that, alongside fostering an inclusive environment, maintaining professionalism is of the utmost importance.
“I think there’s got to be a high level of respect for one another, and we got to help each other and then be accountable to those standards,” he said.
Donovan later spoke about the importance of caring for professional athletes’ mental health during these times.
“And I’m not passing judgment on what Jaden is or is not going through. But I do worry about that, not only for Jaden, but for all of our players. Are we providing the resources, which I think we do, to help them in any way we can? I think if any player reached out and said I need some help in this, we could help them,” he said.