Harrison Butker is not apologizing.
Butker, a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs and three-time Super Bowl champion, sparked controversy this month after he gave a commencement speech in which he defended Catholicism and affirmed traditional values. Petitions called for his firing, sportswriters said he should be replaced by women, and media outlets bombarded Butker’s teammates with questions about his views.
“To be disliked and misunderstood by some is nothing compared to finding yourself in the lions’ den.”
But even in the face of cancel culture, Butker refused to back down.
Speaking at the “Courage Under Fire” event hosted by the Catholic hybrid homeschooling organization Regina Caeli Academy in Nashville last Friday, Butker told attendees he had no regrets.
“After seven years in the NFL, I’ve grown accustomed to comments, both positive and negative, most of which were about my performance on the field, but naturally the more I speak about my Catholic faith, which is what I hold most dear, the more polarized I become,” Butker said.
“This is a conscious decision I have made and I don’t regret it at all,” he revealed.
In his first public comments since the controversy erupted, Butker explained that he had no regrets because he believed in “Divine Providence” and was not trying to please people but Jesus Christ.
“No matter what opposition or support we face, our motivation should always remain to glorify God and not ourselves,” Butker said.
Later in his speech, Butker said he was “humbled” by all the support he’d received, but he was quick to shift attention away from himself.
“If we constantly remind ourselves of the sufferings of the saints, especially the martyrs and their persecutions, everything starts to seem less bad. If heaven is our goal, we should embrace our cross, whether it be big or small, and live joyfully to be bold witnesses for Christ,” Butker said.
“In the end, courage begins with small things. Being disliked or misunderstood by some is nothing compared to being locked in the lions’ den,” he concluded, referring to the biblical character Daniel.
Butker’s jersey, despite outrage and attempted cancellation It became a best sellerhis His teammates defended him.and The clergy praised him.
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