Mets Second Baseman Daniel Murphy Disagrees With The Gay Lifestyle ‘100 Percent’

New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy has expressed 100 percent disapproval with the gay lifestyle, although he would have no problem with a gay teammate.

Murphy was commenting on Billy Bean’s visit yesterday to the Mets spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Bean, who is homosexual, is the MLB inclusion ambassador and is touring MLB training facilities to promote acceptance upon the invitation of Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson.

“Bean played in the majors for six seasons but did not publicly disclose he was gay until several years after his career ended in 1995. Alderson heard him speak last November to a room full of baseball executives, was inspired by what he had to say, and approached him afterward,” The New York Times reported.

Bean apparently retired from baseball because of the burden of concealing his sexual orientation from his teammates.

Said to be a devout Christian, Daniel Murphy, 29, disclosed his feelings following the Bean visit, which he deemed an example of “foward thinking,” to The Star-Ledger/NJ.com.

“I disagree with his lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact that Billy is a homosexual. That doesn’t mean I can’t still invest in him and get to know him. I don’t think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him. That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent. Maybe, as a Christian, that we haven’t been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality. We love the people. We disagree the lifestyle. That’s the way I would describe it for me…”

Named to the All-Star team last season, Murphy made his MLB debut in August 2008 with the Mets. He has recorded a career.290 batting average, with 827 hits, 48 home runs, and 329 RBI so far. Murphy will be entering free-agency after this season and, as such, has been the subject of trade rumors.

An NBCSports.com columnist took strong exception to Daniel Murphy’s remarks. “… ‘Disagreeing’ with Bean or anyone else’s homosexuality is nonsensical. It’s not an opinion. It’s not a philosophy, political position, choice or a world view. It’s a fact. It’s part of who Bean is as a person… Even if his religion has taught him that homosexuality is wrong, and even if one thinks Murphy has the absolute right, as a citizen, to say what he wants about it (which he certainly does), there is no escaping the fact that such comments are ignorant. That they, however politely put, serve to marginalize a great many people. That they, when taken to their logical extreme, encourage and/or give cover for bigotry and violence and hatred…”

Do you think that Daniel Murphy’s comments about what he described as the gay lifestyle, and his 100 percent disagreement with same, are offensive?

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