Navratilova backhands Court comments
Women’s tennis champion Margaret Court has condemned the push for marriage equality, saying she wants to “protect families”.
Court, who is the founder and senior pastor at Victory Life Church in Perth, urged Australians to make a stand against same-sex marriage, saying no human law could ever change God’s divine laws.
“Politically correct education has masterfully escorted homosexuality out from behind closed doors, into the community openly and now is aggressively demanding marriage rights that are not theirs to take,” she told The West Australian last week.
Court said society was best served by strong family units that comprised a mother, father and children and there was no reason to put forward “alternative, unhealthy, unnatural unions” as a substitute.
“No amount of legislation or political point-scoring can ever take out of the human heart the knowledge that in the beginning God created them male and female and provided each with a unique sexual function to bring forth new life,” she said.
“To dismantle this sole definition of marriage and try to legitimise what God calls abominable sexual practices that include sodomy, reveals our ignorance as to the ills that come when society is forced to accept law that violates their very own God-given nature of what is right and what is wrong.”
Court turned to Christianity in 1972, and has long claimed that homosexuality is a choice, reiterating her stance this week.
“The fact that the homosexual cry is, ‘We can’t help it as we were born this way’, as the cause behind their own personal choice is cause for concern,” she said.
“Every action begins with a thought. There is a choice to be made.”
Court has had a history of anti-gay comments, accusing lesbians of ruining women’s tennis and calling Martina Navratilova a bad example to young players.
Navratilova, along with openly gay tennis great Billie Jean King, condemned Court’s latest comments.
“Seems to me a lot of people have evolved as has the Bible. Unfortunately, Margaret Court has not,” Navratilova told TennisChannel.com
“Her myopic view is truly frightening as well as damaging to the thousands of children already living in same-gender families.
“I have tried to talk to Margaret but to say she’s completely close-minded on the issue is an understatement.”
Photo: Graham Hughes
I think it’s time to rename Margaret Court Arena. Her statements are irresponsible. She seems to think she’s a higher being – curing “gays”. She sounds dellusional to me
I CHOOSE to ignore this woman. I suggest you do the same. See we have a choice!
I wonder if Ms Court remembers the moment she chose to be heterosexual?
Dear Margaret Court,
For years I have tolerated the views of people like you because I felt you HAD a right to an opinion.
But you no longer have no right to an opinion when you throw the “CHOICE” card on the table when discussing homosexuality.
I NEVER made a CHOICE and when you think I do, Margaret, here’s my very personal OPINION right back at ya, baby.
You are not and never will be the greatest female tennis player because you simply made the CHOICE to play and win 11 Australian Open as part of those 24 singles Grand Slams you played – take that out and Martina, Steffi and Chris are better than you. What’s the matter ? Couldn’t win any of the other Grand Slams more ? Notice how many commentators don’t even MENTION you in the greats commentary anymore – they just bypass that reference where you are concerned because we all know you CHOSE to exploit paying an event that was simply devoid of great players in those years when they CHOSE not to make their way to Australia all those years ago.
Most of all, you know that bout of severe depression you went through? That was your CHOICE, an excuse you have made for your late-in-life match and personal failures. YOU made lousy CHOICES when managing your emotional state – you just CHOSE to lounge around being lethargic, unhappy and frankly just all lazy about it. Why didn’t you just snap out of it? Does not the bible say something (overwhelmingly insulting) about lazy people or did you miss the interpretation conveniently? Lord knows those people writing it had opinions on everything including the fact you sinned by dressing like a hooker by wearing short skirts when you played tennis, you hussy.
Hurts – doesn’t it – when people judge your “choices”?