"The View" co-hosts criticized Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s Catholic faith on Thursday, saying the athlete's religious outlook is being compared to "cult-like and extremist religions in the Middle East" and recommending he go to therapy.
The panelists added to the backlash Butker has received for his recent commencement speech at a private Catholic college in Kansas in which he promoted his traditional Catholic values, criticized the LGBTQ community and President Biden, and championed his wife’s vocation as a "homemaker."
"If you’re using this to oppress people or hold them down, you’re not walking with Jesus," co-host Sara Haines said.
"The View" panelists took various shots at Butker’s speech and religious faith during the segment, though co-host Whoopi Goldberg set herself apart by defending his right to express his beliefs.
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"Listen, I like when people say what they need to say. He’s at a Catholic college. He’s a staunch Catholic. These are his beliefs and he’s welcome to 'em," she said. "I don’t have to believe 'em. I don’t have to accept them … The same way we want respect when Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, we want to give respect to people whose ideas are different from ours."
Haines agreed Butker had the right to speak out but said his viewpoints stemmed from an "extremist" and "cult-like" version of Catholicism.
"What this man is doing is not just a devout Catholic," she said. "This is someone who is practicing something called the Traditional Latin Mass, which is divergent from the majority of Catholics. It’s compared to being cult-like and extremist like some religions in the Middle East and Asia."
"So this is a very extreme religion," she added.
The traditional Latin Mass is the traditional form of the Catholic mass that was celebrated in the Catholic Church up until 1970, when a more modern interpretation of it was introduced.
Co-host Joy Behar quipped Butker had "mother issues" and should "get a therapist."
Haines added Butker’s version of Catholicism a "very extreme religion" and said it bothered her as a Christian.
"When people abuse Christianity, they often not only cherry-pick from the Bible, they misinterpret and lie by omission, by taking out parts that would have explained something a little better. So, what I can say to him as a Christian is, if you’re using this to oppress people or hold them down, you’re not walking with Jesus," she said.
"I would really encourage, really encourage him to find the best parts of faith and not diverge into extremist beliefs," she added.
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Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back on Haines, stating that Butker shares the same beliefs as many orthodox Catholics and Christians, but hammered the football player for making political points with his faith.
"He chose to target the LGBTQ community," she said.
Griffin then mocked Butker’s points about his wife being a homemaker, saying, "What a remarkable privilege. If you get to marry an NFL kicker who wins the Super Bowl, you too might get to be a homemaker in this economy."
Co-host Sunny Hostin added that her "main problem" with Butker’s speech was that he said LGBTQ people engage in "sinful behavior," and pushed back, saying that "the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, basically has done more for the LGBTQ community in Catholic history."
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Though Pope Francis has been more supportive of the LGBTQ community, especially in parts of the world where they are persecuted, and has urged "charity" towards them among Catholics, he has stood by the Vatican’s long-held opposition to same-sex marriage.
The backlash against Butker’s speech has prompted the creation of a public petition on Change.org calling for "the Kansas City Chiefs to Dismiss Harrison Butker for discriminatory remarks."
The petition’s details stated that the "comments were sexist, homophobic, anti-trans, anti-abortion and racist. These dehumanizing remarks against LGBTQ+ individuals, attacks on abortion rights and racial discrimination perpetuate division and undermine human rights."
So far, nearly 110,000 individuals have already signed the petition. Additionally, the NFL has distanced itself from Butker’s words, with the league’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane telling People, "His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion."
