Phoenix Suns Bounce Pro-Family 'Church Night' Sponsor, Court Homosexual Favor
by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
January 19, 2004
(AgapePress) - A professional basketball team is being accused of caving in to homosexual activists.
In December, a pro-family group called the Center for Arizona Policy agreed to sponsor the Phoenix Suns' annual "Church Night" in March. However, the Suns officials broke that agreement after receiving complaints about the promotional packages that were sent out to invite people to the event -- packages that contained literature opposing homosexual marriage.
The Center reportedly sent out 2,000 invitation packages to area churches and an additional 20,000 to Center supporters. Included in each package was a letter urging support for the Federal Marriage Amendment which bore the headline: "The Enemy's Assault on Marriage." A couple of complaints about the letter caused the Suns to rethink their agreement, and fearing controversy, the organization dropped the center as "Church Night" sponsor of the March 19 game.
Center president Len Munsil feels homosexual activists hijacked the event. He says he is disappointed with the Suns organization for giving in to protester's demands.
"The pressure that's being brought to bear on businesses by the homosexual community is just incredible right now," Munsil says. "Nobody wants to be called a bigot; nobody wants to be described as homophobic. So it's a sort of political correctness run amok that you can force or pressure even businesses owned by Christians into disassociating from people who believe in the traditional family."
The Center for Arizona Policy claims to be the only organization in the state that is actively presenting a biblical perspective on marriage, gambling, homosexuality, abortion, and gambling to the public, to the media, and to state lawmakers. According to Munsil, the Suns reneged on their agreement because homosexual activists objected to the Center's biblical view of homosexuality.
However, AZCentral.com reports that several of the complaints about the center's literature came from area clergy. A Rev. Steve Wayles, pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ, was so angered and appalled by the Center's letter that he contacted members of Silent No More, a group of about 100 clergy who welcome the homosexual community to their churches. Wayles and several other pastors sent letters, and the Suns organization did an about-face, canceling the agreement with the Center and issuing a public apology.
For Munsil, Church Night was an opportunity to get the Center's message out to a wider audience -- an opportunity which he regrets will be missed. And most of all, he asserts, what has been missed is the chance for others to see the group's motivation, which he says is "to preach love, compassion, and concern for those on the wrong path."
Munsil says he is particularly disappointed with Suns owner Jerry Colangelo and other professing Christians who work within the organization.
"There were a few complaints, and for some reason the Suns decided that they didn't want to risk being associated with a group like ours," Munsil says, "and we just think that's unfortunate. We think it was a bad decision, and that's what we're asking our people to let the Suns know."
The Suns explained the decision to drop the center as a sponsor by saying that the purpose of Church Night is "to enjoy a basketball game, not to generate a policy debate." However, Suns officials admit that the issue was complicated by the fact that the Suns organization has lately targeted the homosexual community through its marketing of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury basketball team, which has a substantial lesbian fan base.
