After taking a lot of criticism for a speech, Harrison Butker appeared in front of an audience again. And defended his statements

Harrison Butker recently made a lot of headlines with his controversial speech at a college graduation ceremony and received a lot of criticism for his views.

But that doesn’t change his opinions, as he emphasized in a recent speech.

“The more I talk about what I value most – my Catholic faith – the more polarizing I’ve become. It’s a decision I made consciously and I don’t regret it at all,” Butker said at the “Courage Under Fire” gala in Nashville. “If it wasn’t clear that timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it’s clear now,” the Kansas City Chiefs kicker said.

During an appearance at Benedictine College on May 11, he had said things that were criticized by many as homophobic and sexist. He called Pride Month a “mortal sin” and said, among other things, that a woman’s accomplishments in the home are more valuable than academic or career goals.

Support for religious freedom?

“Over the last few days, my beliefs, or what people think I believe, have been the center of countless discussions around the globe,” Butker said.

“Initially, many people expressed a shocking level of hatred. But as the days went on, even those who disagreed with my views expressed their support for my religious freedom,” Butker continued.

The criticism was immense, for example a petition was started to have the kicker sacked.

In the meantime, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have also spoken out about their team-mate and his statements. Both emphasize that they do not completely agree with his statements, but praise him as a teammate.

Butker reaffirmed his commitment to his Catholic faith: “Our love for Jesus, and thus our desire to speak our minds, should never be outweighed by the longing of our fallen nature to be loved by the world.”

During his speech, Butker also drew a comparison to St. Daniel. According to the Old Testament, he was thrown into a lion’s den because he prayed to God: “Would I be so brave if the consequences were like Daniel being fed to lions? In reality, any courage I have shown will lead to small suffering. And it will lead to some people maybe never liking me, but that could be God’s will,” the Chiefs kicker said.