Pro Baseball Chapel Leader Fired! (For Telling the Truth about Jesus Christ)

Pro Baseball Chapel Leader Fired! (For Telling the Truth about Jesus Christ)

I am shocked. SHOCKED! to learn that the official chapel leader for the National League Washington Nationals baseball club has been fired for acknowledging that people (in this case, Jewish people) are “doomed” because they do not believe in Jesus.

That’s right, Jon Moeller, a VOLUNTEER chapel leader, working under the auspices of the national ministry, Baseball Chapel, actually was honest enough to “nod” in acknowledgement to a question put to him by Nationals outfielder Ryan Church regarding the personal eschatological hope (or lack thereof) of Jews who do not acknowledge Christ as their LORD and Saviour.  

Moeller did not raise the subject.  However, when confronted, he did not try to weasel out of an honest answer like the rest of Washington, D.C., normally does.  (NO WONDER he is in trouble!)  Note: Mr. Moeller has some genuine integrity, a quality not normally found within the confines of the Washington, D.C., beltway.

Washington, DC, Rabbi, Shmuel Herzfeld, of the Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah (Orthodox) synagogue, poured gasoline on the flames by saying of the Moeller “evangelical nod” caper, "The Nationals did a good job about bringing hate into the locker room."  (Right, Rabbi!  Moeller was asked a question and he answered it truthfully – with a NOD, no less.)

Another asshat Jewish leader, Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington, suggested that non-denominational prayers be said in the Nationals’ chapel meetings, so that players of all backgrounds could participate.  Okay, Mr Halber, just what kind of “nondenominational” prayers do you have in mind that atheist and/or Satanist players might feel able to “participate” in?  

How about we let the Christian believers who actually bother attending the Chapel services in the first place pray the kind of prayers that THEY can pray FROM THEIR (in your view – no doubt –narrow, bigoted, evangelical) HEARTS?  (Also, Mr. Halber, please list for me all the Jewish players on the Nationals roster.  For them, YOU can provide a JEWISH volunteer Chapel Leader, okay?)

The Washington Nationals organization has exhibited exactly zero spine, class, or character in this event so far.

As for the asshat outfielder, Ryan Church – one has to wonder about his motives for asking Moeller the controversial question in the first place – and how the exchange ever made it to the media at all?  

Again, it is not like Moeller was on a crusade to tell everyone that the Jews are not exempt from the New Testament prescription that all who die apart from Christ in their sins are doomed.  The entire episode seems somewhat contrived to me – and Ryan Church is not looking like a very savory character at the moment.  After the stuff hit the fan, the Nationals’ front office released a statement quoting Church as saying “"not the type of person who would call into question the religious beliefs of others."  

Note to Mr. Church:  If you are not a believer, why are you causing trouble in the Chapel in the first place.  On the other hand, if you ARE a believer, why not stand up and be counted, instead of using the front office to issue mealy-mouthed statements on your behalf.  Alas, you are just a kid.

To keep this entire thing in perspective, remember that the man at the center of the controversy is a V-O-L-U-N-T-E-E-R, for crying out loud!

Second, for those of you who do not know what to make of this entire thing, if one is a Christian, one is bound by the Scriptures.

While I could no doubt invoke a number of Scriptures, I will simply cite two:

Romans 1:16-17:
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
   17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.


John 3:1-18:
 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
   18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
May I suggest that neither of these passages suggests that Jews enjoy some kind of “Divine exemption” from the New Testament prescription:  Without Christ, there is no forgiveness.

P.S. Please never forget that the LORD Jesus Christ is a Jew Himself – indeed He is no less than “the King of the Jews”.)

As a footnote, as “fate”(sic) would have it, the Washington Nationals lost their critically important game against the San Francisco Giants this evening after suspending Moeller.  (Of course, this is “just a coincidence”!)