The View
host?
Whoopi Goldberg
has defended?
Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech
at Benedictine College, arguing that those are 'his beliefs and he's welcome to them.'
Butker delivered a 20-minute speech
?last Saturday at the Catholic private liberal arts college in
Kansas
, where he claimed that his wife Isabelle's 'life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother,' and?also voiced his conservative views
?on Pride month, abortion and President Biden's leadership during the?
Covid-19
pandemic.
As of Thursday morning,
a Change.org petition
?entitled 'Demand the Kansas City Chiefs to Dismiss Harrison Butker for Discriminatory Remarks,' had more than 105,800 signatures, but Whoopi, 68, claimed the kicker should not lose his job simply because 'he?is a staunch Catholic.'
Opening Thursday's edition of the ABC daytime show, the Sister Act star said: 'The NFL released a statement that he gave this speech in his personal capacity and... the NFL does not share his views. So, you know, listen, I like when people say what they say. He is a staunch Catholic, these are his beliefs and he's welcome to them.?
Whoopi Goldberg has defended Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech, arguing that those are 'his beliefs and he's welcome to them'
Butker delivered a 20-minute speech last Saturday at the Catholic and private Benedictine College in Kansas
'I don't have to believe them, I don't have to accept them, the ladies in the audience do not 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.'
Referring to Donald Trump, Whoopi continued: 'Because the man who says he wants to be President, you-know-who, he says the way to
act is take away people's right
to say how they feel.
We don't want to be that, w
e don't want to be those
people.
'So I'm okay with him?
saying whatever he says and the
women who were sitting there, if
they take his advice, good for
them, t
hey'll be happy.
If they don't, good for them,
they'll be happy in a different way - t
hat's my attitude.'
Viewers tuning in at home were not impressed with the Oscar winner's comments at all and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts.
'Why is Whoopi so submissive to this dude's rhetoric,' one person posted, while another said: 'Comparing this clown to what Colin Kaepernick did is an insult to Colin. Whoopi is wrong.'
A third person claimed: 'Whoopi is stuck on the man getting fired. I don't hear anyone else on the panel saying he should be fired but rather disagreeing with what he said.'
Her cohost, Sara Haines, was quick to speak up and told Whoopi: '
I agree with you and I?
disagree with you,' as the actress fired back bluntly: 'That's okay.'
The Kansas City Chiefs kicker pictured with his wife, Isabelle, and their son, James, in January 2020
Sara Haines (right) urged Butker to 'find the best parts of faith and not diverge into extremist beliefs'
One person tuning in to The View accused Whoopi of being 'submissive'
Another viewer took to X and claimed Whoopi was 'wrong' for making a comparison to Colin?Kaepernick
Someone else claimed Whoopi was 'stuck' on Butker potentially getting fired because of his comments
The mother-of-three said:
?'I don't want people shut down or fired for things they're willing to say. I will break with you on the comparison to Colin Kaepernick for this reason: Colin Kaepernick was standing up for the rights of many and saying in a social justice moment, "This is a reminder that we're not there yet."
'What this man is doing is not just a devout Catholic, this is someone who is practicing something called the Traditional Latin Mass, which is a divergent of the majority of Catholics.'
Sara continued: '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 and what bothers me about that - as a Christian - is that 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. If you are using the religion, if you're more obsessed with the religious rituals and practices than you are with the word of Jesus, you're not walking with Jesus.'
'And if you're using it for the judgment of others and as a weapon to beat people down, you're also not walking with Jesus. So I would really encourage him to find the best parts of faith and not diverge into extremist beliefs,' she added as the live studio audience applauded her.
However, Whoopi refused to back down and fired back:?'But if this is?his belief system, there are many Catholics who are staunch this way,' as Sara argued: 'A small, small percentage.'
'Listen, there are many people who believe this way and I'm simply saying, rather than write a petition to get him fired...,' Whoopi continued, but Sara butted in and appeared to agree as she said: 'Don't get him fired!'
During his speech, the 28-year-old sports star told men to 'be unapologetic in your masculinity'
Whoopi became rather passionate as she explained to the panel why she was 'standing up for' Butker
Alyssa Farah Griffin (right) listened as 'devout Catholic' Sunny Hostin admitted she was 'really saddened' by what Butker had said
Sunny Hostin, 55, was also keen to have her say and announced: 'I'm a devout Catholic, I've said it over and over again and I have certain beliefs that other people don't have and I know that in this country I should be able to say those things.
'I've said them on the show and I've taken a lot of heat for it. I thought what was most problematic, certainly, was what he said about the LGBTQ community and he said that it was just sinful behavior, when the Pope - the leader of the Catholic church - basically has done more for the LGBTQ community in any Catholic history, so that was problematic.
'And when he took the swipe at Biden, I was thinking, Biden is our second Catholic President and he understands that there is a difference between church and state and so his views should not have anything to do with government.
'And so I was really saddened by what he said, but the most hateful speech is the most protected speech and that's in our constitution, and so I am okay... he had the right to say it.'
Whoopi agreed and said: 'Yes because if you're coming for me, I have the right to say what I say, he has the right to say what he says.
'When you say to somebody, "I don't like what you said and so I'm gonna get your job taken away," because you disagree with me, for me, that is an issue!' she fumed, as Sunny added: 'Yeah, because it could happen to us!
'Because it does happen to us! It happens to us all the time!?That is why I am standing up for him saying... I don't understand what he's talking about because I am not that Catholic,
?but I have to say,?
just like I have my opinions, we have our opinions.'