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Christianity Today, July (Web-only), 2009 |

SPORTS

An Open Letter to Donte Stallworth

Concerning the overall public indignation about Michael Vick's possible NFL reinstatement.

Ted Kluck | posted 7/02/2009 09:13AM

Dear Mr. Stallworth,

I'm wondering what you, a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, make of the Michael Vick situation. I'm perplexed that many fans still think Vick, the former Falcons quarterback, ...

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susan

Posted: July 07, 2009 12:13 PM

We have an imperfect justice system and thank God that we all do not get what we deserve. So, quit looking at the other guy...let God deal with each person and work to change the system when you do not like it. Each person is guilty, only some get caught. Even those who obey all the laws are guilty in heart and motive. That is the issue. I do not believe that a person should be shunned or not be able to do the job he is qualified for. There is room for mercy and I personally do not think it is my business to say Mr. Vick should not continue his work. Redemption is not complete until that happens. We do not know the heart of a person...before or after our justice system has had it say. God bless Mr. Vick and I pray for him.

totai

Posted: July 07, 2009 11:13 AM

With only a nod toward Mr. Stallworth's character in the heat of the moment (staying at the scene, calling 9-1-1 himself) this author does not at all talk about the fact that Donte' did not intentionally "drink and drive". In fact, he drank the night before, got a ride home, went to bed, woke up/felt fine and decided to drive to the beach. He then forgets to mention that the man who was killed ran in front of Donte's car while trying to catch a bus. This could of happened to anyone - including the author of this article. However, it appears Mr. Kluck was more interested in making a snap-judgment in order to set up a straw-man. This is a really disappointing commentary, I'm surprised CT ran it. The fact is, Mr. Stallworth has lost his job indefinitely (for now) along with his drivers license and a boat-load of money - all because someone else ran in front of the car of someone who had no idea he was still legally over the limit. Share the facts next time.

Dan	Posted: July 07, 2009 12:34 AM


Articles like this is the reason I read CT with the same frequency as I read the KC Star. Boring! But this is just one man's opinion.

Timothy

Posted: July 06, 2009 7:11 PM


Sports are healthy tools, however, I fear that American Christians put sports on too high of the pedestal.

dagoat300

Posted: July 05, 2009 1:43 PM

though without sin cast the first stone god said their is no greater sin then the next one so in your life time if your perfect and only if your perfect you can have your paycheck and as a true beleiver of a higher power only if you have been perfect and i dont think thats you or me forgive white people!its about the money we love the game dont take him away because HATE,MIKE VICK ,MIKE TYSON,MICHEAL JACKSON,ALI,HAMMER,OJ, you peple build them up and take them down. GOOD LUCK OBAMA.

Charlie

Posted: July 04, 2009 10:29 PM


IMO the judgmental tone of the first part of the article cancels out the gospel message at the end. If Mr. Stallworth is not a believer already (as one poster states) I don't think this type of message is appropriate and could definitely be a stumblingblock; I would suggest that this is not appropriate material to post or publish.

christianesk

Posted: July 03, 2009 5:42 PM

We're all hypocrites, Dudes, face it! If God wanted to judge us for our sins, then hey, we'd all be toast. But in in our secular system, if we get busted, then we have pay the price that our limited system of law exacts for our crimes. In the cases cited above, judgments appear to have been passed based on an evaluation of the level of pre-meditation in the minds of the transgressors, and the duration that they transgressed, which is, in my opinion, fair enough. I love Ted's passion, and I can feel his strong sense of injustice at our human tendency toward hypocrisy, but I think that he might have argued better had he approached the subject from the perspective of sin as a universal problem, something we all can point the finger at ourselves for. Then he might have asked for us to consider extending a little more grace to Vick.

Pat	Posted: July 03, 2009 11:46 AM


Mr. Vick should be forced by his employer to donate half his earnings to the SPCA every year he if allowed play. May GOD forgive him

John	Posted: July 03, 2009 11:04 AM


What I get from the article is that the author's views are not that different than Vick's view that "Oh, they're "just" dogs." It's this mindset, "Oh, they're "just" ...." ", that is the root of all the great holocausts. Also, if one reads the Bible carefully, I don't think one will end up thinking that torturing animals to death is just a misdemeanor that one should not get too exercised about.

Nick	Posted: July 03, 2009 10:58 AM

The author uses a common error in logical reasoning. To discuss Vick and dog fighting, one should just focus on the pros and cons of that issue. If one thinks some other injustice occurred such as in the Stallworth case, then complain about that injustice focusing on the pros and cons of that issue separately. The thesis that people care more about dogs than animals is invalid. The reason why Vick's behavior caused so much outrage was that he was brutally cruel to what amounted to be hundreds of dogs over 6 years. He personally killed 6 dogs for under performance and also, for his entertainment, watched hundreds die being bitten to death (horrifically painful) including some neighborhood pets that were stolen and used as bait dogs. For over 2000 days, he decided that he would continue with this cruel form of entertainment. I suspect that if his victims were humans, Vick would have evoked at least as much outrage and more than a two year sentence!

Kim	Posted: July 03, 2009 8:30 AM

Thank you! In a society that's so enraged with animal cruelty, we're numbed to the cruelty we cause other people. He may not have intended to kill the woman, and may not have been entertained by it, but the example it sets for the rest of society is part of why we're desensitized to human cruelty/death. It's helped us rationalize abortion.....that's murdering unborn babies, by the way, with the euphemism removed. Intent or not, the lack of thinking of consequences resulted in cruelty/death. I'm sure the dead person's family doesn't see it as an innocent accident. He chose to drink and drive. They live with the selfish cruel choice he made. Thank God that His grace applies to all. Rather than worry about public opinion, of which there is much, including mine! I hope Mr. Stallworth and Mr. Vick have sought God's forgiveness first. He throws sin as far as the east is from the west. I am so glad!

Thomas

Posted: July 02, 2009 8:48 PM

They created these punishments for the rich. And personally I think the appropiate punishment would be for him to go to jail AND pay restitution. Betcha when they created this loophole they didn't anticipate a black guy buying his way out. White rich people kill people with their cars and they buy there way out and you don't see that broacaste from here to timbukto! Close the dam loophole and apply justice equitably and you won't have these problems!

Marsha

Posted: July 02, 2009 8:00 PM

The difference in Stallworth and Michael Vick is "intent". Michael Vick inflicted horribly cruel treatment to animals for 7 long years (or maybe more) for his entertainment, and he did these things intentionally. While Stallworth drank for entertainment, I don't think he killed the person for entertainment, and I don't think he intended to do so. He stopped, he called the police, and he took responsibility for his actions, without blaming his cousin, his momma, and anybody else he might have thought he could throw under the bus to take the rap for him, the way that Michael Vick did. Some of you people, on the MV subject, are hilarious, it is so ludicrous that you can't see the difference between a man who made a mistake, and a monster who lived a cruel and sadistic lifestyle, whatever the result of either of their behavior may be. And btw, MV NEVER served a day for animal cruelty. He served the 2 years sentence for gambling and racketeering, and doing so across state lines.

Anonymous

Posted: July 02, 2009 7:36 PM

I am disappointed that CT chose to publish this graceless personal attack. In an honor society, Mr. Stallworth would have the right to invite the author to step outside and handle the matter personally. In a society ordered by the Kingdom of God, such an unchristian attack would never be offered. In the reality of American society, we are apparently stuck between thoughtless unworthiness and unworthy thoughtfulness.

a.wood

Posted: July 02, 2009 7:15 PM

Kluck brings to light a significant injustice (the price of a human life is 30 days in jail, the price of an animal life is 2 years in jail). There is nothing in this article that is deserving of name calling or labelling him as one who gives Christians a bad (or good) name. It is, however, convenient to hide behind the anonymous tag when you choose to do so. When you have a strong reaction to something, it is wise to sit down, think about the root cause of your reaction, and then find a constructive way to use your emotional and mental energy. Name calling is not constructive! In this case, you might consider contacting your senator regarding the obvious disparity in the justice dispensed in these two cases. Matt. 5:22 "I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire."

John Holecek

Posted: July 02, 2009 7:01 PM


A right on commentary.

Anonymous

Posted: July 02, 2009 5:46 PM

It is amazing to me that this letter is directed at Mr. Stallworth rather than the legal system. The judicial system is who your "issue" should be with. There is a problem when the system acknowledges "dog fighting" as a federal offense and "murder" as a state offense. Furthermore, your thoughts should not have been published in Christianity Today but rather, Hypocrisy Today. Why not an open letter, inviting Mr. Stallworth to live a life of Faith and Substance or to use the unfortunate situation as platform? You are evidently showing that your Faith is somehow flawed by your football fanaticism. God is gracious and Favor is not fair. Did you ever consider that Mr. Vick did not have a relationship with Jesus and that is why his situation panned out the way it did? Did you not consider that Mr. Stallworth has a relationship with Jesus and received Favor because of it?

Anonymous

Posted: July 02, 2009 4:29 PM


This is a faulty comparison. On one hand were talking about intentional, premeditated, and ongoing illicit criminal activity, and on the other it's a case of poor judgment which resulted in a tragic accident.

cpd	Posted: July 02, 2009 4:14 PM

Anonymous, I think you're missing Kluck's point: the player who killed dogs got 2 years. The player who killed a MAN got 30 days. It's by God's grace the Reyes family can offer forgiveness to Stallworth but just take a minute to see the disparity of punishment. It's people like Kluck who give Christians good names by refusing to bend to the cultural winds which seem to say a dog's life is more important than a man's.

Anonymous

Posted: July 02, 2009 2:25 PM

You are supposed to be a forgiving Christian or you would not be posting such mean comments, it is a very sad situation that happened but AN ACCIDENT, thankfully the Reyes family have religious forgiving bones in their body and realise that Donte didnt mean for this to happen, AND it could of happened to many people....Donte will have to live with this for the rest of his life.....Get a Life!!!!! This has NOTHING to do with football, its people like you that give CHRISTIANS a bad name!!"! LOSER!!!!

Anonymous

Posted: July 02, 2009 12:08 PM


God loves Donte, go Browns!

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