In this picture made with a specialty lens Pink performs the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

One of the most upstanding people to ever play in the NFL is currently under assault.

His grave sin? Appearing in a video connected to Focus On the Family, that supposed horrible hate group that (gasp!) promotes family values and church going. They also support traditional, religious views on homosexuality so they must be ostracized and put on lists by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In the video, Brees (a Christian) simply encouraged students to take their bibles to school and live their faith. Contrary to popular liberal belief, that is in fact completely legal.

This led to heads exploding.

Deadspin, which is owned by Ted Cruz, went with a ridiculous story called Drew Brees Appears In Video for Gay Conversion Therapy Sickos, Doesn’t Understand What the Big Deal Is.

Last week, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees appeared in a brief video promoting “Bring Your Bible To School Day,” which, whatever. In itself, it’s probably a 3 on the scale of odd things an athlete can do with his free time. What’s actually frustrating—though frankly not too surprising—is Brees did the promo for Focus On The Family, which puts on the Bible Day and publishes the website that Brees’s video directed viewers to.

The horror.

Here’s a local New Orleans reporter asserting Brees is “problematic.” That’ll go over like a lead balloon in a city that loves him.

I can’t believe that y’all are surprised out Drew Brees being attached to a religious extremist group. Have you not been paying attention? Dude has been problematic. Throwing TDs doesn’t make you a good person. Even doing some good things doesn’t make you a good person.

— David M. Grubb (@DMGrubb) September 3, 2019

Then you had people just absolutely losing their minds, such as this blue check mark “journalist.”

It seems as though he changed his mind. Who would of thought? pic.twitter.com/Ihyd5teIEd

— Jen (@jenjustbecause) September 6, 2019

I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest Brees has a job in the NFL because he’s one of the five best QBs to ever play the game and will own nearly every major record by the time he retires. The reflexive bringing up of Kaepernick by political activists who obviously haven’t the slightest idea about football is always amusing.

Former teammate Reggie Bush came to Brees’ defense.

Anybody who doubts @drewbrees character or believes bogus headlines about this man does not know him period! He is a great father, husband, leader, and most of all true man of god! 🙏🏾

— Reggie Bush (@ReggieBush) September 5, 2019

This is all so stupid.

Whether one believes in traditional marriage or not (and as far as I know, Brees himself is pro-LGBT on that issue), the idea that you can’t even associate with a group like Focus On the Family now is ludicrous. It shows just how badly conservatives have lost the culture war on this issue. I also understand that some people have a problem with James Dobson and Focus On the Family over the issue of  “conversion therapy.” Still, I feel that is really overwrought. Christians have counseled people on all manner of issues dealing with their religious view of sin for a very long time. Assigning an inherent evil to that is applying the most uncharitable interpretation of intentions. It’s everything that is wrong with our current discourse.

It’s one thing to argue people can have different beliefs. It’s another to assert that certain people can’t hold their beliefs at all, and in the case of many Christians, that’s simply not allowed anymore in the public sphere.

Brees will be fine, but this does show the brazenness with which cancel culture is operating. No one is off limits, not even for the smallest perceived “offense,” and you will be made to kneel or suffer the consequences. It didn’t matter that Brees is beloved in his city, is a philanthropist, and has always treated everyone with respect. A single video and they were after him.

I don’t know what the the solution to this is. I do know we can’t exist as a society in perpetuity operating this way.

I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.