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Cardinals issue statement on controversial Christian Day speaker

The Cardinals have issued a statement about choosing Lance Berkman to be a keynote speaker on Christian Day.
Lance Berkman celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during Game Six of the MLB World Series against the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium on October 27, 2011 in St Louis, Missouri.

Each year, Christian Day at Busch Stadium is one of several community theme nights hosted by the Cardinals. Most years feature a keynote speaker who speaks about how Christianity has impacted their life in sports.

This year's speaker, former Cardinal Lance Berkman, has made headlines, with some saying he's been an outspoken opponent of the LGBT community.

Monday, the Cardinals addressed the controversy by issuing a statement:

The Cardinals have hosted a Christian Day at the ballpark for nearly three decades. The post-game event usually features a well-known keynote speaker (often a former Cardinal or professional athlete) who talks about his or her experience of being a practicing Christian in the public arena. Lance Berkman participated in Christian Day when he was a Cardinals player, and we welcome him back this year to discuss his faith.

As an organization, the Cardinals have always been committed to bringing like-minded groups together to share in the unifying experience of Cardinals baseball. We are an inclusive organization with a social responsibility to be welcoming to all types of people and organizations. We continue to try and reach out to every part of our community, and have hosted a variety of themed events like Christian Day, Jewish Community Night, Catholic Family Night, Bosnian Heritage Night, Fiesta Cardenales, and many others. We are excited to announce that we will be hosting our first Pride Night later this season (details to follow shortly) which will bring members of the LGBT Community together to enjoy Cardinals baseball.

Christian Day will take place on Sunday, July 30.

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