If Pettitte tries to hide behng his religion, I hope he is ripped to shreds. If he were a conscious Christian, he would have known AT THE TIME HE ASKED FOR AND TOOK THE HGH that he was doing something wrong.

I have been told by MLBPA officials that nearly 80% of players are very religious. We have been told by some insiders that nearly 50% of the players used illegal substances. Match those two numbers and you will see that a significant number of God Squad Inc. have been cheating for years - were they waiting to confess to God and had no plan on what to do if they got caught?

He is worse than Clemens, as he was a fraud on and off the field, in his professional and his private life. He was olauded for lying, and given a huge free pass by not being subpoenaed to testify with Clemens and McNamee.

Have to disagree, RMT. He came clean after the fact, much like Giambi. That he is willing to own his crime should count for something. 80% of the league as very religious seems like a monster stretch. Chad Curtis was blasted out of the Bronx, seems like an accurate number would be 20-30% tops. Keep in mind, Andy has been a favorite son in the Bronx, home grown. He did not follow the mercenary route Clemens did, he did not throw a bat at a future hall of famer and lie about it, he did not apply war paint and get tossed in a playoff game, he did not toss his manager under the bus. Roger is a pathetic, scummy individual, he sold his wife out for christ's sake. That is why Easy Andy gets a pass.

abe - read the Houston Chronicle piece.

My numbers come form Don Fehr, when we were discussing last year the differences in the game between the early 80's when I played and the new century. Even in my day I was told I was going to hell by players for not offering myself to Jesus.

There has been a hugfe influx of Latin players who are devout Catholics in the past twenty years. Remember the Texas Rangers (under GWB) in the mid-nineties went with an 80% born again team (managed by Johnny Oates). The Colorado Rockies caused a ruckus when they discussed their Christian intent in franchise approach. The Mationals had a problem with Ryan Church wanting to save his ex-girlfriend from Hell because she was Jewish, it goes on and on..Baseball Chapel attendance has grown rapidly.

I'm not that big on scripture, but I'd be pretty surprised if it said anything in the King James version about not taking PEDs. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that the Bible commands obedience to God above all else, including the Federal Gov't and Major League Baseball. (Render what is Caesar's unto Caesar, etc.)
Thou Shal Not Bear False Witness, on the other hand...

Given that Church has replaced Green I wonder how that attitude plays in Great Neck. I did read the Chron piece, but 80% is a big number.

as for the magic 10, how about honor your mother and father?

as of 2005, 3000 players per week took part in Baseball Chapel - this includes minor league players also. this is a good minimum level of religious players. in 2205, 13 of the Red Sox players were part of t0eir Chapel (and did not include any Latin players in the list)

Christians do make mistakes. We don't go to church because it is a hotel for saints. We go because it is a hospital for sinners. The same can be said for Jews and their synagogue or Muslims and their mosque.

If you want to criticize Pettitte or a wrongful action, fine. Holding his religious beliefs against him is something else and I'd love to kick in the ass anyone who does.

If you aren't religious, RMT, fine. Don't bash those who are or question their sincerity. It's not your place or mine.

It seems as if religion-bashing is the last acceptable prejudice in society, and this has to stop.

If he was telling a lie to protect his father, who among you would say that you wouldn't want to protect your spouse or parent(s) given the same situation?

What he did was wrong, but he has been more forthright about it than others.

I am not bashing religion regarding Pettitte - I am bashing the reporters who are allowing his declaration of God and scripture to blind them and treat Pettitte with kid gloves. If Bonds were religious, how would his case be covered?

If Andy was willing to tell lies to protect people, where and when did they stop? How true is his deposition? Now we know why Congress did not call him to appear personally to testify, as his comments were contradictory qand incomplete.

As for personal beliefs, I did convert to Judaism during my youth, as Christianity offered no repsonsibility for actions taken on Earth and would have allowed Hitler and Goebbels to go to heaven if they accepted Jesus after incinerating 6 million Jews - and the Jews who were murdered would go to Hell. And I was confronted by players who told me to my face that I was going to Hell and didn't do the "Christian" thing and try to save my soul.

You are entitled to your beliefs, some of which I'm sympathetic to, and I'm entitled to believe you are very mistaken about many things.

Mike - I don't mean to demean, just state some facts . I hope you are "sympathetic" to the organized slaughter of Jews by Christtians - and now Muslims -n the past.

I truly love those who practice their religion for not what it promises in the afterlife, but what it gives to others on this planet in the here and now.