NHL Pride Nights, Religious Belief, and the Rhetoric of Fideism

Pride Nights, events in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, sponsored by the National Hockey League, have recently caused controversy. A number of players, citing deeply held religious beliefs, have withdrawn from such events. Responding to this controversy, the NHL subsequently cancelled all special events, including Pride Nights. This response, along with the defenses of players, coincides with a cultural shift regarding the privacy and immunity from criticism of religious belief as codified in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Hobby Lobby v. Burwell decision. Such events foster a form of fideism, where religious belief, along with is social consequences, is seen as individual and isolable from institutional or collective criticism.