You all know the story by now. The Dodgers invited a group of drag “nuns” called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence last month to an upcoming “Pride Night” celebration to receive a “Community Hero” award at Chavez Ravine, and then rescinded the invitation following a public backlash due to the group’s repeated and obsessive targeting of Catholics in their demonstrations, and finally reinvited the group, issuing a lengthy mea culpa.

Along with putting on a clinic on how not to run a public relations department, the Dodgers organization cast its lot with a group whose very identity is rooted in hatred and mockery of the very same Christian faith that its most prominent historical members cherished more than life itself (save Sandy Koufax, whose deep Jewish faith and commitment to observe Yom Kippur famously kept him from participating in a World Series game in 1965).

Indeed, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a uniquely Christian history. Nearly all of the great heroes of Dodgers lore — Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, and Mike Piazza — professed a deep and abiding love for Jesus Christ and the eternal victory He won on the cross. Doubtless, they would feel the same sadness and anger as the rest of us upon witnessing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence pole dance on a cross and rub one another’s genitals in their faces in front of a cheering crowd (the crowds similarly cheered when Jesus was lashed and adorned with a thorny crown).

What wounds our hearts even more is the fact that Christianity, and in particular Catholicism, is the only religion allowed to be mocked in such a way in our culture. Does anyone doubt that a similar demonstration intended to mock Muslims would be cause for immediate cancellation and perhaps even designation on a government terrorist watchlist? Imagine that for a moment: a group of activists dressed in hijabs engaging in depraved sexual displays with the express purpose of mocking Muslims.

But let us not be downhearted. Instead, let us be filled with gratitude for this opportunity to profess our faith publicly and without reserve. Being derided by the world is not the exception in the history of Christianity but the rule. The subversive radicality of both the teachings and person of Christ will always be at odds with the world. And yet we have enormous cause for hope. For now, let us recall the faith of Dodgers greats so that we may be strengthened by their witness.

To be sure, Jackie Robinson faced more mockery than most ever will, and perhaps most of us put together. As the first black player to break the color barrier and enter the major leagues, Robinson faced vicious and unadulterated scorn at ballparks across America. Robinson was chosen to be the first black major leaguer not because he was “good enough” — black players were always good enough but were held back because of their skin color. No, Robinson was chosen for this harrowing task because he possessed the strength of spirit necessary to absorb the blows and not lash out.

“I’m looking for a ballplayer with the guts not to fight back,” former Dodgers President Branch Rickey told Robinson.

And because Robinson was fortified by the power of the Gospel, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, he was able to withstand terrible abuse. And in so doing, he raised the spiritual consciousness and changed the character of America.

The other aforementioned Dodgers greats were similarly oriented. Broadcasting legend and devout Catholic Vin Scully cherished the very holy things of his faith that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence insist on desecrating. “There are so many good things about the church,” he once said, “but … the most essential thing I’ve learned from it: The importance of continual communication with God. That’s what all the kneelers, candles, incense, stained-glass windows, holy water, and other things are about: directing our minds and hearts to God.”

Legendary Dodgers slugger Gil Hodges, whose games Scully loved to announce, was commonly called a “saint” by his teammates. On one flight home after a game, Hodges refused to eat a steak dinner on a Friday. “No, thank you,” he said from 20,000 feet. “I’m too close to the boss.”

Hall of Fame catcher and '90s Dodgers star Mike Piazza credits his Catholic faith as the greatest gift he ever received from his mother. “We want to try to get closer to God. We want to try to be like Jesus,” he once said in an interview. “We always want to try to get on that horse and do the right thing and be positive.”

Tommy Lasorda, the longest-tenured Dodger ever and perhaps the most beloved figure among fans in Dodgers history, was a devout Catholic. His faith was so central to his life that he kept a gold-framed, autographed photo of Mother Teresa behind his desk in his office, as well as a picture of his seventh-grade teacher Sister Immaculata. Sports writer Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times once wrote that Lasorda’s office was “clearly decorated in the manner of a church elder decorating the altar. It’s all about worshiping a higher power. It’s Lasorda’s version of stained glass.”

My heart breaks to think of what his reaction would be to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence galavanting around the infield at Chavez Ravine in nun’s habits, desecrating both his beloved Dodgers and his faith at once.

Today, the Christian faith is carried on in Dodgers tradition by future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, whose faith is rooted in radical surrender to God’s will, and present-day ace pitcher Julio Urias, whose left eye was removed as a child because of a benign mass. Urias, a devout Catholic, sees God’s power even in his plight: "That's how God works,” he explained. “He gave me a bad left eye but a good left arm.”

To all Christians, but especially Catholic Dodgers fans, I would simply urge you to follow the example of the Dodgers greats (whose names will live on long after present-day Dodgers executives have been forgotten) and endure these insults, and then offer them up to Christ, who loves both you and your enemies endlessly.

Peter Laffin is a contributor at the Washington Examiner and the founder of Crush the College Essay. His work has also appeared in RealClearPolitics, the Catholic Thing, the National Catholic Register, and the American Spectator.