White himself was a strong Christian and was open about his faith. He became involved with the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes while at the University of Tennessee, and expressed an interest in becoming an evangelist as early as his sophomore year in 1981. White also studied Hebrew under Nehemia Gordon. In October 2003, White was interviewed by
Messianic teacher and
televangelist Michael Rood, and he discussed his studies of Torah. The interview was broadcast on February 4 and 6, 2005, on the Sky Angel cable channel. White went on to co-produce Rood's half-hour "A Rood Awakening From Israel" TV programs. Following White's death, the January 2005 edition of Messianic magazine
Yavoh was dedicated to him as a "Messianic believer", leading to confusion regarding White's religious beliefs. Some reported – incorrectly – that White had abandoned Christianity and was studying Judaism. White was touched by the black church
arson scares during the mid-1990s. The Inner City Church in
Knoxville, Tennessee, where White was an associate minister, was burned to the ground in 1996. More than $912,000 was collected to rebuild it, including $250,000 in small donations from Wisconsin fans, but the structure was never rebuilt and the congregation was dissolved. No explanation or accounting was ever offered and his reputation suffered. ("Where Did The Money Go?" The Green Bay News-Chronicle, December 8, 2000). Also in 1996 he starred with
Pat Morita in ''Reggie's Prayer'', a
Christian film. He played protagonist Reggie Knox, a football player who retires after the 1996 season to become a 10th grade history teacher and head coach of a high school football team in
Portland, Oregon. The film also had appearances by his Packers teammates
Brett Favre and
Mike Holmgren as janitors, and
Keith Jackson as an assistant coach.
M.C. Hammer plays a park ranger. In an interview with
ABC's
20/20, White made comments about homosexuals. White became an ally of organizations opposed to
homosexuality; he appeared in a newspaper advertising campaign to convince gays and lesbians that they could "cease," or end, their homosexuality. As a result,
CBS withdrew a 5-year, $6-million contract for being a part of
The NFL Today because of his statements calling homosexuality a sin. Both the Green Bay Packers and the
NFL objected to the ads, since White had appeared in his football uniform without the consent of the team or the league. Later versions of the advertisement removed the uniform. On March 25, 1998, White was invited to address the
Wisconsin Legislature and, in an infamous speech, stunned the assembly by reiterating his belief that homosexuality was sinful and a "decision," while also using racial tropes to stress why God made different races. He said that blacks are gifted at worship and celebration, Japanese and other Asians "can turn a TV into a watch," Hispanics are gifted at the "family structure" and "can put 20, 30 people into one home," Indians are gifted in spirituality, and "you guys (meaning the predominately white legislature) do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature, and you know how to tap into money." On April 2 he faxed the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asking for forgiveness, but in 2000, shortly after signing with the Carolina Panthers, he reversed course by saying "I wouldn’t change anything" about the speech. ==Death and legacy==