U.S. women's national team backup goaltender Ashlyn Harris has slammed her former teammate Jaelene Hinkle as homophobic and intolerant after conservative activists and pundits claimed the outspoken Christian was left off the World Cup roster over her religious beliefs.

The backlash began after a 2017 700 Club interview with Hinkle resurfaced in which she said she could not play for the U.S. women's national team in the Pride-inspired jerseys they had chosen for a tournament game.

The jerseys were chosen support of LGBTQ rights during Pride month.

Hinkle's interview was retweeted on Saturday by prominent Catholic advocate Obianuju Ekeocha, who wrote that the U.S. women's national team is 'not a very welcoming place for Christians.'

Harris responded to Ekeocha's tweet, directing a message to Hinkle: 'Your religion was never the problem. The problem is your intolerance and you are homophobic.

'You don’t belong in a sport that aims to unite and bring people together. You would never fit into our pack or what this team stands for.'

'Don’t you dare say our team is "not a welcoming place for Christians,"' Harris added. 'You weren’t around long enough to know what this team stood for. This is actually an insult to the Christians on our team. Same on you.'

Hinkle has not spoken about the issue publicly since the U.S. won the World Cup final against the Netherlands on July 7. Through a spokesperson with her club team, the North Carolina Courage, Hinkle declined an interview with the Daily Mail.

The (goalkeeper) gloves are off: Soccer star Ashlyn Harris (left) slammed former-player Jaelene Hinkle (right) over comments that the U.S. Team was 'not a very welcoming place for Christians'

In response, Harris replied stating that Hinkle's 'intolerance' and being 'homophobic' was why she could never be on the team

Harris stated that there are other Christians on Team USA who do not feel discriminated against or any less welcome

Three of the five gay women on Team USA's soccer team are pictured (L:R): Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, Captain Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger

After rejecting her call-up two-years-ago, Hinkle told CBN: 'I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn't my job to wear this jersey.'

She went onto add that she gave up the 'one dream that little girls dream about their entire life' by saying no.

Hinkle cited being 'obedient' to God, as a reason for refusing to wear the jersey through not playing for Team USA.

She said: 'I knew in my spirit that I was doing the right thing.

'If I never get a national team call-up again that's just part of his plan, and that's OK,' Hinkle added. 'And maybe this was why you were meant to play soccer, just to show other believers to be obedient.'

Hinkle decided not to play for the 2017 Women's national team due to the decision to dress them in 'Pride' inspired jerseys (above) to support LGBTQ rights

Hinkle's comments reemerged after being shared publicly by a Catholic author, known for being anti-gay and anti-abortion, prompting Harris to respond

Hinkle (pictured right, left picture) made eight appearances for the U.S. Team between 2015 and 2017, but was cut in 2018. Coach Jill Ellis (right) came under fire for the decision

Hinkle made eight U.S. appearances between 2015 and 2017, but was cut from the 2018 Tournament of Nations.

Coach Jill Ellis maintained that this was not due to her religion, the NYPost reports.

The 26-year-old previously spoke out against Gay Marriage on social media in 2015, when the practice was legalized.

She said: 'This world may change, but Christ and his Word NEVER will.

'My heart is that as Christians we don't begin to throw a tantrum over what has been brought into law today, but we become that much more loving.'

High profile Christian players on Team USA's 2019 squad included Julie Ertz and Tobin Heath. Players would regularly kneel in prayer circles before and after the game, the site reported.

On team USA there are five gay players including Harris, captain Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, in addition to their coach Jill Ellis.

In the 2019 Women's World Cup there was 40 out gay, lesbian and bisexual women – 38 players, one coach and a trainer, OutSports reported. In contrast during the 2015 international tournament there were 18 out players.

Evangelical blogger Erick Erickson was quoted by The Washington Times on July 8 as saying that former national team fullback Jaelene Hinkle was 'shoved aside' for the 2019 World Cup roster due to 'feminist virtue signaling.'

Hinkle previously made comments speaking out against the LGBTQ community (above) stating: 'This world may change, but Christ and his Word NEVER will'

According to one religious leader, the culture on the U.S. women's team clashed with Hinkle's beliefs.

'You do have a very activist team,' John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview in Colorado Springs told The Washington Times. 'It's very much a part of the program.

'And if we were talking about just any player, it wouldn't be really clear, but just because of her abilities — Jaelene Hinkle is a heck of a player — it makes it that much more suspect.

'We know that increasingly there is going to have to be conformity on your viewpoint to be able to participate,' Stonestreet said. 'I think that's inevitable. We use the phrase "the theology of being fired" — in this case, it's the theology of being cut.'

The U.S. women did not hesitate to promote LGBTQ acceptance en route to their fourth World Cup crown over the last two months.

Players mascots carrying flags with rainbow colors ahead of the international friendly between Sweden and USA at Ullevi Stadium on June 8, 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden

Rapinoe even credited the team's gay players after she scored both goals in a 2-1 quarter-final win over France.

'Go gays!' she yelled to reporters. 'You can't win a championship without gays on your team. It's never been done before. That's science right there.'

Prior to Hinkle's refusal to play in the team's Pride Month jerseys, she previously spoke out against gay marriage on social media in 2015, when the practice was legalized nationally.

'This world may change, but Christ and His Word NEVER will,' Hinkle said on Instagram. 'My heart is that as Christians we don't begin to throw a tantrum over what has been brought into law today, but we become that much more loving.'

Although Hinkle was booed by fans, according to The Washington Times, teammate Jessica McDonald defended the former Texas Tech star to The Oregonian.

'She's never said anything bad about me,' McDonald said of Hinkle. 'She never said anything bad about anybody. So, for people to pass on that kind of judgment on another human being, I think it's sort of uncalled for.'

Ellis called Hinkle up to the national team a year ago for the Tournament of Nations, but later cut the Denver native.

'It was very disappointing,' Hinkle told the 700 Club. 'And I think that's where the peace trumps the disappointment, because I knew in my spirit I was doing the right thing. I knew I was being obedient. Just because you're obedient doesn't make it easy.'

Jay Schwartz, who writes for Erickson's website, The Resurgent, praised Hinkle for doing 'what she believed in without resorting to name-calling and hatred like so many in our culture do today.'

'It's good for parents to teach their children how to compete,' Schwartz wrote in 2018. 'It's even better for parents to teach their children how to stand on principle, even when it costs them their dream. Thank you, Jaelene, for graciously showing us what that looks like.'