Christina Moser-Moore
Professor Jay Jackson
THL 107
June 16, 2014
“Holding on to Truth” Everyday millions of Americans tune in to the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV), some just for entertainment and others search for ideas, new and old. The network houses shows such as “House Hunters”, “Property Brothers” and “Bang for Your Buck”, to name a few (HGTV.com). While entertaining design hopefuls and new home buyers, HGTV has been known for being very versatile and very supportive of the Gay and Lesbian communities.
Over the past few years people all over the world have demanded to be heard and have taken a stand for equal rights within the controversial behaviors of homosexuality and abortion. While supporters attempt to conquer this battle, it appears that the idea of “Freedom of Speech” from the opposing party has gone out of the window. In many cases, the reasoning behind the opposing party coincides with biblical truths. Although there is no measure of sin, the bible speaks does specifically about the sin of homosexuality. The bible say in Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination”. The bible also says in Exodus 20:13 “You shall not kill” (The Catholic Study Bible).
Just as supporters are taking a stand, those holding on to their biblical beliefs are also taking a stand. In May of 2014 twin brothers Jason and David Benham spoke out about their upcoming show, “Flip it Forward”. The show was cancelled during taping due to their beliefs in traditional marriage and the sanctity of life. The show was to feature the brothers surprising deserving families with remolded homes. During a conversation with Joy Allmond from Crosswalk.com, the brothers said that before taping, they were given a list of things not to speak about in order to uphold an image that would be appealing to other networks. The brothers felt that their image was not their concern but, speaking the truth in love was the priority (Christianheadlines.com).
We are taught in Genesis 1:27 that we are made in the image of God. Therefore we as believers are to strive to live our lives as Jesus Christ lived. Jesus Christ is a God of love and peace. It is not the duty of the believer to tear down the unbeliever but to encourage and to witness. We are also not to force our beliefs on others but stand strong and holdfast to our beliefs. In the 8th chapter in the book of Mark it says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (Catholic Study Bible). In this case, the Benham twins refused to be ashamed of their relationship with Jesus Christ for a television show.
HGTV made the choice to cancel the show once bloggers voiced their disapproval about the comments made by the Benham brothers. The media has been flooded with stories regarding individuals