HGTV Cancels Show Because Brothers are Christians!
Remember when Phil Robertson was recently suspended from “Duck Dynasty” for expressing his biblical views on sexuality, marriage and family?
Then, millions of Faith Driven Consumers made national headlines for nine days and successfully secured his reinstatement to the show – making it clear that discrimination against those who exercise their right to free speech while holding to a Biblical worldview is unacceptable in America.
Yesterday, HGTV announced it was cancelling the show “Flip It Forward” hosted by twin brothers David and Jason Benham, because the brothers expressed their Biblical Christian views on life, sexuality, marriage and family.
HGTV has effectively instituted a policy of discrimination with regard to employment and viewership with the network and said that those who hold to pro-life, pro-natural marriage and anti-pornography views are not welcome or respected at their network. This is a blatant example of discrimination against those who hold a Christian viewpoint!
We simply cannot allow this fundamentally intolerant and discriminatory corporate action to stand. The organization “Faith Driven Consumers” has created a petition demanding that HGTV flip its decision and immediately reinstate “Flip It Forward” to its Fall 2014 television lineup. To let your voice be heard, you may sign this petition at: http://www.flipthisdecision.com/
As Americans, the First Amendment guarantees us the freedom to express our deeply held, biblically-based faith convictions in the marketplace of goods, services and ideas.
While some members of the pro-abortion and gay communities may not agree with David and Jason Benham’s views on life, sexuality, family, marriage and pornography, they accurately reflect Biblical teaching and – having stood the test of time for thousands of years – continue to be held by the majority of Americans today.
As Christians and Faith Driven Consumers, we have the right to have our views treated with equality and respect in America’s rich rainbow of diversity.
Saints of God, as Christians we’ve allowed ourselves to be pushed around for far too long by the Left anti-Christian segment of American culture, it’s time we start “pushing back!” WWJD? Jesus & His Apostles always “pushed back” against those of power and influence who opposed and tried to silence their God-sent Message to Mankind, e.g.
We are to Publically Confront with Both Words & Actions Those Who Oppose the Christian Message!
John 2:13-17 (NKJV) 13Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
17Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
When We Confront the Enemies of Christ Publically, it is Even Godly to be Angry at Those Who Oppose the Christian Message!
Mark 3:1-5 (NKJV) 1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.
2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.
3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.”
4Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.
5And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
God the Holy Spirit Empowers Us to BOLDLY Confront & Speak Out Publically in the Face of Opposition to the Christian Message!
Acts 4:1-31 (NKJV) 1Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,
2being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
4However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,
6as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
7And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
11This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’
12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
14And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”
18So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
21So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.
22For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
23And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
25who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things?
26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
27“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
29Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 5:17-42 (NIV) 17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.
20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin–the full assembly of the elders of Israel–and sent to the jail for the apostles.
22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,
23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”
26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.
28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead–whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.
31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.
35 Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.
36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
Again, to “push back” by signing the Faith Driven Consumer petition visit: http://www.flipthisdecision.com/
James D. Alderdice's Blog 