Nothing to Gaines

In an age of doublespeak and compromise, we can find that Scripture offers clarity. Some will rationalize and speak an abundance of words in order to justify a non-Biblical position. We must not try to approve of what the Bible does not. 1st John chapter 3 tells us:
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

The year was 2016 - a couple that specialized in renovating homes and spotlighted their endeavors through an HGTV show called, Fixer Upper, encountered a bit of controversy.  At the time, Buzzfeed published this paragraph:

They are also, as they detail in The Magnolia Story, devout Christians — Joanna has spoken of and written about her conversations with God. (God told her both to close her store to spend time with her children, and then to reopen it a few years later.) Their church, Antioch Community Church, is a nondenominational, evangelical, mission-based megachurch. And their pastor, Jimmy Seibert, who described the Gaineses as "dear friends" in a recent video, takes a hard line against same-sex marriage and promotes converting LGBT people into being straight.

The article highlighed the Biblical views of pastor Seibert.  But, it posed this question:

So are the Gaineses against same-sex marriage? And would they ever feature a same-sex couple on the show, as have HGTV's House Hunters and Property Brothers? Emails to Brock Murphy, the public relations director at their company, Magnolia, were not returned. HGTV's PR department did not respond to initial emails and calls. Two days after this story was published, they released the following statement: "We don’t discriminate against members of the LGBT community in any of our shows. HGTV is proud to have a crystal clear, consistent record of including people from all walks of life in its series."

Well, fast forward to almost nine years later, and we have an answer, and yes, Chip and Joanna Gaines, in their new series on HBO Max, , have indeed featured a same-sex couple. And, Chip is on social media vociferously defending their position.

At the Crossmap website, Elizabeth Prata wrote:

Chip and Joanna Gaines are executive producers of “Back to the Frontier,” a Magnolia Network show which debuted July 10 featuring families living without modern amenities. Controversy arose over including a homosexual couple with surrogacy-born twins, prompting criticism from those who see it as an affront to the traditional values the Gaines’ claim to uphold, and a misleading portrayal of family.

She did not mince words when she turned the Gaines' words back on them:

No, Chip, we are not “loving this”. No, Joanna, it is not “family time” well spent. The broadcast/promotion of sodomite couples, the idea that you can rent a womb and take the children away from the mother, the notion that raising these boys in a homosexual home is OK, a home that according to many news stories frequently leads to pederasty…it’s all an abominable sin.

The Google dictionary defines pederasty as "sexual activity involving a man and a boy or youth."

The backlash against the Gaines in the Christian community has been strong, and Chip has come back strong, as well - and not in a good way.  He posted on X:

Talk, ask qustns, listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never

It’s a sad sunday when “non believers” have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian

Prata responded to that post by stating:

I was glad to see @chipgaines respond to the controversy they have made, but disappointed. It's the usual answer when folks retreat into their sin: "everyone's so judgy", "everyone is so hateful", "listen and learn", 'be compassionate', 'let's love', 'God is love' and so on

Katy Faust of Them Before Us posted on X:

Can you "revere Christ as Lord" while normalizing a household where children will never be able to obey the 5th commandment because two men: - bought their genetic mother - rented their birth mother - are starving them of daily maternal love

It's not the Internet to whom you will need to give an answer, Chip.

This was posted in response to one of Chip's responses, that said:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15

I really felt the hope, and gentleness and respect here..

You know, the Bible is really clear and really simple in so many cases. Franklin Graham had posted on Facebook:

I hope this isn’t true, but I read today that Chip and Joanna Gaines are featuring a gay couple in their new series. If It is true, it is very disappointing. While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word. His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin.

So, this was not some act committed in ignorance; no, the Gaines made a decision to feature a same-sex couple with children.  This is wrong on so many levels, yet, in the eyes of Chip Gaines, the audience that he and Joanna had attracted, are the ones who are out of line.  Say it isn't so.  But, when you are trying to rationalize the promotion of sin rather than the unambiguous teachings of the Word of God, seems you have to resort to some name-calling and unbiblical virtue-signaling. 

We have to make sure that we are not allowing compromise to enter our activities and associations.  Do our practices demonstrate that we are compliant with the teachings of Christ?  Or are we willing to fudge a little - or perhaps a lot - in order to gain worldly acceptance or worldly gain?  Chip and Joanna Gaines are being called to repentance - they are rightly being called out and they have a choice to make.

Like we all do.  While we are called to love all in the name of Jesus, we are not directed to accept sinful behavior. And, as it's been said, the most loving thing we can do for a person is to tell him or her the truth.  That is what we are empowered to do.  We should always speak and act without compromise, and that can be done in a compassionate way through Christ.