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Atlantic Columnist: Christians Hypocritical ‘Bigots’ on Gay ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Character
Newsbusters ^ | | March 11, 2017 | 12:50 PM EST | By Curtis Houck

Posted on 03/12/2017 12:07:51 PM PDT by drewh

The Atlantic contributor and Religion News Service (RNS) columnist Jonathan Merritt lashed out at conservative Christians for opposing the so-called gay “moment” in the upcoming Beauty and the Beast remake, charging they’re coming across as “antiquated bigots” keeping people from “coexist[ing].”

Writing with the title “Flaming hypocrisy in evangelical Disney boycott” and subhead “Avoiding the subject of homosexuality will not prepare kids for the real world,” Merritt showed pettiness from the start, knocking Christians for “hav[ing] opted for sackcloth and ashes” upon the news about LeFou (Josh Gad) instead of “singing and dancing.”

Merritt targeted Franklin Graham, our friends at LifeSiteNews.com, and an Alabama drive-in movie theater as marquee opponents of the gay character before spouting off:

Conservative Christian outrage over any positive portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in film and television is a tale as old as time, but this effort seems particularly misguided. It risks making Christians look like antiquated bigots, and it reeks of moral hypocrisy. Worse, it diverts energy from a more worthwhile effort: teaching Christian children to coexist in a pluralistic society.

Merritt complained that, despite details about the character and reports of the scene in question, it’s not a big deal because, first, “[t]here are no explicit discussions in the film about gay rights, gay marriage or the morality of gay relationships.”

<<< Please support MRC's NewsBusters team with a tax-deductible contribution today. >>>

DONATE The other two reasons were weak, with the second being LeFou not being explicitly in love with or dating someone of the same sex and third being the “subtle” interaction with Gaston lasted only one scene.

Merritt added with more attacks on conservative Christians by constructing a classless strawman that such disapproval with Disney “makes it appear that these Christians object to the mere existence of gay people.”

Of course, the topic of President Donald Trump came up as well:

And even if Graham were right and there were some discernable “agenda” in this film, a boycott would reek of hypocrisy. After all, conservative Christian leaders just helped elect President Trump, and a whopping 81% of white evangelicals voted for the real estate mogul. In light of this, the boycott looks like a Mickey Mouse position and Goofy double standard.

It’s impossible to reconcile boycotting Disney for including a kind-of-sort-of-possibly gay character in a film while supporting a thrice-married serial liar who has bragged about bedding married women and has admitted to grabbing women’s genitals without permission.

(....)

Rankled Christians are motivated by a desire to protect their children from a view of sexuality that conflicts with their religious beliefs. But is boycotting this film the best way to accomplish that goal? LGBT people have long left the closet. They exist in every corner and level of society.

The RNS columnist turned his attention to questioning whether a decision by Christian families to not see Beauty and the Beast could hinder children from being exposed to gay people and thus “not prepare kids for a world where it is almost totally accepted.”

Ad Feedback “Energy would be better invested in teaching children to understand and coexist alongside people who might not share their beliefs and practices,” he suggested.

He concluded with the prediction that “[a] boycott today would be even less effective given that conservative Christians wield less cultural influence.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
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1 posted on 03/12/2017 12:07:51 PM PDT by drewh
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To: drewh

The word “hypocrite” is the most misused, misapplied, and misunderstood word in the English language.


2 posted on 03/12/2017 12:11:11 PM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius (www.wilsonharpbooks.com - Sign up for my new release e-mail and get my first novel for free)
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To: drewh

Only perverts are OK to the left.


3 posted on 03/12/2017 12:11:53 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: drewh

Its called the free market. They have a right not to like it and urge others not to watch or but it.


4 posted on 03/12/2017 12:12:02 PM PDT by allendale
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To: drewh
The RNS columnist turned his attention to questioning whether a decision by Christian families to not see Beauty and the Beast could hinder children from being exposed to gay people and thus “not prepare kids for a world where it is almost totally accepted.”

I wish these people would accept Christianity as easily as they accept sexual depravity.

5 posted on 03/12/2017 12:12:23 PM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is EVIL and needs to be eradicated)
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To: drewh

I think they were worried about how the film would perform so the execs started claiming there was a special gay moment in it in order to provoke protest and cash in on counter protesters who go to see the film to prove they aren’t bigots.


6 posted on 03/12/2017 12:13:21 PM PDT by ransomnote
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To: drewh
Then:

We just want to come out of the closet and not be afraid of owning up to who we are.

Now:

We just want to insert ourselves into ever facet of life, even so much so that we change the sexual dynamic of everything. We aren't happy to just be out and left alone. We WILL NEVER leave you alone.

Accept this or die.

7 posted on 03/12/2017 12:13:49 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (NeverTrump, a movement that was revealed to be a movement. Thank heaven we flushed!)
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To: drewh

And how about Muslims, Mr. Houck? They not only boycott gays, they kill them.

Are they hipocrites too?


8 posted on 03/12/2017 12:14:49 PM PDT by FrankR (FULL REPEAL, OR NO DEAL)
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To: drewh

Don’t you love how atheists like to lecture Christians on the Bible?


9 posted on 03/12/2017 12:15:00 PM PDT by bray (Pray for President Trump)
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To: drewh

I’m a sixty-five year old male.

I also enjoy the good Disney movie that reminds me of my childhood and the topics presented to me then.

So I have Disney movies in my home, as well as the Beauty and the Beast movie before this one.

This one will never be in my home. I will never give it as a gift, and I will not be watching it even if the opportunity presents.

One this one, Disney deserves 2% of it’s normal sales.

I hope it gets less than 1%.


10 posted on 03/12/2017 12:16:17 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (NeverTrump, a movement that was revealed to be a movement. Thank heaven we flushed!)
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To: DoughtyOne

On this one, Disney deserves 2% of it’s normal sales.

(actually it deserves 0% sales)


11 posted on 03/12/2017 12:17:23 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (NeverTrump, a movement that was revealed to be a movement. Thank heaven we flushed!)
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To: drewh

Why don’t you ask the muzzies what they think? before they slick your neck.


12 posted on 03/12/2017 12:18:24 PM PDT by I want the USA back (Lying Media: completely irresponsible. Complicit in the destruction of this country.)
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To: drewh

There’s a great article by Dennis Prager from 1993: “Why Judaism (and then Christianity) Rejected Homosexuality.”

It’s a good but long read which clearly states the position that “homo” stuff is not good and that marriage, i.e. one man and one woman, is the moral fabric of Western Civilization.

I highly recommend this article and if anybody from that community you know wishes to try to proselytize you, hand them a copy of it and walk away.


13 posted on 03/12/2017 12:18:29 PM PDT by Joe Marine 76 ("Honor is the gift a man gives to himself." ~ Rob Roy MacGregor)
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To: FatherofFive

Actually, the RNS columnist outed the entire pogrom with the question he turned his attention to.

It’s all about indoctrinating the young. Break them to the leftist saddle while they’re still malleable.


14 posted on 03/12/2017 12:23:26 PM PDT by Grimmy (equivocation is but the first step along the road to capitulation)
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To: drewh

A lot of stuff goes on in the adult world that people don’t want in children’s pictures.


15 posted on 03/12/2017 12:27:51 PM PDT by x
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To: drewh

The tone of these people, watch the tone.

They are so much more telegraphing what thry are going to do to us.

They want to outlaw conservatives and conservative christians.

They want to get rid of those who in their terms hold back the rest of them from co-existing.

They are hinting its dangerous for us to raise kids kept away from their perversion.

They ban conservatives from education. Even speaking, while letting every stripe of liberal speak.

They are working to outlaw comservatism. Working to outlaw speech they dont like.

Their “tolerance” is only for those who agree with them, and they admit they must be intolerant of those they believe are intolerant. And they don’t see the idiocy of their statement. They warp the definition into the opposite and claim to be tolerant.


16 posted on 03/12/2017 12:31:22 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: drewh

bigots vs faggots. The war amoungest us.


17 posted on 03/12/2017 12:31:35 PM PDT by ex-snook (The one true God sent Jesus here to show us the way.)
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To: drewh

Since when is something good and people should be exposed to it, merely because “the world” likes it?

Thats a pretty weak way to define moral good.

All the cool kids are doing it....


18 posted on 03/12/2017 12:34:51 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: ransomnote

They also could have seen the rushes, knew it was a flop
then added a new happier ending


19 posted on 03/12/2017 12:35:51 PM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: drewh

The Atlantic is filled with sewage, muck and old crabs. It’s also the name of an ocean.

Isn’t homosexual sex so pure and romantic?

They should be real about it and show two guys in a bath house with one of them having his penis in the other guy’s anal canal while they sing a duet of,

“I Think There’s Something There That Wasn’t There Before”


20 posted on 03/12/2017 12:36:36 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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