Skip to main content

Obama, Biden, and Gay Marriage



This week both President Obama and Vice President Biden have come out in defense of gay marriage, which we all knew was going to happen before their first term ended. This blog is not about whether or not homosexuals should be allowed to get married, because I have written about that here and here.

Instead, I want to focus on who got the credit for the “shift” in their stance. Joe Biden credits the 1998-2006 sitcom Will and Grace for doing “more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody’s ever done so far.[i]

If you aren’t familiar with that show, it featured a straight woman who lived with her gay male best friend; there was another homosexual man on the cast as well.

And in case you aren’t familiar with the word sitcom, it means situation comedy, not to be confused with documentary. It’s not as if Mr. Biden is crediting some documentary about a gay couple, or some reality show about two men trying to raise a family. He cited a comedy—with a team of writers—for educating America and shaping domestic policy.

That would be like passing legislation to make paper companies more efficient in the Northeast after watching The Office.

Don’t get hung up in the politics here (like, Do we really want an administration ruling the country based on Comedy Central?); instead, think about this from a Christian perspective. The vice president of the United States has admitted what I have been criticized for saying for years, and that is the media we watch shapes us.

As often as I mention how shows like Family Guy, Two and a Half Men and Modern Family are ruining this country, I get comments from defensive people saying, “It doesn’t bother me.” I am also reminded that I shouldn’t “judge.”

Media has an agenda that goes beyond their paycheck. Consider how Modern Family added a gay kiss to appease GLAAD. Do you not think the agenda behind Will and Grace was to do exactly what Mr. Biden said they did—to change America’s perception of homosexuality? This is a show with a team of writers carefully analyzing every word, gesture, and setting, to make the show exactly what it was.

This same process shapes every TV show and movie that we watch. We constantly remind our children “Oh be careful little eyes what you see.” That same advice, if it is good for our young ones, should be good for us older ones.

The Prince of the Power of the Air controls the airwaves, but he doesn’t have to control your remote.




[i] http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/05/07/joe-biden-says-will-and-grace-helped-change-public-opinion-on-gay-rights/?mod=google_news_blog

Comments

Anonymous said…
http://rachelheldevans.com/win-culture-war-lose-generation-amendment-one-north-carolina
Thank you for your anonymous link. However, as I stated at the beginning, this blog was not "antihomosexual" as your link suggested. It was written to warn Christians about the media that quietly influences us.

Also, I don't cower away from being labled as "antihomosexual." I am also anti adultery. I am anti promting any sin, whether hetero or homosexual.

Christians should be applauded, not condemned, for standing up for what they believe in. We always hear that if Christians in the past had stood up then we could still have prayer in public schools, and abortion could be illegal, so I am not backing down now.
Tommy, I couldn't agree more. I always tell my Awana kids that trash in = trash out. If there is something on my TV that my child shouldn't be watching, then I shouldn't be watching it, either. I have noticed after working with youth for so many years, that the shows, music and movies that are marketed toward them has a significant influence on their ideals and their opinions about the world. Sin is coming at them from all angles and it is harder to combat everything that is coming at them than it was way back when I was that age.

Great post, I always enjoy your blog! :)
Alicia said…
@ Anonymous
You're anonymous link was not all all "peaceful" as your link suggest Christians should be. You, as well, are trying to make a statement as Tommy has done. Are you being peaceful? Is the article bashing evangelical Christians? Hypocrisy?

It seems your type, and yes, I am stereotyping you, seems to be all about loving and accepting everyone as they are EXCEPT Christians with standards and who pursue righteousness as stated we should in the Bible. Your type calls people like this legalists, Pharisees, judgmental hypocrites and self-righteous so called Christians whose eternity will be spent in hell because we never learned how to love (even though you personally have no idea how much we do for the gays, homeless, poor, etc.) This may not be you particularly, but many like your type. Just a general statement of my opinion.

Are you judging me right now in your mind for being totally against what your article says? Are you being loving and peaceful in your cowardly anonymous comment? Just a thought. We should all be careful how we handle this so called "culture war" that your article suggests we are in.

I can't stand arguing on blogs, but this must be said because I am tired of petty anonymous comments from readers who only paste someone else's thoughts instead of their own.

@Tommy
Great blog and we should definitely be careful what we let into our minds which leads to the heart. Though we will never be perfect here on earth, we should not completely ignore Scripture when it comes to sanctification, holiness, etc. This might mean not accepting a way of life that is sinful. Notice I did not say not loving the person who is in sin, but I said not accepting.
Thank you Stephanie. You are right to warn those students about the dangers of the media. It is mind boggling how some people have a problem with that. It's like thinking someone is crazy for warning their children not to stick their fingers in a power outlet.

Alicia, thank you, and I feel your frustration. People feel so passionate and yet hide behind anonymous comments. I have read too many hate-filled comments that tell me to be more loving.

Popular posts from this blog

To Save a Life

(Like my blog about the peace symbol, this blog was written as a default response to all the parents, students, and other people who are asking my opinion of To Save a Life.) By now you have probably heard of the movie To Save a Life, which opened nation-wide in theaters on January 22nd. The movie deals with so many issues that teens face today, like suicide, cutting, drinking, drugs, premarital sex, teen pregnancy, and abortion. At first glance this movie looks like an awesome resource that we should recommend for our teens, parents, youth pastors, and youth workers. But a closer look at the movie reveals a few disturbing things. For starters, according to pluggedin.com, there are 2 uses of the “A” word, 5 uses of hell (used as a curse word), and once the “D” word is used. There are other crude terms used to describe a girl, and crude terms for referring to sexual activity. There is also a bedroom scene that shows a girl removing a boy’s shirt, then afterwards the girl putting he

Evangelism

“Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” St. Francis of Assisi is given credit for this famous quote (although that exact phrasing does not appear in any of his writings), and a lot of people would think that this is a great philosophy. His actual quote was that everyone should “preach by their deeds.” Preaching with our deeds is not just a strategy, it is a necessity. We are commanded all through the Scriptures to let our light shine and be a peculiar people. People should be able to look at our lives and see that we are Christians. They should see the love of Christ readily on display, and thus feel compelled to live their lives in the same way. The sermon that we should preach with our lives is a sermon of love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, forgiveness, conviction, etc. But this idea that has emerged that says we should ONLY preach with our deeds is a heresy straight from the devil himself. Think about it: who is the one that does not want you t

What is a Curse Word?

I know. Stupid question, right? But lately I have heard Christians begin to debate what actually makes a word a curse word. Since the Bible never says, “Thou shalt not say the ‘s’ word,” how do we know that a word is bad? Because of this I have heard Christians justify cursing. The Bible gives a broad command for Christians to adhere to: let no corrupt word come out of your mouth (Ephesians 4:29). The word corrupt means rotten; therefore, we should never say a rotten word, whether it is on the list of curse words or not. First, we have to realize that there are curse words. On the night of Jesus’ arrest Peter was found guilty of using one himself. Matthew 26:74 tells us that when Peter denied knowing Jesus that he began “to curse and to swear.” This verse shows that there are curse words, and that they are wrong to use. I’m sure whatever words Peter said were not the same curse words that we have in our culture today. Here is the point: a curse word (or rotten word) is any wo