I haven't watched TV in years, except while sitting in a waiting room. For some reason, their show is usually on, rather than the ubiquitous news channel. Maybe because flipping houses or whatever Chip and Joanna do is neutral and won't get people's blood pressure elevated before they go in to see the doctor. I'm not sure why featuring a gay couple on their show should outrage the Christian community. It's one thing if they led your small group at church and proceeded to preach that a homosexual lifestyle is normal. But, they have a reality TV show about buying houses. Another former reality TV star of questionable moral character was not only re-elected to the office of the presidency, but he has been whole-heartedly endorsed, supported and defended by the Christian community. Maybe because the president happens to have the "correct" view of homosexuality, they can overlook his other sexual deviations, and glaring moral failure and many, many blatant character flaws. I don't approve of Chip and Joanna's decision either, but it's not my show. I do believe they are damaging their Christian witness. However, their show is not a "Christian" program, so why are Christians condemning them for their views? Christians who aren't consistent in their moral outrage, are also damaging their own witness to the world. People I encounter on a daily basis don't like Christians, or churches, or stopped going to church for one primary reason: hypocrisy. Jesus called the Pharisees, not the Gentiles, hypocrites.
I’ve never really watched their shows, so I don’t have strong feelings about the Gaines. However, the issue I’ve seen people discussing is the fact that the Gaines have portrayed themselves as sort of Christian celebrities, but are now promoting sin as “family friendly” entertainment. Megan Basham has done some digging, and this apparently isn’t the first time they’ve endorsed something questionable (I believe she screenshot Joanna Gaines openly celebrating a friend’s post about bringing a man into his current marriage to make a “throuple”). With the Gaines’ reputation as wholesome, it seems a bit misleading. The gay couple has openly said they’re trying to influence how the culture views families. I have heard (can someone confirm?) that they didn’t merely adopt children, but purchased them through surrogacy, which is also a big, hot button issue of darkness in our world right now.
Anyway, the criticism I’ve seen has all been directed at the Gaines themselves - not the gay couple- which makes sense. Why would you expect unbelievers to act like Christians? But what is wrong with calling a supposedly fellow believer to repent?
Could you tell me what “correct” view of homosexuality the president has to make him appeal to Christians? I was under the impression he had no personal problem with LGB (T is a different issue). Seems a bit strange to bring Trump into this topic.
And Jesus may have called the Pharisees hypocrites, but the Gentiles were just as dead in their sin. And wouldn’t having a Christian face but promoting darkness be, if I may borrow the illustration, like a white washed tomb?
I have no dispute with anything you said. I will only address your second to last paragraph. The "correct view" of the LGBT issue is what Trump has done: prohibited men from competing in women's sports, and getting rid of T in the military. These were good things, even if sometimes his methods are unconventional. Because of this, I feel that Christian leaders give him a pass on everything else. Trump is Trump. My complaint is with the white washed tombs who don't call sin sin, or wrong wrong when it applies to the president. Both Trump and the Gaines have (or had) the support of the Christian community, but the same standard of calling out sin doesn't apply to both equally. Thanks for your gracious response. My arguments sometimes aren't expressed as clearly as I'd like. I appreciate the dialog!
What do you mean @ “the president happens to have the "correct" view of homosexuality…?
What is Trump’s view of homosexuality?
Why is it correct?
According to NYT (6/21/25): “Gay Trump supporters” say Donald is “a man indifferent to sexuality who has hosted same-sex weddings and hoisted a rainbow flag; who has appointed a series of gay ambassadors and high-ranking gay officials; who has attracted a range of deep-pocketed gay backers and outspoken online surrogates. And, of course, who has been a steadfast Village People superfan.”
Hi Scots, here I am defending Trump to you. Unbelievable. I did answer your question in my reply to someone else. Banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports was a great thing Trump did, as was getting rid of T in the military. H9wever, he appointed Scott Bessent to Treasury Secretary. Bessent is a public gay man, "married" to another man and they have two children through surrogacy. The NYT article you cited alluded to that. I don't remember anyone in Christian leadership expressing outrage over that. I think that because Trump abolished trans control of the public narrative, Christians give him a free pass. Now he is getting some pushback on the Epstein fiasco, so we'll see how that pans out. To summarize, Christians are giving the Gaineses a lot of free advertising under the guise of calling out their sin. They could just turn off the TV. If they call out sin of Chip and Joanna, they should be consistently calling out sin publically in the president, and I haven't seen any of that.
As for hypocrisy, are you saying because all of us are sinners nobody can "judge" another? So, we can judge the Gaineses but not Trump? That is the same old sorry excuse I've heard since 2016. And, if someone rejects Christianity because Christians are hypocrites, there is some truth to that. We shouldn't hold the unsaved to the same standard as our fellow believers. We should recognize our hypocrisy and deal with it through prayer, confession and repentance, and stop using it as an excuse, as in "join the club."
You’re not defending Trump. You’re defending the Gaines’ by accusing Trump supporters of hypocrisy over their Rx to several scenarios, including what you call his “correct view of homosexuality.”
I read your answers @ Trump banning T in sports & military. But that’s not Trump’s “view of homosexuality.” As homosexuals will tell you, they are not the T in LGBT. Point being that your argument of hypocrisy rests on a fallacy. As NYT writes and as you post above (“however”) Trump essentially embraces homosexuality in public support.
I don’t think Trump has “the correct view of homosexuality.” Regardless of what you recall, I’ve expressed plenty of ire over the issue & plenty of other Christians have, too. You confuse political reality w/ personal hypocrisy. There are plenty of things I don’t like about Trump and wish I could change w/ a wand. But I can’t. I’ll point those out to anyone interested, and I’ll also reserve the right to complain about Christian’s on TV normalizing-promoting homosexuality… although I haven’t.
The reason I used quotation marks around "correct" view initially was because that is not mine. Republicans on the whole defend Trump unconditionally by confirming his nominees and supporting all his legislation priorities. All. The. Time. I will concede your point that even the homosexuals don't care for being lumped in with the trans crowd. I was including the alphabet crowd in one group. So would you say that the LGB group thinks Trump has the "correct" view on homosexuality, (minus the T) given his actions and comments? Maybe that was Trump catering to the alphabet crowd to curry their support. I just don't know. But, that's why I put it in quotes: I DON'T think that. Hope that helps clear things up.
I don’t think Trump has “the correct view of homosexuality”… assuming I’m right about his view. And this idea that Christian started excusing everything in 2016 is a myth motivated by political polarization and a failure to grant to your opponents the very grace you give yourself every time you go vote for whoever. Every vote of every voter in every election (since 2nd one @ USA) requires some rational balancing of obvious flaws vs potential future upsides. When you don’t grant that grace, you become the hypocrite… as if all your candidates aren’t compromised or don’t stink to high heaven.
Trump supporters don’t gloss over sins or explain away problems All.The.Time. We see them for what they are, assess in context, put in perspective and press out in hope. We have no vanity about any person’s purity / perfection. The proof in the pudding in all the so-called MAGA mayhem being reported right now over Trump @ Epstein files. If MAGA was a mindless monolithic “cult of personality” there would be no division. If you're looking for outrage, there you have it.
I’m not “saying” anything about hypocrisy. I’m “saying” you have a terribly tainted understanding of Trump supporters, to the extent you equate his political support w/ notions of his moral infallibility. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Like me, Trump is a rotten sinner. Like me, Trump claims to be a Christian. I hope he is tho I have my doubts. Then again, there are those (here) who doubt my salvation. I am not the ultimate judge of Donald’s heart, or anyone else's. God has it all in hand. I am not making a case for moral equivalency. I’m making a case for moral clarity. I am to judge people for their actions, best as I understand them. And I do.
I’m not defending Trump. I’m arguing for a different viewpoint. Unlike me, Trump ran for POTUS. I voted for Carson & Carly before Trump… but Trump beat them fair & square in public debate. The Dem candidates & platform are detestable beyond reproach. So here I sit… enjoying the upside. The sooner you stop telling yourself Christian Trump supporters are white-washed tombs who white-wash the scene, the sooner you’ll see the scene clearly. Hopefully more clarity leads to more unity. I’m glad you like the dialogue, bc this one needs to be had. All the confusion about Christian @ Trump breeds so much angst & division in our country & church.
“Jesus called the Pharisees, not the Gentiles, hypocrites.”
Well, Jesus didn’t call Gentiles “hypocrites” bc they were not hypocrites, by definition. In order to be a hypocrite one must first profess to believe a thing and then deviate from that belief. This objection of yours & “people you encounter on a daily basis who don’t like Christians” needs to meet that simple reality.
Of course, nobody follows Christ flawlessly, so every Christian is a hypocrite to some degree. To reject Christianity on this count is shallow analysis that serves as a smoke screen.
And… Everybody believes something and everybody fails to live up fully to their belief, so everybody is a hypocrite. Join the club.
Big Jim
The fruits of fame and fortune.
Just Me 999
Sold out to the Almighty Buck!
Laura G
While nothing about this situation is ideal, saying the two men "refer to" the boys as their children struck me as unnecessarily harsh. It's already clear that the men aren't their biological parents, and they have legally made the kids part of their family, such as it is. We can disagree with the adults' life choices without casting doubt on the children's familial bonds. They didn't ask for this.
I haven't watched TV in years, except while sitting in a waiting room. For some reason, their show is usually on, rather than the ubiquitous news channel. Maybe because flipping houses or whatever Chip and Joanna do is neutral and won't get people's blood pressure elevated before they go in to see the doctor. I'm not sure why featuring a gay couple on their show should outrage the Christian community. It's one thing if they led your small group at church and proceeded to preach that a homosexual lifestyle is normal. But, they have a reality TV show about buying houses. Another former reality TV star of questionable moral character was not only re-elected to the office of the presidency, but he has been whole-heartedly endorsed, supported and defended by the Christian community. Maybe because the president happens to have the "correct" view of homosexuality, they can overlook his other sexual deviations, and glaring moral failure and many, many blatant character flaws. I don't approve of Chip and Joanna's decision either, but it's not my show. I do believe they are damaging their Christian witness. However, their show is not a "Christian" program, so why are Christians condemning them for their views? Christians who aren't consistent in their moral outrage, are also damaging their own witness to the world. People I encounter on a daily basis don't like Christians, or churches, or stopped going to church for one primary reason: hypocrisy. Jesus called the Pharisees, not the Gentiles, hypocrites.
I’ve never really watched their shows, so I don’t have strong feelings about the Gaines. However, the issue I’ve seen people discussing is the fact that the Gaines have portrayed themselves as sort of Christian celebrities, but are now promoting sin as “family friendly” entertainment. Megan Basham has done some digging, and this apparently isn’t the first time they’ve endorsed something questionable (I believe she screenshot Joanna Gaines openly celebrating a friend’s post about bringing a man into his current marriage to make a “throuple”). With the Gaines’ reputation as wholesome, it seems a bit misleading. The gay couple has openly said they’re trying to influence how the culture views families. I have heard (can someone confirm?) that they didn’t merely adopt children, but purchased them through surrogacy, which is also a big, hot button issue of darkness in our world right now.
Anyway, the criticism I’ve seen has all been directed at the Gaines themselves - not the gay couple- which makes sense. Why would you expect unbelievers to act like Christians? But what is wrong with calling a supposedly fellow believer to repent?
Could you tell me what “correct” view of homosexuality the president has to make him appeal to Christians? I was under the impression he had no personal problem with LGB (T is a different issue). Seems a bit strange to bring Trump into this topic.
And Jesus may have called the Pharisees hypocrites, but the Gentiles were just as dead in their sin. And wouldn’t having a Christian face but promoting darkness be, if I may borrow the illustration, like a white washed tomb?
I have no dispute with anything you said. I will only address your second to last paragraph. The "correct view" of the LGBT issue is what Trump has done: prohibited men from competing in women's sports, and getting rid of T in the military. These were good things, even if sometimes his methods are unconventional. Because of this, I feel that Christian leaders give him a pass on everything else. Trump is Trump. My complaint is with the white washed tombs who don't call sin sin, or wrong wrong when it applies to the president. Both Trump and the Gaines have (or had) the support of the Christian community, but the same standard of calling out sin doesn't apply to both equally. Thanks for your gracious response. My arguments sometimes aren't expressed as clearly as I'd like. I appreciate the dialog!
I agree and appreciate the clarification. Thank you for your response as well.
What do you mean @ “the president happens to have the "correct" view of homosexuality…?
What is Trump’s view of homosexuality?
Why is it correct?
According to NYT (6/21/25): “Gay Trump supporters” say Donald is “a man indifferent to sexuality who has hosted same-sex weddings and hoisted a rainbow flag; who has appointed a series of gay ambassadors and high-ranking gay officials; who has attracted a range of deep-pocketed gay backers and outspoken online surrogates. And, of course, who has been a steadfast Village People superfan.”
Is that the “correct view” of homosexuality?
Hi Scots, here I am defending Trump to you. Unbelievable. I did answer your question in my reply to someone else. Banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports was a great thing Trump did, as was getting rid of T in the military. H9wever, he appointed Scott Bessent to Treasury Secretary. Bessent is a public gay man, "married" to another man and they have two children through surrogacy. The NYT article you cited alluded to that. I don't remember anyone in Christian leadership expressing outrage over that. I think that because Trump abolished trans control of the public narrative, Christians give him a free pass. Now he is getting some pushback on the Epstein fiasco, so we'll see how that pans out. To summarize, Christians are giving the Gaineses a lot of free advertising under the guise of calling out their sin. They could just turn off the TV. If they call out sin of Chip and Joanna, they should be consistently calling out sin publically in the president, and I haven't seen any of that.
As for hypocrisy, are you saying because all of us are sinners nobody can "judge" another? So, we can judge the Gaineses but not Trump? That is the same old sorry excuse I've heard since 2016. And, if someone rejects Christianity because Christians are hypocrites, there is some truth to that. We shouldn't hold the unsaved to the same standard as our fellow believers. We should recognize our hypocrisy and deal with it through prayer, confession and repentance, and stop using it as an excuse, as in "join the club."
You’re not defending Trump. You’re defending the Gaines’ by accusing Trump supporters of hypocrisy over their Rx to several scenarios, including what you call his “correct view of homosexuality.”
I read your answers @ Trump banning T in sports & military. But that’s not Trump’s “view of homosexuality.” As homosexuals will tell you, they are not the T in LGBT. Point being that your argument of hypocrisy rests on a fallacy. As NYT writes and as you post above (“however”) Trump essentially embraces homosexuality in public support.
I don’t think Trump has “the correct view of homosexuality.” Regardless of what you recall, I’ve expressed plenty of ire over the issue & plenty of other Christians have, too. You confuse political reality w/ personal hypocrisy. There are plenty of things I don’t like about Trump and wish I could change w/ a wand. But I can’t. I’ll point those out to anyone interested, and I’ll also reserve the right to complain about Christian’s on TV normalizing-promoting homosexuality… although I haven’t.
The reason I used quotation marks around "correct" view initially was because that is not mine. Republicans on the whole defend Trump unconditionally by confirming his nominees and supporting all his legislation priorities. All. The. Time. I will concede your point that even the homosexuals don't care for being lumped in with the trans crowd. I was including the alphabet crowd in one group. So would you say that the LGB group thinks Trump has the "correct" view on homosexuality, (minus the T) given his actions and comments? Maybe that was Trump catering to the alphabet crowd to curry their support. I just don't know. But, that's why I put it in quotes: I DON'T think that. Hope that helps clear things up.
I don’t think Trump has “the correct view of homosexuality”… assuming I’m right about his view. And this idea that Christian started excusing everything in 2016 is a myth motivated by political polarization and a failure to grant to your opponents the very grace you give yourself every time you go vote for whoever. Every vote of every voter in every election (since 2nd one @ USA) requires some rational balancing of obvious flaws vs potential future upsides. When you don’t grant that grace, you become the hypocrite… as if all your candidates aren’t compromised or don’t stink to high heaven.
Trump supporters don’t gloss over sins or explain away problems All.The.Time. We see them for what they are, assess in context, put in perspective and press out in hope. We have no vanity about any person’s purity / perfection. The proof in the pudding in all the so-called MAGA mayhem being reported right now over Trump @ Epstein files. If MAGA was a mindless monolithic “cult of personality” there would be no division. If you're looking for outrage, there you have it.
I’m not “saying” anything about hypocrisy. I’m “saying” you have a terribly tainted understanding of Trump supporters, to the extent you equate his political support w/ notions of his moral infallibility. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Like me, Trump is a rotten sinner. Like me, Trump claims to be a Christian. I hope he is tho I have my doubts. Then again, there are those (here) who doubt my salvation. I am not the ultimate judge of Donald’s heart, or anyone else's. God has it all in hand. I am not making a case for moral equivalency. I’m making a case for moral clarity. I am to judge people for their actions, best as I understand them. And I do.
I’m not defending Trump. I’m arguing for a different viewpoint. Unlike me, Trump ran for POTUS. I voted for Carson & Carly before Trump… but Trump beat them fair & square in public debate. The Dem candidates & platform are detestable beyond reproach. So here I sit… enjoying the upside. The sooner you stop telling yourself Christian Trump supporters are white-washed tombs who white-wash the scene, the sooner you’ll see the scene clearly. Hopefully more clarity leads to more unity. I’m glad you like the dialogue, bc this one needs to be had. All the confusion about Christian @ Trump breeds so much angst & division in our country & church.
“Jesus called the Pharisees, not the Gentiles, hypocrites.”
Well, Jesus didn’t call Gentiles “hypocrites” bc they were not hypocrites, by definition. In order to be a hypocrite one must first profess to believe a thing and then deviate from that belief. This objection of yours & “people you encounter on a daily basis who don’t like Christians” needs to meet that simple reality.
Of course, nobody follows Christ flawlessly, so every Christian is a hypocrite to some degree. To reject Christianity on this count is shallow analysis that serves as a smoke screen.
And… Everybody believes something and everybody fails to live up fully to their belief, so everybody is a hypocrite. Join the club.
The fruits of fame and fortune.
Sold out to the Almighty Buck!
While nothing about this situation is ideal, saying the two men "refer to" the boys as their children struck me as unnecessarily harsh. It's already clear that the men aren't their biological parents, and they have legally made the kids part of their family, such as it is. We can disagree with the adults' life choices without casting doubt on the children's familial bonds. They didn't ask for this.
Careful, that sounds a lot like woke empathy.
At least curious. Probably sad. And misguided.