So the new Beauty and the Beast movie will have a repressed gay henchman longing to love his Gaston. Some of my fellow Christians, of course, are up in arms about this. A drive-in movie theater in Alabama has refused to show it, stating that they absolutely will not compromise on what the Bible teaches. We're horrified...SHOCKED...that something like this could come out of a Disney studio.
So...what's my feeling on this? I'm not even going to begin to justify what others are doing, but instead say that I believe that a lot of this is overblown. First, if you are expecting Disney movies to teach morals to your children, that's a problem. Second, homosexuality is now a part of American life, whether you like it or not. It's part of what America IS now...and so when a Disney channel shows have a character who has two moms, it's not that surprising. Should be shocked that even 'family' movies reflect this trend, much as they historically treated Asian as slanty-eyed lispers or blacks as subservient farmhands?
And third, and most importantly...if you want to do away with movies that, as one Facebook post I saw said, you couldn't watch with Jesus sitting next to you, then how many Hollywood movies could you really watch? Why are you so mad about this and so ready to pony up $10 for everything else?
-A chick-flick in which the unmarried couple sleeps together half-way through the movie...is that Christian?
-An action movie with lots of gratuitous violence as a man takes vengeance on a gang that hurts his family...is that Christian?
-A buddy cop movie with lots of foul language...is that Christian?
-A romantic family flick in which a woman falls in love with a beast who wears fancy garments...ummmm...
The point is this...getting freaked out that a gay character is in a Disney movie is most likely counter-productive. See it, don't see it, have a conversation about your family values with your kids...do whatever you want. But stop it with the outrage. You don't own the studio, though you've given them a ton of your money over the years. Your whiny self-righteous bitterness brings more shame onto Jesus than this movie ever will, and others can see it. No wonder people don't take your Jesus seriously.
