More than 33,000 people have signed a petition asking CNN to stop inviting Family Research Council’s President Tony Perkins to be a guest on its programs and to stop relying on him to “speak on behalf of America’s Christians.” The group offering the petition complains that CNN frequently invites Tony Perkins and other experts from FRC to act as spokespersons for American Christians, especially when covering what it terms “LGBT issues.”
Following Tony Perkins’ appearance, with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, to comment on the two Supreme Court decisions concerning same sex marriage, Faithful America – an online community working toward “reclaiming Christianity from the religious right” – launched this petition asking CNN to stop offering so-called “friendly interviews” to Mr. Perkins, whom they call a “hate group leader.”
Faithful America stated: “CNN host Wolf Blitzer failed to challenge Perkins’ lies, nor did his segment feature any Christian leaders with a different point of view — despite polls showing that a majority of Christians actually oppose the Defense of Marriage Act.”
The group is referring there to a poll done by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay advocacy organization. And CNN did have in the same segment another Christian leader: prominent theologian Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Mohler said the decision striking down part of DOMA “takes us right up to the brink of same sex marriage” and that marriage, defined as between one man and one woman, is “a pre-political institution….the most essential institution for human existence.”
Tony Perkins said that, as both decisions play out over time, there will be a loss of parental rights “as children are taught in school morals that are contradictory to their parents.” He said we’ll also see a loss of religious liberty as business owners are “forced to comply with a different view of marriage” and that churches who stick with God’s view of marriage could someday face the loss of tax exempt status.
What Al Mohler described is Christian orthodoxy and what Tony Perkins spoke of is the impact of moving away from God’s plan for marriage in the culture. Faithful America claims Christianity, and yet is petitioning CNN to silence this biblically correct view of a momentous Supreme Court decision on a subject that is dividing the nation.
Assuming Faithful America is identifying itself honestly as Christian, it should be held accountable to that declaration. Groups like Faithful America fail to answer this basic question: How can people come to faith in Christ if they don’t repent of their sin? And that includes engaging in homosexual behavior.
We must speak the Truth, in love, but we must speak the truth. The other side in this debate over marriage will say and do anything to shut down free speech and to attack Gods Word. Many groups on the Hill have wilted under such pressure and threats. Not FRC. This group is standing strong.