Outspoken Christians Jason and David Benham wrote an op-ed on FoxNews.com this week asserting that upholding biblical principles can make Christians targets for persecution.
The twins were dropped from HGTV last spring after activists labelled them anti-gay, anti-abortion, and anti-Muslim. The Benham brothers insisted that they are none of these things.
"When we were fired by HGTV for standing by our biblical beliefs about marriage and life, countless men and women in the LGBTQ community reached out to us in support," they wrote.
"We had, and continue to have, healthy conversations, even though we disagree. And isn't that the point?
"We're Americans—we can disagree and still get along. We don't steal the rights of dissenters. That's when all intellectual, spiritual, and civil progress stops."
In addition to their firing, the twins cited several other examples of Christians who have stood firm in their faith and faced lawsuits, threats, or the loss of their businesses.
"In Oregon, our friends Aaron and Melissa Klein were found guilty of discrimination by the state just this week, and could face up to $150,000 in fines for not baking a cake for a same-sex wedding," they said.
"In Wisconsin, a 15-year-old boy was reprimanded and reportedly punished by his school for backing traditional family in adoption cases.
"In New Jersey, a high school teacher was suspended for stating her biblical beliefs about homosexuality on her personal Facebook page (while at home, off the clock)... The list goes on," they added.
The Benhams said that "militant gay activists" demand that LGBT lifestyles be celebrated, and that the religious freedoms of Christians are being violated.
"The idea of forced acceptance infringes on our constitutional rights as Americans," they insisted.
"As Alliance Defending Freedom succinctly states, the First Amendment guarantees that the government cannot tell its citizens what they can and can't say or force them to express a positive message about something they believe is morally wrong."
The brothers are real estate entrepreneurs, and authors of "Whatever the Cost: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully," which will be released on February 28.
