Some members of the evangelical community expressed disappointment after finding out that Disney's newest movie "Beauty and the Beast" would include an "exclusively gay moment." Some even called for a boycott of the movie, arguing that children need to be protected from the LGBT agenda.
However, some Christian parents see the movie in a different light and do not approve of the call for boycott. Sarah Wallace, a blogger for The Gospel Centered Mom and a mother of four, says kids actually need to see "Beauty and the Beast" so they will become more aware of the evils being presented in this world.
"This is the culture God has appointed for us to raise our children in. We need to know how to live in it and interact with it," she tells CBN News.
Instead of turning a blind eye towards homosexuality, Christian parents should equip their children with strong knowledge about the Bible so they would know how to address current issues, Wallace says. "We must raise alien children — children who are not surprised by or afraid of this culture, but know how to impact it for the gospel," she says.
Another Christian blogger and writer Luke Aylen feels the same way. Those who chose to boycott the film are actually distorting their children's views about being a Christian witness.
"Boycotting this film suggests Christians are offended by the existence of gay people – even if that's not how the boycotter intends it," he writes for Premier Christianity.
Aylen strongly supports traditional marriage, although he himself struggled with same-sex attraction for most of his life. He says he used to be ostracised by his Christian friends because of his homosexuality, and none of them ever shared with him the truth about homosexuality in their culture.
"It wasn't the theology that hurt me. It was the way of reacting and treating me as a gay person – a reaction built upon seeing her parent's boycotting of gay people on TV," he says.
Aylen said Christians should not compromise their morals and convictions when it comes to homosexuality, but they should still open their hearts to those who are struggling with it.
"The fact is that our children are growing up in a society where gay relationships are a given," he says. "If we hold to a traditional biblical view of sexuality, then we need to prepare our children for the real world of competing views about sexuality now, rather than try to pretend that LGBT issues don't exist, either in Disney films or in real life."
