How the Benham Brothers Trusted God and Resisted Cancel Culture
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former MLB players and HGTV stars Jason and David Benham joined actor Kirk Cameron to talk about standing firm in the face of adversity and how trials lead to greater strength.
After their time in the MLB, the brothers started a real estate business in North Carolina. As they flipped houses, they discovered that there were three abortion clinics in the towns around them, and 120 mothers were choosing abortion at these clinics every month.
“[We] thought, man we can help these moms, and the Lord put it on our heart, ‘I want you boys to start a pro-life ministry that gets all the other ministries together and really ministers to these mothers,’” they explained. “And so that’s what we did.”
Shortly after they started this ministry, HGTV reached out to the brothers, asking them if they were interested in creating a TV show about their house-flipping business.
While HGTV was aware of the Benhams’ pro-life and pro-traditional marriage stances, pro-choice groups started to pressure the studio to drop their show because of their beliefs. However, the studio initially stuck with the brothers.
Amid this smear campaign, the brothers remembered Matthew 5:11-12, when Jesus warns his followers that they will be hated by the world.
“Jesus says blessed are you when you’re persecuted and falsely accused because of my name,” they said. “The first thing that came through our minds was this is what that verse talks about, like this is what that feels like. Nobody wants to be falsely accused but even Jesus said you be falsely accused.”
“Thank God the false accusations were because we want to help women and we want to talk about marriage and these other things that are really important for society to flourish,” they added.
However, the network eventually asked the Benhams to stop their work with their pro-life ministry and apologize for their beliefs on traditional marriage.
“We took our focus off of the God who put that platform there,” they admitted. “And we began to be controlled by that thing we weren’t willing to let go of. We began to operate strategically in the mind and no longer spiritually in the heart.”
While they almost caved, they decided to stand firm for their convictions, resisting the allure of fame.
The brothers eventually lost the show, but the adversity they faced grew their faith and made them stronger Christians.
“Jesus even said, you will have trials and tribulations in this world. Think about that, you don’t go to the gym and lighten the weight to get stronger or run slower to become more aerobic. You have to increase the strain, and that’s where the strength comes from,” they said.
“But that’s where we often pray that god would decrease the weight, like God get me out of this situation. So God isn’t necessarily going to take you out of your situation. He’s going to leave you in this situation, and to be honest, it’s the greatest compliment that he could ever give you,” they continued.
“So you stand faithful wherever God has placed you and know that God is right there with you,” they added.
Movieguide® previously reported:
The Benham brothers, former MLB players and HGTV stars, celebrated the overturn of Roe v. Wade with their father, Flip Benham, the man who led Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade, to Christ.
“Today, the battle has been turned loose from the federal government right back to the states. The Church of Jesus Christ has an opportunity to allow her theology to become biography in the streets, and state by state, this battle can be won. In other words, it’s a lot closer to the people. It’s a lot closer to us, that we can get this battle and win this battle, and God is calling the Church of Jesus Christ,” Flip shared in a recent Facebook video with his sons.
Movieguide® previously reported on the controversy surrounding the validity of Norma McCorvey’s conversion to Christianity in the 2020 documentary AKA JANE ROE, which Movieguide® found to be unacceptable viewing.
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +1