HGTV has canned a do-it-yourself program it planned to premiere this fall after media outlets began reporting on the hosts’ Christian views on issues like gay marriage and abortion. Twin brothers Jason and David Benham were scheduled to host Flip It Forward, a new renovation show that would help families make home improvements. On Thursday, HGTV decided to cut ties with the brothers. On radio this morning, Glenn reacted to the network’s decision.
“You know, reading this story this morning, I'm thinking, ‘Here we go. Another Duck Dynasty thing.’ I'm so sick of the Duck Dynasty stuff,” Glenn said. “But I'm not sure I'm a big supporter of these guys, if some of these things are true. “
According to TheBlaze, the controversy began when Right Wing Watch, a blog that prides itself on “monitoring and exposing the activities of the right-wing movement,” published a scathing summary of the Benham brothers’ political activity, including information about their father, Flip Benham, who is known as an outspoken Christian minister.
Right Wing Watch accuses “at least one of the Benhams” of being a dedicated right-wing activist in the mold of his father, Flip Benham.” The article claims Flip Benham has shouted “Jesus hates Muslims” outside of mosques, blamed the Aurora shooting on the Democratic Party, and made other controversial proclamations.
“Where is the evidence of that,” Glenn asked. “You should have the evidence before you crucify somebody on something like that.”
David Benham organized a 2012 Christian prayer rally called Charlotte 7:14. In an interview about the event, Benham said Charlotte 7:14 was an opportunity to admit that there is hypocrisy in Christian churches and for believers to ask for God’s forgiveness for “allowing these things in the house of God.”
“We don’t realize that, okay, if 87 percent of Americans are Christians and yet we have abortion on demand, we have no-fault divorce, we have pornography and perversion, we have a homosexuality and its agenda that is attacking the nation, we have adultery,” David Benham said in the radio interview after the prayer event. “We even have allowed demonic ideologies to take our universities and our public school systems while the church sits silent and just builds big churches.”
“I may not agree with everything there,” Glenn said. “But I don't have a problem with it. That's his point of view. He can have a show.”
“It shouldn’t preclude you from you HGTV, you wouldn't think,” Pat added.
After claiming that it was looking into the claims in a Facebook post on Tuesday, the network ended their arrangement with the Benhams on Thursday, writing, “HGTV has decided not to move forward with the Benham Brothers’ series.”
Since his sons’ dismissal, Flip Benham spoke to LifeSiteNews.com. He said his family never tried to hide their views from the network, and he said all parties knew controversy could end up erupting.
“I think of my sons, who have to suffer for the fact that their dad speaks up about the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he told the outlet. “Homosexuality is not a good thing. It destroys those who practice it and nations that approve of it.”
“Well, don’t I hear him saying that homosexuals should be rounded up, shouldn't have rights? I mean I haven't seen that,” Glenn said. “He has a right to say that just like some people have a right to say that all white men should feel badly about the system that they live in… We should be able to speak out against them and them speak out against us and do it in a loving way.”