Last year, Bret Baier, one of Fox News’ most popular anchors, told a fan that he tries to play it right down the middle. “I truly try not to lean. I have thoughts and feelings about things...I try to keep them to myself...I am a registered independent.”
It looks like Mr. Baier may have to hand in his independent registration form, at least on the issue of human sexuality. He has taken sides, as we all must do at some point, on the issue of homosexuality. And he has chosen the wrong side.
He has reneged on a commitment he made to speak at the 2015 Legatus Summit. The problem? Legatus, as an orthodox Catholic organization for laymen and laywomen, believes that marriage is the union of one man and one woman and that sexual expression should be reserved for marriage.
Once Baier was informed that Legatus believes what the Bible has always taught and what Western civilization has always believed about marriage, he summarily and abruptly went back on his word and pulled out, as did Hollywood actor Gary Sinise. To his everlasting credit, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has made it clear that he will honor his commitment and will speak at the conference as scheduled.
Here’s what Legatus believes about sexuality (see if you can find anything scandalous here):
“It’s impossible to see homosexual unions as being in line with God’s intentions for marriage since the product of intercourse is not fruitful... homosexuality is a selfish act that cannot fulfill the divinely ordained purpose of the reproductive powers.”
There is nothing wrong and everything right about this view. It fully accords with what the Bible plainly teaches and accords with the view of voters in the 31 states who went to the polls to enshrine this view of marriage in their constitutions.
Legatus also believes what the Bible teaches, that there is hope for the homosexual. This is exactly what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 when he says, “Such WERE some of you...” Change is possible. Possible, of course, does not mean easy. But possible is possible.
In 2011, Legatus published an opinion piece which told the truth about reparative therapy:
“[T]here are many reasons why people suffer from SSA [same-sex attraction] disorder. Fortunately, there is hope for those who suffer from the disorder. The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality reports that significant numbers of homosexual persons have undergone treatment and had their sexual drives properly ordered.”
Legatus, along with the Pope, believes that same-sex attraction is a “disorder,” but that with God’s grace, even those who continue to struggle with this temptation can “live a chaste and celibate life.”
By pulling out of this event, Baier has clearly chosen sides in the culture war. He only pulled out under pressure from an extremist pro-homosexual advocacy group, which managed to bully him into submission.
Baier’s decision continues a string of worrying decisions by Fox News and Fox News personnel that raise questions about its ability to be even-handed and unbiased when the subject is non-normative sexual behavior. Fox News anchors have proudly shown up on the red carpet of radical pro-homosexual events, and Out Magazine has included Shepard Smith in its “Power List” of important and influential homosexuals, a listing which Smith to my knowledge has never denied.
Mr. Baier said last year, “I truly try not to lean.” Well, on this one he’s leaned so far he has fallen over.
Bottom line: it is impossible to remain neutral in the culture war on the issue of homosexuality. You are either with God on the matter or you are not.
