There were two very disturbing, disappointing developments last week for our household. One concerned a business that Claire has enjoyed for many years. Indeed, J.C. Penney has provided more of our clothes and home furnishings than any other store chain -- by far. And the other concerned the only network television show that Claire and I watched. With the dramatic moral devolution of television in general and the fact that we do not subscribe to cable or satellite services, our choices for television viewing had all but dried up in recent years. Except for "Wipeout," the boisterous, bouncy obstacle course program created by ABC. We watched that every Thursday night we could.But with the recent decisions of J.C. Penney and "Wipeout" to promote homosexuality as an appropriate and reasonable lifestyle, when it is actually a sexual perversion that the Bible refers to as an unnatural abomination before God, Claire and I have broken from both. In the case of J.C. Penney, it was their move to select as their new national spokesperson, Ellen DeGeneres, America's most famous lesbian. And with "Wipeout," it was their Valentine's edition which included among the "loving couples" that competed, two male homosexuals whose first appearance showed them holding hands, jumping up and down, and chanting "gay, gay, gay."
When such things happen, we try and make principled choices, choices that reflect our honor of God's Word and which keep as clear as possible our consciences. That means we act...and we tell. And among those we tell are those who have overstepped the moral boundaries. So below I print the letters Claire wrote to both businesses explaining why they have lost our patronage.
On ABC's website, Claire registered this complaint:
“'Wipeout'” was the one TV show that my husband and I watched on a weekly basis. But because of your Valentine’s Day show last week, we will no longer watch the program. During a family hour show, you purposefully shoved into our homes a gay couple as if they were just like all the other couples in the competition. Sadly, they are not. I am greatly disappointed with TV shows irresponsibly portraying gay coupling as normal and fine when the realities of homosexual activity present something quite different: the sexual diseases, the true moral guilt, the rebellion against self and the God of creation, the negative impact on culture. 'Wipeout' has clearly decided which side it is on in the culture wars -- and it isn't the side which extols the virtues of Judeo-Christian civilization. On Thursday nights now, we will be reading. And that, of course, means we will not be seeing any of the commercials that help keep ABC in business."
And this is the note she penned to explain our boycott of J.C. Penney.
"I have been shopping at J.C. Penney (both in store and online) for decades. I liked your prices, quality and wide selection of all types of merchandise. I also liked how J.C Penney hadn’t gone over the top with outlandish clothes or promotions. They were always the store to rely on for what I needed. But since you have recently made Ellen DeGeneres your national spokesperson (knowing full well of her lifestyle, her lesbian 'marriage,' and her zealous promotion of such horrors as abortion), I will no longer be shopping at your stores. Ellen does not represent the American woman, the American family or traditional values -- those very values which were held so firmly by your company's founder and which were the foundation of Western civilization. Your move was muddle-headed and counter-productive but, despite immediate protests, you insist the company will stand its ground and keep DeGeneres as the new 'face' of J.C. Penney. Therefore, I will no longer patronize your business in any way and I'll encourage family, friends and fellow church members to do the same."
Claire sent this letter via the J.C. Penney website AND to their postal address: J C Penney Corporation, Inc Corporate Office | Headquarters 6501 Legacy Dr. Plano, TX 75024
