Baptists agree on decline of Disney, disagree on what to do about it
From Kentucky Citizen Digest, July, 1997

On June 18, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to boycott the Disney Company and its empire of related businesses. But Kentucky Baptists themselves seem far from united on the wisdom of the boycott.

While many ministers and their congregations have applauded the effort, the Western Recorder, the state Baptist newspaper that has been critical of the conservative takeover of the denomination in recent years, editorialized against it.

According to Mark Wingfield, the Recorder’s news director, they have received calls from both sides on the issue.

One of the reasons for the boycott was Disney’s promotion of homosexuality, both on its ABC television network and in its theme parks. The Ellen television series, which features TV’s first leading homosexual character, and Disneyworld’s annual “Gay Day” have been cited by boycott supporters.

“The SBC’s Disney boycott is the equivalent of the meaningless regulations of the Scribes and the Pharisees,” said Wingfield in his editorial. “The negative repercussions far outweigh any potential good.”

But Mike Routt, pastor of Rose Hill Baptist Church in Ashland, says he supports the boycott. “Disney plays an important role in the lives of our children,” he says, “It’s not like AT&T.”

Routt says that it’s not just the issue of homosexuality that disturbs him, but the issue of moral values in general. “They’re saying that they’re pro-family,” he says, “but their actions don’t show it.”

The disagreement among Baptists over the Disney boycott appears to be over the approach. They seem to agree that Disney isn’t the family-friendly company it used to be.
 

Key Family Foundation Contacts: Kent Ostrander, Executive Director Martin Cothran, Senior Associate Policy Analyst