Christian actress Candace Cameron Bure says in her new top-level role at the Great American Family Channel, she will place faith and “traditional marriage” at the core of its Christmas movies.
In April, Bure became chief creative officer at Great American Family, a channel that is aiming to become the faith and freedom alternative to Hallmark, where the actress once served as the chief representative of the romantic comedy Christmas channel.
In case you missed it, a few small updates to our #GreatAmericanChristmas schedule! Text CHRISTMAS to 1-877-999-1225 to find #GreatAmericanFamily viewing options in your area! #WelcomeHome 🎄 pic.twitter.com/dJX9M5fyff
— Great American Family (@GAfamilyTV) October 27, 2022
“My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” Bure, 46, told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.”
Bure’s response to the WSJ’s query into whether her new channel will, like Hallmark, include LGBTQ storylines, was, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”
Her comments, which come as Hallmark presents its first original holiday movie focused on a same-sex couple, have drawn the ire of activists and supporters of the LGBTQ political agenda.
GLAAD condemned Bure’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “hurtful,” claiming she uses “tradition as a guise for exclusion.”
“It's irresponsible and hurtful for Candace Cameron Bure to use tradition as a guise for exclusion." – Sarah Kate Ellis https://t.co/kNCtb1u2Oz
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 16, 2022
Actress Hilarie Burton Morgan took to Twitter to call Bure a “bigot.”
“Make your money, honey,” Burton Morgan addressed Bure. “You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank.”
Bigot.
I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy.
But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank. https://t.co/X70aO4WIcB— Hilarie Burton Morgan (@HilarieBurton) November 15, 2022
Burton Morgan’s husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, defended his wife’s comments.
How’d I miss this twit?! Who the fuck is this person? Hey Hil? You’re awesome. We lucky to have ya. X
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 15, 2022
Other Twitter users defended Bure.
Oh my gosh…now @JDMorgan is a theologian?!?!? PUUUULLLEEASE!!! Your beliefs are ok & should be tolerated but others should not? Yeah…makes total sense! Like I asked Burton..have you ever read THE BIBLE? How do you know Jesus? I’ll be happy to introduce the two of you!
— Sheri Fabijanic (@marcoislandlady) November 15, 2022
Good for her-glad to see she answers to herself and God & her faith. ♥️
— 🇺🇸American Made 🇺🇸 (@slvrbltbeergirl) November 16, 2022
Bure has responded to the criticism on Instagram:
I would like to address my comments on Great American Family’s programming as reported in ‘The Wall Street Journal.’ All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people. It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone. It saddens me that the media is often seeking to divide us, even around a subject as comforting and merry as Christmas movies. But, given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever.”
As the WSJ reported, Bill Abbott, chief executive of Great American Media, and the former CEO of Hallmark’s parent company, Crown Media Family Networks, recently observed, “Spiritual or faith-based content is grossly underserved.”
Abbott left Hallmark in 2019 after he refused to air ads featuring same-sex couples, and Hallmark went ahead with them.
“It basically is a completely different network than when I started because of the change of leadership,” Bure noted as well.
“For me, she’s the key piece of what we’re doing,” Abbott said of Bure, the former Full House child star who overcame an eating disorder with the help of her brother, actor Kirk Cameron. He pointed her way to Christian author Ray Comfort’s book, The Way of the Master, and on a path to becoming an outspoken Christian.
After focusing on raising her children for a decade, Bure became a co-host of The View in 2015, where her traditional Christian values “made her a cultural lightning rod,” the WSJ noted:
In one episode, for example, she defended an Oregon bakery that refused to make a same-sex couple a wedding cake. “We do have the right to still choose who we associate with,” she said. In 2016, she announced her exit from the show.
At her new home, Bure stars in A Christmas … Present, which will air November 27. The movie focuses on a woman who experiences a spiritual conversion.
In a statement to Fox News about her move to Great American Family, Bure said her beliefs align with her new network.
“I’m very excited to develop heartwarming family and faith-filled programming and make the kind of stories my family and I love to watch,” she said.
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Susan Berry, PhD, is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Candice Cameron Bure” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
