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TEN drops religious show over gay comments

TEN has stopped airing US show Believer's Voice of Victory after comments on homosexuality were deemed out of step with the Industry Code of Practice.

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TEN recently advised US Ministry Kenneth Copeland it would not be renewing its contract for the Believer’s Voice of Victory after a broadcast in June discussing homosexuality.

Copeland said: “… the reason God condemned homosexuality is because of the severe attack it has on the fabric of the blessing, life, all that God created.”

In response evangelical minister David Barton agreed, referring to the Bible: “….not only does God not approve homosexuality, it says He does not approve those who approve homosexuality …”

Following a complaint, TEN deemed the broadcast as out of step with the Industry Code of Practice.

It notified the organisation that a program “should not provoke or perpetuate intense dislike, serious contempt or severe ridicule against a person or group of persons on the grounds of age, colour, gender, national or ethnic origin, disability, race, religion or sexual preference.”

It stopped broadcasting the show in mid-September. The programme still airs in regional areas on Southern Cross Media and WIN and on the Australian Christian Channel on Pay TV.

On its website Kenneth Copeland says it is seeking legal advice and says “We are winners because Jesus is Lord and God is our source.”

Prior to his conversion to Christianity in 1962 Copeland was a music recording artist.

63 Responses

  2. Thanks CrAig. I’m glad you brought up freedom of Speech. Yes I agree with you that Mr Copeland has every right to speak his opinion – and again agreeing with you that Channel 10 has every right to exercise their right not to show his hatred.

    It’s great that we all have this right to speak our minds and hearts.

    Bad things happen when good people do nothing (see recent stories on Seth Walsh) Thank God, Channel 10 did the right thing.

  4. Firstly, Colly1 – I think your statement is very wise and probably hits the mark more than any other.

    Secondly in regard to the free speech debate raised by the obviously intelligent boganpride. I agree with the free speech argument 100%. I think Kenneth Copeland should be able to preach his hatred to whatever moron will listen. I also believe in Channel TEN’s right to free speech… in this instance they have said… “F— you Kenneth Copeland, say what you like, we’ll just have you removed… keep speaking, we’ll just turn the transmission off”.

    Lastly, Matt… when you come out, God will still love you, but more excitingly so will the gays!!

  8. What galls me about the constant verbal gay bashings by Christians is that they forget that it is this that led to the death of Matthew Shepherd, and the constant bullying that led to the death of Seth Walsh.
    Please note Christians that if you read Leviticus properly, you will understand that the eating of shellfish is on the same level as being gay. Also says it’s Ok to have slaves.Where are the sermons on the evils of a seafood platter or the joys of slave owning.The Bible was written by men for men, it has little to do with Jesus or truth. Jesus’ message is love. He warned against the pharisees like Kenneth Copeland for their outer veneer of piety and inner levels of corruption.
    You cannot live with Jesus if you judge others and are hateful. I accept God’s judgement – I do not accept yours Kenneth Copeland.

    1. Whilst I appreciate these kinds of stories trigger a number of reactions, please keep comment on the topic which should focus on the Copeland episode in question and TEN’s response, rather than philosophical or secular debates.

  11. @Matt

    “The bible speaks out against many things more than homosexuality – greed, love of money, love of material possessions, sex outside of marriage”

    That is precisely the problem though Matt. If the Bible spoke out against being Indigenous, Asian, African or having a vagina then maybe you’d have a point.

  12. He didn’t promote hatred of homosexuals. He didn’t promote hatred of people who support homosexuals. He voiced a opinion. And people have the right to hear that opinion. And to try and take that away. Is censorship. Lots of governments throughout time have done this. People like hitler, starlin, mao. And even the leader of north korea are/were big fans of doing this. Free speech has never been about, only talking about what the current society deems acceptable.

  13. Good on you Ten! I saw this nonsense going to air (I work for the network and was on overnights) and as a gay man was appalled by this program & the hateful diatribe the spewed out of this show. Surely it’s up to the network to decide what programs they want on air or not. I’m proud my employer took this stance.

  14. So opinions are fine as long as ‘society’ already agrees with those opinions?

    I agree that this is unbalanced, but Christians believe in the authority of one book, the word of one God. They don’t believe he’s a vague God who can change his mind, or see things different ways – how can they really give an unbalanced opinion? They are told to promote what God says, regardless of whether or not this view agrees with ‘society’

    1. Matt the whole principle of law and order is also based on community standards. Do we throw that away too? I’m sure there are plenty of Christians who wouldn’t agree with them, as evidenced by other comments here, maybe it might have been wiser to include similar opinions in said discussion. If they are selling a Programme to Australian television it should comply with Code of Practice and community standards. Otherwise what’s the point in having it?

  16. So people aren’t even allowed to state an opinion now?

    The bible speaks out against many things more than homosexuality – greed, love of money, love of material possessions, sex outside of marriage – The bible doesn’t ‘pick on homosexuals’, it picks on everyone, as we are all sinners…

    So if shows “should not provoke or perpetuate intense dislike, serious contempt or severe ridicule against a person or group of persons on the grounds of sexual preference.” – does this mean that nobody on TV is allowed to speak out against paedophilia?

    1. A very long bow Matt. Code of Practice is designed to reflect Community Standards, meaning no -it isn’t an open platform for any old opinion (including illegal and extreme ones) to be couched or promoted. TEN would also have noted that the argument being endorsed was part of an imbalanced discussion and not reflecting Community Standards.

  17. I thought the reason tv stations showed these christian programmes because they were provided free to the network and therefore cheap filler to show in the early hours. I guess the only reason this was taken off was because someone watched an episode, maybe if they watched the other shows like Benny Hinn they would take all of them off. (whenever i see Benny Hinn in the TV guide i always hear the Benny Hill theme tune in my head)

  19. Good riddance I say… and if they are winners because of jesus blah blah blah, then why are they seeking legal advice? Oh thats right, because it’s more money for them… yeah…. real winners…

  22. @ koverstreet
    Your incredibly ignorant and generalised comments are rediculous. Your inference that many Christians are all about bigotry and hatred is lame.

  23. @Andrew

    Before we move on….

    Homosexuality isn’t a choice. I don’t want to be presumptuous but I take it you’re heterosexual. When did you make that choice?

    Did you choose your sex? or your race as well? were you conscious enough in-utero that you could decide which gene cascades to switch on or off?….

    No, you cannot compare sexual orientation to drug use because drug use is a choice. A choice affected by ones circumstances i.e. socioeconomic standing and upbringing. Hence, that is far more comparable to being religious than what you are wrongly inferring.

  25. Kenneth Copeland is just as bad as shysters Peter Popoff and Benny Hinn. I remember seeing a bit of one episode where he put together a massively self-aggrandising “spiritual budget”, which showed how great he was for being a literal-minded Christian fundamentalist. And of course there’s all the requests for “donations” in each show. Good riddance.

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