Preachers’ Daughters: Christianity as a carnival side show

By: American Decency Staff

Christian carnival sideshow?

Not a good sign when a show entitled “Preachers’ Daughters” begins with the disclaimer – “This program may contain subject matter and language disturbing to some viewers.  Viewer discretion is advised.”

“Preachers’ Daughters” – a new reality series on the cable channel Lifetime – follows three real-life pastors and their families, showcasing the pastors’ rebellious, wayward teen daughters.   Lifetime’s website describes the show “Preachers’ Daughters” as “following the lives of three families for a behind-the-altar look at what happens at home after the sermon concludes …”

Take Action!  Click here to send a message to the advertisers empowering this exploitive depiction of Christianity.  See below for a list of sponsors of “Preachers’ Daughters.”  Note the heavy sponsorship of Kraft and Hershey’s.

The daughter of one Pentecostal pastor is rebelling against the strict, protective boundaries and restrictions her parents have put in place.  She defies her parents, sneaks out of the house, lies to her father and mother, and states that her biggest aspiration is to be a porn star.  “I kind of want to be a porn star because of all the attention and it feels like you’re free.  You’re really free!  And I want to be free.  I’m tired of this little safe, sheltered life.” Based on her antics behind her parent’s backs with a boy she describes as “everything my dad doesn’t want for me” –she, sadly, could be on her way to fulfilling that goal.

The next preacher’s daughter, whose father is the pastor of an undenominational church, spent the previous summer partying hard – drinking, doing drugs, and sleeping with several guys.  She became pregnant at 17 and is now living with her parents who help her raise her baby.  She admits she almost had an abortion and confesses she doesn’t know which guy is the father of her baby.

Family number three focuses on a 16-year-old daughter who is just starting to date.  Both of her divorced parents are preachers.  Her mother also gives explicit abstinence messages to teen groups – much to the horror of her daughter.  However, the daughter seems to get her sex education from other sources as she is shown plying her older sister for information about how to engage in oral sex.

All of the parents depicted in “Preachers’ Daughters” seem very genuine in their desire to protect and guide their daughters – although some parenting techniques leave much to be desired.  Viewers see brokenhearted fathers praying for their wayward daughters. 

We are all sinners – thus the need for a Savior.  Every parent knows the grief of watching children stumble and fall – and Christians aren’t immune from such sorrow.  However, those realities of life are not Lifetime’s purpose in airing the show “Preachers’ Daughters.”  It is obvious the show is intended to portray Christians as hypocrites whose faith makes no difference in the raising of their children.  In fact, it is made to appear that the “rules” of Christianity only cause the daughters to rebel all the more.

Lifetime drives this point home with the display of scripture at the beginning of each segment of the episode to showcase that although God’s Word says this – here is how these hypocritical Christians really act. 

Near the beginning of the show, scripture from I Thessalonians 4:3-7 is shown on the screen with the quote:  “God has not called us to an unclean life, but one of purity.”  Viewers then see the above mentioned behavior of the preachers’ daughters.  Later in the show Lifetime posts this scriptural reference: “For this is the will of God:  Your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality.”  (I Thes. 4:3)  Which is followed up by scenes of the 16 year old discussing oral sex.

Lifetime turns Christianity into a carnival side show – a “Christian” version of reality TV’s “Honey Boo Boo” – sensationalizing the human failures and sinful nature that all people face – yes, even Christians.  Yet the world loves to gleefully poke fingers at Christians when we stumble and fall.  Then they can say “look, we’re better than those phony Christians” – totally missing the meaning of grace.

We believers in Christ are sinners saved by grace – not perfect, just forgiven.  However, “Preachers’ Daughters” doesn’t point unbelieving viewers to that grace that saves us from our sins – instead it just condemns Christians for their sins.

Click here to send a message to the advertisers empowering this exploitive depiction of Christianity.

Advertisers include:

Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Kraft

Honey Bunches of Oats – Kraft

Capri Sun – Kraft

Cracker Barrel cheese – Kraft

Almond Joy/Mounds – Hershey’s

Brookside Chocolate – Hershey’s

Clorox

Crayola

Jenny Craig

Barilla pasta sauce

Nutra Grain – Kellogg’s

M&M candy

Starkist Tuna

L’Oreal

Walgreens

Sensodyne

Chobin yogurt

Comcast

Curves

ReMax

Vonage

Airborne

Capella University

CiCi’s Pizza

Rimmel products

Dreamworks Pictures

Little Remedies

==========================================================

To support our efforts please click hereor mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412.  

 American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---