Ellen DeGeneres, Bruce Jenner, Ben Carson: Please Hear Me!

Chances are the above three individuals will all read this commentary are probably slim to none. Possibly Dr. Ben Carson, soon to be Republican presidential candidate, might get a hold of this article. Let’s take our chances and give it a shot.

First, let’s address Ellen DeGeneres in a kind and yet forthright way. The reader may recall that over a month ago she directly spoke to me on her national talk show. Taking issue with a commentary I wrote dealing with the avalanche of gay propaganda on TV, she specifically said “I don’t have an agenda! The only thing I’m trying to influence people to do is to be more kind and compassionate to one another.”

I recorded an open video response to Ellen and broadcast it for tens of thousands to see. Ellen watched it probably 100 times and subsequently repented and yielded her life to Jesus Christ and is now enrolled in a Bible school. (Just kidding! Gotcha’ with a little comic relief and an early April Fool’s joke)

In the video I challenged her claim that she has no agenda except what she said and backed it up with a ton of evidence. 

Now this gifted comedian is producing a new comedy show entitled, “One Big Happy” debuting on NBC. In the promotional ad Ellen appears at the beginning inviting us to watch her new show saying, “You’ll love it. There’s a lesbian in it!”

The program is the brainchild of Liz Feldman who is the creator and Ellen’s partner in production. Liz is a lesbian who is “married” to another lesbian.

The new comedy features Lizzy, a lesbian—”Big time!” as she screams in the opening scene of the program. She proceeds to remind us of her lesbianism numerous times. She’s also fornicating with a handsome guy because she has maternal instincts, namely she wants to have a child. Of course she gets pregnant but then Luke needs to dump her because he has instantly fallen for a hot babe he wants to marry. He’s a man of real character. He also feels obligated to the lesbian so why not have them all come together and be “One Big Happy” whatever.

By the way, the NBC ad says the show is “about the meaning of family.” Beautiful! “Hey Mabel, can you make some popcorn and let’s get the kids together to watch Ellen DeGeneres’ new show so we can all learn about lesbians and family life?”

Here’s the deal: What I previously said to dear Ellen bears repeating. Let’s get real and stop pretending that you have no agenda to push regarding LGBTQ themes. Can you simply be honest?

Secondly, let’s wave a flag and try to capture the attention of former Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner. In 1976 he won the Gold medal for Decathalon in the Montreal Olympics and truly was one of my early heroes. Appearing on the cover of Wheaties and later on TV, he influenced the lives of millions who looked up to him as an American role model.

When a person has worldly success without a demonstrable and true relationship with Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior, inevitable confusion and unhappiness results. Without the divine guidance of Scripture as a compass for one’s life, misery, heartache and broken relationships usually result.

I’ve watched Bruce go through a divorce with Chrystie then a divorce with actress Linda Thompson then a divorce with Kris (previously Kardashian). His brother was killed in a tragic car accident. He battles dyslexia. According to friends he also is suffering unrelenting remorse for a recent accident he caused resulting in the tragic death of a 69-year-old former neighbor.

Juggling fatherhood with six children and then step-fatherhood to the “notice us on the tabloid and pop-culture magazine covers each week for 876 years Kardashians,” is enough to drive any man not vitally linked to Jesus down bizarre paths. My heart truly aches for Bruce and his family and I ask everyone to keep them in your prayers. No matter how glamorous Holywood presents transgenderism, the attempted suicide rate is now 41 percent compared with 4.6 percent for the overall population (2014 study of over 6,000 transgenders).

Yes, this is what has happened to our dearly beloved icon, Bruce Jenner. This sad man in a desperate fog now allegedly believes he is a woman! Undergoing months of sex change procedures and preparing for a Diane Sawyer national interview and later docuseries on his odyssey, Bruce will now present himself to the world as a lady (although he’s admitting currently he hasn’t removed any male genitalia … yet).  

Hollywood is aggressively pushing the transgender theme (CBS just introduced network TV’s first regular transgender character on the soap opera “Bold and Beautiful.” Maya now turns out to be a man!) Bruce is falling in line.

Another appeal: Bruce, you’ve been through a lot over the decades, but God did not make you a woman! “God created them male and female,” teaches the holy Bible, and you were not made to attire yourself like Lady Gaga in high heels with make-up and feminine hair. I’ll be charitably forthright, please stop this unnatural behavior and get help from a compassionate, competent and authentic Christian pastor to steer you back into your manhood.

Many of us are praying for you.

Finally, Dr. Ben Carson, I hope you read this. In your quiet quest to pursue a candidacy for the president of the United States, I have prayed for you and encouraged people to consider you because millions believe you’re the real deal! Just as medical doctors signed the Declaration of Independence, we can seriously consider a man of your character and caliber for this, the highest office in the land. I have a relative working tirelessly on your behalf and I believe in you and will watch how you conduct yourself in these months leading up to the election.

But Ben, I also issue a heartfelt appeal to you to re-examine your recent actions upon being interviewed and feeling ambushed on the issue of homosexuality.

In your own unique, gentle manner, you stated unequivocably that being gay is a choice, which tens of millions of faith-based Americans believe to be reality. Yet later when the inevitable firestorm came your way, you appeared to backpedal and project both uncertainty and hesitancy to forthrightly and charitably address this hot button issue.

Please don’t do this! Check out on YouTube a decades-old Q&A time that Billy Graham had on the old Woody Allen talk show when he was asked by a young man about premarital sex. With all the genuine warmth of an ambassador of Jesus Christ,, Billy smiled and simply said that he must remain faithful to what the Bible teaches about sex being reserved for the context of marriage. Ben, we must do likewise when asked about these controversial social issues. Stand strong and charitably communicate the truth.

While loving every individual, we have to be true to Bible teaching that practicing homosexuality is not only sinful like other expressions of immorality (adultery, fornication, incest, viewing pornography, sex abuse, etc.) but it is a volitional response to temptations that we can either resist or to which we can yield. While everyone is tempted differently and with different degrees of intensity, we are still responsible before God for our choices. We are not helpless victims!

Also, through the new birth experience and the power of the living God, people can become “new creations” (2 Cor. 5:17). The invitation is open to all to enjoy forgiveness,peace, freedom and an “abundant life” (John 10:10) in Jesus Christ our Lord.

“When tempted, no one should say ‘God is tempting me’, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:13-15).

“Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Dr. Carson, I respectfully submit to you that you have an opportunity to recalibrate on this one and chalk it up as a lesson learned; you will face this again and again. Multitudes disagree with Glenn Beck who proclaimed your candidacy finished.

Take some time to freshly investigate these issues so you can present an orderly, biblical worldview. Show your spiritual backbone and speak with certainty about what God says regarding the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman as well as the beauty of sexual purity in this day of moral decline. Do like Denzel Washington did with his wife in a CBS interview where they stated God’s original intention for marriage as a man and woman.

And follow the example of another medical doctor who wrote much of the New Testament. Dr. Luke began his epistle with these words: “Therefore since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you … so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

Here’s the deal: As your campaign slogan says, “Run, Ben, Run,” just do so with fresh resolve to display unwavering courage!

 Larry Tomczak is a best-selling author and cultural commentator with more than 43 years of trusted ministry experience. His passion is to bring perspective, analysis and insight from a biblical worldview (see “Is Gay OK? 10 Things Everyone Needs to Know” now on YouTube). He loves awakening people to today’s cultural realities and responses needed for a restored, influential church. Please visit larrytomczak.com.