The “damnable heresies” of Kristin Chenoweth

Kristen Chenoweth was born in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Adopted by Jerry and Junie Chenoweth soon after her birth, she grew up in Broken Arrow and graduated from high school. After graduation, she studied Musical Theater at Oklahoma City University. Over the next three decades, the forty-nine year old singer-actress became a well-known star of Broadway, screen, and television.[1] Ms. Chenoweth also became a spokesperson for various organizations and causes including Americans for Marriage Equality which supports laws that allow same-sex marriage and for whom she made a promotional video. In a Huffington Post interview, Ms. Chenoweth said, “Look, the bottom line is that regardless of how you were made or who you love, you should be able to get married if you want to get married. I truly believe it’s that simple.”[2]

Chenoweth professes to be a Christian but doesn’t want there to be any confusion about what she believes.

I don’t believe gay people are going to hell. I believe that judgment is left to the one upstairs and I believe Jesus is all about love. If I can live my life even just a smidgen the way God made his son for us as an example, I’m happy. I do not judge other people for what they believe, but for me, this is what works…I don’t believe if you’re gay or you have a drink or you dance, you’re going to hell. I don’t think that’s the kind of God we have. The Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells of the world are scary. I want to be a Christian like Christ – loving and accepting of other people.[3]

Although Chenoweth claims she doesn’t judge other people for what they believe, that absence of judgment does not extend to Christians who disagree with her rejection of the biblical view of homosexuality as a sin.

…I just want it [gay marriage] to hurry up and not be an issue anymore! I’m very proud of the work that has been done so far, I want us to hurry it up a bit more. I think it’s important to say this because a lot of people think if you’re religious or you have any sort of faith, you’re automatically against equality in marriage.

It is the antithesis of what I believe. It is the antithesis of what you should believe if you
believe in Jesus. It’s not what he taught, it’s the opposite of what he taught. If Jesus was to walk the Earth today, or Buddha or anybody, they would be horrified. Those people saying they’re doing it in the name of God? No, no, no, no, no.[4]

Chenoweth credits her grandmother for instilling her with some of her pro-gay beliefs.

Even as a young child, I thought, “Why is being gay bad?” I didn’t understand it. So I asked my grandma, who is the best Christian I ever knew. I’d say, “What about my friend Denny, he’s gay, is he going to hell?” She told me, “I read the Bible like I eat fish. I take the meat that serves me well but I don’t choke on the bone.”[5]

Chenoweth’s outspoken opinions reveal her basic beliefs about Christianity, Jesus, the Bible, and homosexuality, all of which are heretical to biblical Christianity. From her remarks, we may glean the following beliefs.

• Homosexuality is not a sin because homosexuals were made that way and ought to be allowed to marry.
• Christians should not judge other people for what they believe or do.
• Jesus is all about love and accepting people so we should not judge anyone.
• The Bible is not the inspired word of God. Therefore, not all of what the Bible says is true because the Bible contains error and false teachings.

For the Christian, truth is found in the inerrant word of God—the Bible—which forms the basis for one’s the opinions, doctrines, and practices of Christianity. The definition of heresy is an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards. Ms. Chenoweth’s beliefs, opinions, and practices are unquestionably heretical by any standard or measure whether it is the plain language of the Scripture, reason, tradition, historical record, or scholarly study. Yet, Chenoweth’s beliefs are not uncommon but widespread in the general culture at large and within the church world as well. We shall examine her beliefs in light of what the Bible has to say.

Homosexuality is not a sin

Chenoweth believes that one who is engaged in homosexual activity will not be condemned to hell, but the Apostle Paul says that homosexuality is a sin, and the wages of sin is death.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth…Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own person the due penalty for their error.” [Romans 1: 18, 24-27. RSV] [emphasis added]

Because of Ms. Chenoweth’s defense of homosexuality and homosexual marriage, in Paul’s words she has suppressed the truth and embraced the lie. Therefore, she is preaching a false gospel.

Christians should not judge other people for what they believe

The world often chastises the Christian for judging non-Christians. They point to the phrase “judge not lest ye be judged” and thereby demand tolerance for the sinful behavior of non-Christians (see Matthew 7:1-5). But these verses generally apply to fellow believers. What Jesus is saying is that believers should not get in the habit of criticizing others while ignoring one’s own faults. For a Christian brother or sister who sins, Matthew 18:15-17 provides a specific manner for dealing with those situations.

However, the world takes the “judge not” verses of Matthew 7:1-5 out of context when dealing with non-Christians in an attempt to defend sinful behavior that clearly violates the commandments found in the Bible. Christians are allowed to make judgments with regard to sin in others.[6] But making such judgments is not done for the purpose of condemnation. Christians and the church should gently reach out to individual non-believers with love and kindness in the hope of a sharing the truth of the message of Jesus Christ.

There is a third area in which Christians are to judge sinful behavior in the world. Christians would be remiss if they did not speak out about sinful behavior and beliefs which debase and corrupt government and society as a whole. This becomes even more crucial when such sin invades the church. This occurs when Christians-in-name-only are in reality false teachers in the church whose goal is to lead the flock astray. Christians are to use discernment when making judgement of those who appear to be Christians but are really false teachers and false prophets (see Matthew 7:15-20). How are these false teachers recognized? If anyone teaches other than the word of God, they are false teachers and must be vehemently and publicly confronted as Jesus did with the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Chenoweth falls within this category of judgment because she is promoting/teaching a heretical gospel that opposes the truth of the word of God and therefore is a false teacher.

Jesus is all about love and accepting people, and he will not condemn homosexuality as a sin

In an attempt to continue as a moral force within the culture by becoming culturally relevant, many churches gradually have compromised the biblical message, mixed the light with darkness, and preached nonjudgmental love without the necessity of repentance and turning from sin. This is also the message of Kristen Chenoweth—Christ’s love is all that matters. But martyred German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer preached that this message of nonjudgmental love produces only a cheap grace.

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church…In such a Church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin…Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.[7]

Cheap grace is the end product of preaching the world’s definition of nonjudgmental love which attempts to redefine, hide, or deny sin but does not eradicate it. Rather, it makes a mockery of Christ’s death on the cross to purchase forgiveness for mankind’s sin. Cheap grace makes the shedding of His blood at Calvary irrelevant for man’s redemption.

The Bible is not the inspired word of God but contains error and false teachings

For Chenoweth, the Bible is comparable to a plate of fish. One may pick and choose what one wishes and discard the rest. Her belief is that Jesus would love, accept, and have relationship with the homosexual while they continue in their sin. But this belief contradicts Paul’s warning to the Romans when he called such activity dishonorable passions and shameful acts which lead to eternal separation from God. Because of Chenoweth’s twisted view, the Scripture cannot be divine revelation but is in effect the product of changing conceptions of God within an evolving culture. When partaking of Chenoweth’s biblical smorgasbord, one may consume the meat of God’s love but leave bones of contrition, repentance, and turning from sin. But Christ said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” [John 14:15. KJV]
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Kristen Chenoweth is but one of a massive number of high-profile people in the arts, media, entertainment, and other fields who profess to be followers of Christ but are false teachers. This is not surprising for the Bible warns that there will be false teachers within the church.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive (damnable KJV) heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; from of old their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep. [2 Peter 2:1-3. RSV] [emphasis added]

And what of the multitudes being deceived by these false teachers? Paul tells us the reason people follow them.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. [2 Timothy 4:34. KJV]

In his letter to Timothy, Paul described these Christians-in-name-only in the emerging apostasy of the last days in which men and women who once knew Christ reject or abandon their faith.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. [2 Timothy 3:1-7. KJV] [emphasis added]

True Christians must turn away from the Kristin Chenoweths of the world. God commands it.

Larry G. Johnson

Sources:

[1] “Kristen Chenoweth – Biography,” IMDb, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0155693/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm (accessed March 20, 1017).
[2] Curtis M. Yong, “Kristen Chenoweth Speaks Out For Gay Marriage As Part Of HRC’s ‘American’s for Marriage Equality’ Effort,” The Huffington Post, updated February 2, 2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/21/kristin-chenoweth-gay-marriage-hrc-_n_5697743.
html (accessed March 20, 2016).
[3] “Kristen Chenoweth – Biography,” UNDb.
[4] J. R. Tungol, “Kristin Chenoweth Talks Marriage Equality, Anti-gay Christians,” The Huffington Post, updated February 2, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/kristin-chenoweth-gay-marriage-christianity_n_2828968.html (accessed March 20, 2016).
[5] Sheila Marikar, “Kristen Chenoweth Defends ‘GCB’s’ Gay Plotline,” ABC News, March 5, 2012. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/kristin-chenoweth-gcb-christians-gays/story? id=15828618 (accessed March 5, 2017).
[6] Commentary on Matthew 7:1-5, The Full Life Study Bible, King James Version, ed. Donald C. Stamps, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1990), p. 1691.
[7] Erwin W. Lutzer, When a Nation Forgets God, (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2010), pp. 117- 118.