{"id":2462639,"date":"2025-07-16T18:10:01","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T22:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fixer-upper-stars-chip-and-joanna-gaines-face-backlash-after-criticizing-modern-christians\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T18:11:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T22:11:24","slug":"fixer-upper-stars-chip-and-joanna-gaines-face-backlash-after-criticizing-modern-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fixer-upper-stars-chip-and-joanna-gaines-face-backlash-after-criticizing-modern-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Fixer Upper\u2019 stars Chip and Joanna Gaines face backlash after criticizing &#8216;modern&#8217; Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffixer-upper-stars-chip-and-joanna-gaines-face-backlash-after-criticizing-modern-christians%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2462639&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV&#8217;s *Fixer Upper* and founders of the Magnolia Network, are facing backlash from some faith-based fans after featuring a same-sex couple in their new reality series *Back to the Frontier*. the episode showcased gay parents Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna, who emphasized the importance of depiction. Chip Gaines responded to criticism by condemning what he described as the judgmental attitude of &#8220;modern American christian culture,&#8221; urging people to listen and understand rather than judge.<\/p>\n<p>the inclusion of the same-sex couple sparked anger among some Christian viewers and influencers, who accused the Gaineses of promoting values they disagree with. Notable critics like Joel Berry, Megan Basham, Allie Beth Stuckey, and Reverend Franklin Graham publicly expressed disappointment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newest-nato-member-escalates-prosecution-of-christians-to-supreme-court\/\" title=\"New NATO member takes Christian prosecution to Supreme Court\">citing biblical teachings<\/a>. Despite the backlash, Chip Gaines stood firm, maintaining respect for differing views while valuing inclusivity.Meanwhile, the Magnolia Network has not addressed the controversy directly, instead focusing on promoting its programming. The series *Back to the Frontier* follows three families living like pioneers, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >highlighting diverse modern-family experiences<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;Fixer Upper&rsquo; stars Chip and Joanna Gaines face backlash after defending same-sex couple, criticizing &lsquo;Modern American&rsquo; Christians<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2160199\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Chip and Joanna Gaines, the stars behind&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine\/1740637\/gaines-and-losses\/\" target=\"_blank\">HGTV<\/a>&rsquo;s<em>&nbsp;Fixer Upper<\/em>&nbsp;and founders of the Magnolia Network, are facing a wave of backlash from faith-based fans after their new reality series,&nbsp;<em>Back to the Frontier<\/em>,&nbsp;featured a&nbsp;same-sex&nbsp;couple.<\/span> The controversy intensified after Chip Gaines publicly criticized what he called the judgmental nature of &ldquo;modern American Christian culture.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Back to the Frontier<\/em> episode featuring gay couple Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna, who are parents and have spoken openly about the importance of representation, drew a flurry of reactions from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-furious-ca-restaurant-owner-confronts-inspectors-issuing-citation-are-you-gonna-pay-my-rent\/\" title=\"WATCH: Furious CA Restaurant Owner Confronts Inspectors Issuing Citation: \u2018Are You Gonna Pay My Rent?\u2019\">social media users<\/a>, many of whom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-mocks-and-attacks-the-united-states-on-u-s-soil-biden-admin-struggles-to-respond\/\" title=\"China Mocks And Attacks The United States On U.S. Soil; Biden Admin Struggles To Respond\">expressed anger<\/a> that the show was &ldquo;normalizing&rdquo; same-sex parenting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3473037\/barack-michelle-obama-divorce-rumors-laughed-off\/\">&#8216;She took me back&#8217;: Barack and Michelle Obama laugh off divorce rumors in podcast interview<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3472110\/joe-rogan-condemns-people-cheering-for-trumps-pre-election-legal-battles\/\">Joe Rogan condemns people &#8216;cheering&#8217; for Trump&#8217;s pre-election legal battles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/3470634\/tucker-carlson-says-dan-bongino-shafted-by-trump-pam-bondi-handling-of-epstein\/\">Carlson says Bongino got &#8216;shafted&#8217; by Trump and Bondi&#8217;s handling of Epstein<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;We are extremely honored to be one of the three modern-day families going #BacktotheFrontier because visibility matters and [is] so important,&rdquo; Jason Hanna <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/2_dallas_dads\/p\/DL-6OtiuKtq\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"wrote\">wrote<\/a> on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/arts-entertainment\/tv\/2025\/07\/10\/a-dallas-family-lived-like-1880s-homesteaders-for-chip-and-joanna-gaines-new-tv-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"an interview\">an interview<\/a> with the <em>Dallas Morning News<\/em>, Hanna and Riggs said they viewed their participation in the show as an opportunity to help normalize families like theirs: &ldquo;Representation matters deeply, especially for those who are still finding the courage to live their truth.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In response to the growing criticism, Chip Gaines <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JoelWBerry\/status\/1944367000513388709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"posted\">posted<\/a> a strongly worded message on X: &ldquo;Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later\/never. It&rsquo;s a sad Sunday when &lsquo;non believers&rsquo; have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">You&rsquo;ll see no hate from me. I&rsquo;m just sad. I can&rsquo;t let my kids watch your show now, since I&rsquo;m trying to protect their eyes and hearts from the lies of the world&mdash;lies you&rsquo;re now participating in.<\/p>\n<p>Also, filter out some of the online vitriol and consider taking to heart some of the&hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoelWBerry\/status\/1944367000513388709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>The statement provoked further backlash from some Christian influencers and commentators. Joel Berry, managing editor at the satirical site Babylon Bee, wrote in reply: &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t let my kids watch your show now, since I&rsquo;m trying to protect their eyes and hearts from the lies of the world&mdash;lies you&rsquo;re now participating in.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Gaines <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chipgaines\/status\/1944376635798487546\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"replied\">replied<\/a> to Berry: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be sad Joel.. plenty of other stuff out there. I&rsquo;m sure everyone will be fine. BUT I sincerely appreciate the advice.. and I certainly will.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Don&rsquo;t be sad Joel.. plenty of other stuff out there. I&rsquo;m sure everyone will be fine. <\/p>\n<p>BUT I sincerely appreciate the advice about taking some of the thoughtful, heartfelt, encouraging constructive criticism to heart.. and I certainly will<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chipgaines\/status\/1944376635798487546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Other conservative Christian voices joined the criticism. Journalist Megan Basham <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/megbasham\/status\/1944400429669929077\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"said\">said<\/a> Gaines appeared to be &ldquo;giving aid to a terrible ideology,&rdquo; and Allie Beth Stuckey <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/conservmillen\/status\/1944550930688676128\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"warned\">warned<\/a> that &ldquo;encouraging others&rdquo; to normalize sin was spiritually dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>Reverend Franklin Graham also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Franklin_Graham\/status\/1944182299630645553\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"weighed in\">weighed in<\/a>, calling the Gaineses&rsquo; decision to include a same-sex couple &ldquo;very disappointing&rdquo; and a violation of biblical teaching.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I hope this isn&rsquo;t true, but I read today that Chip and Joanna Gaines are featuring a gay couple in their new series. If It is true, it is very disappointing. While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God&rsquo;s Word. His Word is absolute truth.&hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Franklin_Graham\/status\/1944182299630645553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p>Despite the backlash, Chip Gaines maintained his stance. His final post on the matter simply read, &ldquo;On our way to church&hellip; Y&rsquo;all enjoy this beautiful Sunday,&rdquo; alongside a repost of a 2016 tweet saying, &ldquo;In times of trouble&hellip; you&rsquo;ll find the Gaines family at church.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Magnolia Network has remained silent on social media about the controversy, instead <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/magnolianetwork\/status\/1944873173586972983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"highlighting\">highlighting<\/a> recent Daytime Emmy nominations for its programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3470755\/bill-maher-illegal-immigration-john-leguizamo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"BILL MAHER CHALLENGES JOHN LEGUIZAMO'S CLAIM THAT AMERICA HAS 'PLENTY OF ROOM' FOR IMMIGRANTS\">BILL MAHER CHALLENGES JOHN LEGUIZAMO&rsquo;S CLAIM THAT AMERICA HAS &lsquo;PLENTY OF ROOM&rsquo; FOR IMMIGRANTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Back to the Frontier<\/em> premiered this summer on Magnolia Network. It follows three families, including Riggs and Hanna, as they attempt to live like pioneers.<\/p>\n<p>The Gaineses rose to fame in 2013 on <em>Fixer Upper<\/em>, quickly becoming household names among Christian and family audiences. Their Magnolia brand has since expanded to include a cable network, multiple businesses in Waco, Texas, and a large fan base that has followed their journey closely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2160199\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2160199\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fixer Upper&#8217; stars face backlash after supporting same-sex couple<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2678,"featured_media":2462640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chip-and-Joanna-Gaines.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[42231,58911,59265,59264,59266],"class_list":["post-2462639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-celebrity-controversy","tag-chip-and-joanna-gaines","tag-christian-backlash","tag-fixer-upper-2","tag-modern-christianity"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Chip-and-Joanna-Gaines.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2678"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2462639"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2462643,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462639\/revisions\/2462643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2462640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2462639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2462639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2462639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}