Clash of Cultures at Comic-Con 2013:
Christians Preach Gospel Outside; Harrison Ford Supports Same-Sex Marriage Inside
By Tom Snyder, Editor
It was a clash of culture on the first day of Comic-Con 2013 Thursday at the huge San Diego Convention Center, which attracted more than 125,000 people for the event.
While a small contingent of Christians held up signs reading “Have Faith in Jesus” and “All Have Sinned” on the street corners outside, actor Harrison Ford of STAR WARS, INDIANA JONES, and the upcoming ENDER’S GAME, was asked by a reporter about the “anti-gay” views of Orson Scott Card, the author of the original critically acclaimed book that led to Ford’s new movie.
Card, a devout Mormon, has opposed same-sex marriage and supported the traditional definition of marriage and family, which involves a man and a woman becoming husband and wife to produce a home and raise children.
Homosexual activists have tried to organize a boycott of the movie because of Card’s views, which led the studio behind the movie, Summit Entertainment, a subsidiary of Lionsgate, to distance itself and the movie from Card’s views on marriage, in addition to make sure that Card didn’t take part in the Comic-Con events, including a press conference.
During his chat with reporters at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel next to the convention center, Ford replied to the clearly biased and contentious wording of the reporter’s question by noting that Card has recently admitted, to defuse the controversy, that, since the Supreme Court’s decisions requiring the federal government to promote same-sex marriage, the issue of same-sex marriage “has become moot.”
“I am aware of his statements admitting that the question of gay marriage is a battle that he lost,” Ford said, “and he admits that he lost it. I think we all know that we’ve all won. That humanity has won. And, I think that’s the end of the story.”
Ford also said, “I think none of Mr. Card’s concerns regarding the issues of gay marriage are part of the thematics of this film. He has written something [ENDER’S GAME] that I think is of value to us all concerning moral responsibility. I think his views outside of those that we deal with in this film are not an issue for me to deal with and something I have really no opinion on.”
Yet, Ford did say that “humanity” wins because the Supreme Court seemed to rule that same-sex marriage could change the age-old definition of marriage on which society has depended throughout its 8,000 year recorded history.
Strangely, Ford’s pro-gay statements received a hearty applause from many members of the supposedly “objective” and apolitical entertainment press gathered at the ENDER’S GAME presser.
Meanwhile, outside the convention, members of the Bible Distribution Club from Cerritos, Calif., were busy quietly preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Bible verses on colorful signs and by distributing biblical tracts.
Spokesman James Roberts told MOVIEGUIDE® the goal of his group’s Christian testimony at Comic-Con is simply to preach the Gospel to the lost. The attendees of Comic-Con need to hear the Gospel just as much as anyone else, he said, because we all have sinned. And, homosexuality is another sin like any other.
Getting back to Mr. Card, it is important to note that he also said, “It will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute.”
Yes, indeed.