ABC/Disney Show GCB -- Canceled

Movieguide® Praises ABC/Disney for Following Its Company

Standards and Canceling ‘Bigoted’ Program ‘GCB’

Hollywood, Calif. – For family and child advocate Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide®:  The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment, ABC/Disney’s cancellation of its “bigoted” show “GCB,” which mocked and ridiculed Christians, was a “victory for faith and values.”

“GCB” was based on the novel “Good Christian B*tches” by Kim Gatlin.

Dr. Baehr said “GCB” violated the Walt Disney Company’s own stated commitment (in its company document “Citizenship Targets 2012”) to “championing and inspiring our key audience of children and families” and to help them make “a lasting, positive change in the world.”

“You don’t inspire or champion anyone by mocking and ridiculing someone’s faith,” he asserted.

Dr. Baehr noted that, according to various national polls, 92 percent of Americans say they believe in God, 76 percent claim to be Christian, and at least 73 percent believe Jesus Christ is God and/or the Son of God and that Jesus Christ is “the Son of God who died for our sins.”

“There are more than 2.3 billion Christians around the world,” he added. “Why would you want to offend this vast audience of consumers?”

Dr. Baehr said he was also disturbed that the canceled program seemed to fit into “old-fashioned” stereotypes about Christians in the so-called “Bible Belt” of states like Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia.

“I thought we were supposed to condemn that kind of bigotry and bullying,” he concluded.

Movieguide® was part of a national campaign to convince advertisers to abandon the show and support more family-friendly programming.

Original Article Reposted from Movieguide

Freedom Series: Special Delivery

When I first thought about blogging, I didn't originally plan to include book reviews, but after reading author Kathi Macias books, I'm thankful for the opportunity. Kathi Macias’ Freedom Series brings awareness to one of the most heinous issues of modern times, that of forcing primarily women and children into human trafficking to fuel the sex industry.  

The first book in this series, Deliver Me from Evil, starts the reader off on a difficult journey.  Though fictional, your heart will grieve for her characters as Kathi puts a face to the nameless millions trapped in sexual slavery. It is difficult to read at times knowing that somewhere in the world there are numerous girls enduring a similar wretched existence at the hands of their depraved captors at this very moment.

In Special Delivery, we’re once again taken into the lives of these characters, but on a different level.  Book two deals realistically and emotionally with the aftermath of one who has escaped this dehumanizing existence.  From brokenness to fear, anger, insecurity, worthlessness, anxiety, and more, we see the very real and lingering effects of such traumatic events and wonder how anyone could ever live through it.  And yet, with hopes of moving beyond the horrendous years spent as a sexual slave in her uncle’s brothel, Mara begins a new life of firsts; enjoying freedom, her first legitimate job with an actual paycheck, and her first apartment. 

Soon confronted with the glaring possibility that a young girl is being held against her will, Mara must face the ugly reality of her past.  We experience her very real, internal struggle with self-preservation juxtaposed with her understandable distrust of men who’ve only hurt and abused her for years.  But who better to recognize a predator seated at the side of a frightened, young girl trapped in sexual slavery than someone who’s lived the nightmare herself?

The encounter will dredge up dark memories of her old life and lingering feelings of the handsome young college student, Jonathan, who helped rescue her a mere two years ago.  Mara questions her self-worth and whether she could possibly one day entertain the idea of a first love.  If her uncle, “Jefe,” has his way, her hopes may never materialize. Though sentenced to a life in prison, Jefe’s evil desire is to still control Mara’s future and somehow make her pay for her testimony which resulted in his incarceration.

We also revisit little Lawan; a young Chinese girl kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery when she was approximately 8 or 9 years of age. Now two years later, Lawan continually endures a life of pain and degradation with little expectation of ever leaving the brothel alive. Amazingly, her faith in phra yaeh suu  -- Jesus Christ – is steadfast despite her circumstances and a poignant reminder that even in our volatile world, we are never far from the comfort of the Savior. That truth is never more apparent than when we later learn of the miraculous circumstances concerning Lawan’s fate.

Throughout Special Delivery, the reader is provoked by Mara and Jonathan’s inner voice when thinking of each other to see the intrinsic value of every human being despite their past, that we’re all flawed imperfect human beings...at times affected by circumstances beyond our control, and yet God loves each and every one of us just the same.

We’re also reminded that every life has value regardless of its origin; a subtle message that cannot be taken lightly in a country like the United States that currently averages 12,000,000 abortions per year, and China with their one child policy which by 2009 averaged 13,000,000 abortions per year.  

Book Three, The Deliverer, is due out later this year.  Take time now to read the first two and pray that abolition becomes a reality in our world!

You can learn more about Kathi Macias at http://kathimacias.com/ or on her blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/. 

And the winner is.....

Congratulations to Marjorie/cenya2! By leaving a comment on author Kathi Macias interview and blog tour, she was the winner of my copy on April 1st of  Special Delivery! 

Look for more similar chances to win other reviewed books in the future! Also, more blog posts coming soon!

Sorry for the delay with this announcement! I  finally got my damaged computer back up and running. No more minature screens! No more writing projects held in captivity! Access to a large screen makes any day a good day! No wonder I like movies!

CSS Virtual Book Tour: Interview with KATHI MACIAS and free giveaway of her new novel "Special Delivery"!!

Special Delivery is book two in the Freedom (human trafficking) series. For anyone who may not have read book one, Deliver Me From Evil, can you fill us in on the focus of the series in general, and Special Delivery in particular?

The Freedom series is a three-book fiction series built around the horrifying topic of human trafficking. People often ask me why I decided to write about such a dark topic. First, I explain that I’m not writing about a dark topic; I’m writing about the Light that shines in that darkness. And second, I believe the Church should be at the forefront of the modern-day abolition movement to set the captives (modern-day slaves) free. The three books in this series specifically follows the life of a young woman named Mara, who was sold into sexual slavery by her own parents in Mexico, and then smuggled across the border into San Diego by her uncle who then served as her pimp. A strong sub-plot throughout the series tells of two sisters in the Golden Triangle of Thailand, Chanthra and Lawan, who are also trapped in a brothel. Finally, a teenage girl named Francesca, kidnapped in Juarez, Mexico, and forced into prostitution, is introduced in book two. Special Delivery picks up two years after book one, Deliver Me From Evil, ends, and continues with the stories of Mara and Lawan, as well as others carried over from book one. Mara hopes she is finally free to pursue her own life because she was rescued from the brothel and her testimony helped lock up her uncle for life. But the man has underground connections and is driven by revenge to reach out from behind bars and deliver the ultimate punishment to his niece.

This isn’t the first fiction series you’ve written on nationwide and even worldwide social issues, the one previous to this being the persecuted Church. What draws you to these difficult topics?

As a Christian, I believe I am compelled to use my God-given gifts to honor God in all I do—and that includes exposing the deeds of darkness, calling sinners to repentance, and taking a stand for righteousness by doing all I can to help rescue those who are suffering. I dare not turn my back on “the least of these.” I also believe that God placed this sort of burden on my heart even before I became a Christian at the age of 26. I’ve always been a champion of the underdog, a “soap-box” preacher, if you will. When I met Jesus, I simply redirected that passion toward His people, realizing I couldn’t effect real change in my own strength anyway.

With your obvious passion to right social and moral wrongs through the power of the Gospel, how did writing and speaking enter into that?

I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I was a child—never wanted to do anything else. When I was a teenager I told my then boyfriend (now husband) that I was going to be a writer one day. What a blessing that God allowed me to fulfill that dream! After becoming a believer and growing in my faith, it was natural to take my passion to fight for others and incorporate it into my writing. Speaking, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. I was terrified of public speaking when I was young, and the day I received Christ I made a “bargain” with God, promising to do anything He asked of me—so long as it didn’t include public speaking. (Does God have a sense of humor or what???) Now, when I stand in front of audiences where I believe God has called me to speak (and actually find myself enjoying it!), I tell my listeners that if God has called them to do something and they feel it’s impossible, they can consider me their “visual aid” that NOTHING is impossible with God IF we will simply take that first step of obedience and let Him fulfill His purpose in and through us.

With the topics of the worldwide persecuted Church and human trafficking under your belt, what other issues are you dealing with in your writing?

My Christmas 2011 book, A Christmas Journey Home, dealt with the immigration/border problem, and my Christmas 2012 novel, Unexpected Christmas Hero, will be about homelessness in America. The next issues-related fiction series I have on tap—which I am just starting to write, by the way—is called the “Patches of Courage” series and will begin releasing in late January 2013. Book one is The Moses Quilt, based on the life of Harriet Tubman, and will be followed by The Christmas Quilt and The Impossible Quilt. This series of books will highlight historical American women whose Christian faith enabled them to walk in great courage and make a difference in the lives of countless people.

Kathi Macias

Where can people find out about you and your books/speaking/appearances?

They can go directly to my website (www.kathimacias.com or www.boldfiction.com) or my Easy Writer blog: http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, and various other social sites. Would love to hear from all of you!

Where can people find out about free book giveaways on this blog tour?

The blog tour host is giving away a set of two books from the Freedom Series -  Book 1 (Deliver Me From Evil) and Book 2 (Special Delivery). Also, readers can follow @ChristianSpkrs on Twitter or follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CSSVBT.TheFreedomSeries for more book giveaway locations on the tour.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

*** LEAVE A COMMENT to be entered in the FREE GIVEAWAY by random drawing on this blog for the novel --SPECIAL DELIVERY -- by Kathi Macias! *** 
Drawing will be held on April 1st!







Monumental Movie in theatres, March 27

Click on the widget on the right to purchase tickets!

ABC Blasphemes Jesus with New Show ‘GCB’

Even within our politically correct society, sadly, Christians are the one group in America that some still consider it is okay to ridicule and bash.  Christ is the only One who can save someone from their sin and yet, He is also the only One ABC would ever have the nerve to blaspheme.  We'll never see a show called "Good Muslim B****es" on any network in America. Nor will we ever see a show depicting Muhammad in such a negative light. 

Instead of writing my own blog post about this horribly offensive show, I opted to re-post this opinion piece by Dr. Ted Baehr from Charisma magazine. Please read the article and consider contacting the heads of ABC and Disney to address this outrageous bias.

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ABC-TV has taken blasphemy against God, the Bible, God’s church, and Jesus Christ to new levels of depravity.

The pictured advertisement for ABC’s new program, GCB, found in a New York subway, not only is a blasphemous use of the biblical command to “Love thy neighbor.” It also blasphemes Jesus Christ, who died on a Cross to save the souls of all people who have faith in Him.

Based on the book “Good Christian Bi----s” by Kim Gatlin, GCB is about a woman named Amanda Vaughn, played by Leslie Bibb, who returns home to Dallas with her two children after facing marital and financial troubles. GCB’s trailers, ads, and name suggest this series will not be family friendly or even respectful towards Christians.

According to information about the program received by Movieguide, Amanda is a former “mean girl” who has put the past behind her, while her former class mates and victims have not. They are the new mean girls who are as likely to gossip viciously about their returned rival as they are to offer up a humiliating prayer about her in church. As soon as their leader Carlene Cockburn, played by Kristin Chenoweth, sees her arrive she calls her friends, smugly gossiping about how Amanda’s former husband died in a car crash while having an affair with her best friend. Chenoweth’s character then halts the talk saying, “Ladies, it is not appropriate to speak of such things on the phone.” After a pause she continues, “I’ll see ya in church.”

Another clip shows Carlene and her friends confronting Amanda about the moral code of their community. The following scene shows Carlene in an office getting an invitation from a man to “do it.” Turning religious pictures face down, she crawls over the desk, as well as the man, and gives him a heavy kiss. Meanwhile, Amanda’s gun-collecting, shallow mother, played by Annie Potts says, “I feel certain that the good Lord would like me to have a new fur coat.”

Based on the trailers, Amanda Vaughn appears to be the only sane member of this community, and she doesn’t appear to be a practicing Christian. When her mother drags her and her children to church, Amanda tells her mother that she “didn’t raise the kids with any particular religion.” While we all know that there are hypocrites in every institution and every religion, GCB uses southern Christian women as the sole, stereotypical examples of self-indulgence, shallowness and hypocrisy.

Other scenes show young girls being encouraged to wear revealing tops. When one mother expresses concern that her daughter‘s old cheerleader uniform is to tight, Chenoweth’s character tells her not to worry “cleavage helps your cross hang straight.” Later at the game, the football team cheers when the girl’s vest pops open.

Clearly, this isn’t exactly a message Christian parents would want to send their daughters.
Although the series may prove better than its trailers and name suggest, the fact that GCB ridicules God, morality, and Christians, who are little more than stereotypes, raises concerns for both families and Christians. In this light, everyone should remember that ridicule was a tool that Adolph Hitler used to murder 6 million Jews during World War II.

We urge everyone to call or write a letter complaining about this series (which began airing Sunday night) to the following Disney and ABC executives:

Robert Iger, CEO
The Walt Disney Company
Anne Sweeney, President
Disney-ABC Television Group
Paul Lee, President
ABC Entertainment
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Phone: (818) 460-7777

Ted Baehr is chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission ministry and director of its family guide to movies and entertainment, Movieguide. Borth organizations are international non-profit ministries, advocacy groups, and watchdogs dedicated to “redeeming the values of the entertainment industry by influencing industry executives and by informing and equipping the public about the influence of the entertainment media.” Each year, their Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry shows that family-friendly movies and television programs with Christian, biblical, redemptive, moral, and spiritually uplifting content make the most money and get the highest ratings.

Reposted from: ABC Blasphemes Jesus with new show - GCB

Freedom Series: Deliver Me from Evil

Abolition? Such a foreign idea in the 21^st century; after all, slavery is ancient history, right? Unfortunately, human trafficking is all too common today, outnumbering the great African slave trade of years ago and the fastest growing organized crime globally.  

In Deliver Me from Evil, the first installment in the Freedom Series, award winning author Kathi Macias weaves an unforgettable tale that portrays the glaring reality of modern day slavery as she draws the reader into the lives of these characters. The non-gratuitous, graphic depiction of each girl as a “working” slave reveals the depth of human depravity and evokes a deeply emotional response for the reader; you truly long to see these captives set free.

Beginning with Mara, life outside the compound is an unattainable dream or at the most, a far away memory.  Sold as a young girl in Mexico by her family and then taken across the border into San Diego, her life as Maria and all too soon her innocence are gone forever.  Once in the states, she is betrayed, raped, brutalized and forced into sexual slavery by her own tio.  

Mara quickly learns that her life is no longer her own and probably never will be again.  Day after day, she survives her captivity by stilling her heart against the degradation and the physical and emotional abuse. Her only hope is to survive, so that one day she might exact revenge on the one who enslaves her and somehow escape this nightmare. But that rarely happens, except for one way...through death and why she’s determined to push aside any feelings that may arise for any of the new, younger girls that were either sold or kidnapped into her uncle’s business.  No, she won’t allow herself to worry about them; it’s for their own good. They have to accept their circumstances the same as she had a lifetime ago and the sooner the better for all concerned.

Jonathan, a typical American high school senior preparing for graduation, has his future mapped out. He’s trying to make others happy by following the path laid before him, but he feels no real direction in life. After a chance encounter with Mara and Jasmine (who was only recently forced into slavery), along with the girls “date” for the evening, Jonathan is confronted with the ugly truth of human trafficking. Can he continue going through the motions when something so shocking has been brought to his attention? And why would God allow him to see something like this when there was little he could do about it? Jonathan must face his own weaknesses as he wrestles with God to discover the answers and the course for his future; but an abolitionist?

Thousands of miles away in Thailand, a disturbing scenario plays out with Chanthra and a new arrival, Lawan; a girl barely eight or nine years old and sure to be popular among their “customers.” The first encounters between the girls and Lawan’s initiation into the business are raw and gut wrenching especially considering the real life implications.  Later, a surprising twist reveals the magnitude of God’s love and faithfulness to those who believe even in the midst of wickedness.

Deliver Me from Evil is an amazing tale of faith and redemption through horrific circumstances. This novel will challenge many to consider, maybe for the first time, the plight of human trafficking and to truly consider the seemingly archaic terms of abolition and abolitionist.

William Wallace in Braveheart asked, “What will you do without freedom?” What would you do without your freedom or that of someone you love? Will you add your voice when confronted with modern day slavery in the 21^st century?

Abolition!! FREEDOM!!!

You can learn more about Kathi Macias at http://kathimacias.com/ or on her blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/. 

Pretty Woman: Destination Rodeo Drive...or somewhere more nefarious?

Don’t you love a fantasy tale? Most people do, especially one where a handsome prince rescues the beautiful young damsel from her less than ideal life and they live happily ever after.  At least that’s the way it’s supposed to happen...in fairy tales and according to Hollywood; but the reality of the sex trafficking industry is far from a Cinderella story.

Most know the story of the iconic movie Pretty Woman. While on a business trip, a rich businessman hires a prostitute for the week as his escort to high society parties and elite polo matches; think Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Eventually, they fall in love and she leaves her old life behind; exactly as the tag line says, “She walked off the street, into his life, and stole his heart.”  This blockbuster hit grossed $463 MILLION worldwide.

So what does a “romantic comedy” have in common with the sex industry besides the related theme of the movie?  The soon to be released DVD  Nefarious: Merchant of Souls | A Documentary on the Global Sex Trade follows young women from the former Soviet bloc into some of the largest sex markets around the world including Las Vegas, Nevada.  In Vegas, it documents a surprising number of local prostitutes who actually thought they could find a better life in Vegas all because they had seen Pretty Woman.

The not so surprising impact that a seemingly innocuous movie to some like Pretty Woman has on our culture was even seen in recent months on an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras prompting outrage from many including a rebuke from the Parents Television Council. This episode is proof of the disturbing trend and powerfully negative impact the film industry can have on our culture and around the world.

Some might ask, “Can Hollywood really be blamed for the global sex industry?” No, Hollywood is not to blame...but they are complicit when they produce and promote movies and television programs -- and there are far too many to list -- that perpetuate the hyper-sexualization of our culture especially considering that “Hollywood” is one of our largest exports. It is a multi-billion dollar industry and that doesn’t even include porn.

 Here are The Cold Facts of Modern Slavery:

1.    A child is trafficked every 30 seconds. – UNICEF

2.   The average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the United States is 13 years old. United States Department of Justice

3.   Human Trafficking occurs in 161 out of 192 countries. – The United Nations

4.   Pornography is a 96 billion dollar per year industry. – The Internet Filter Review

5.   Up to 96% of women in prostitution want to escape but feel they can’t. – United Labor Organization

6.   Human Trafficking is a 32 billion dollar per year industry. – The United Nations

7.   In some countries it is estimated that 70% of men purchase sex. – Victor Malarek; The Johns

8.   Over 27 million people are enslaved around the world. This is more than double the number of Africans enslaved during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. – Kevin Bales; Free the Slave

This statement sums it up best, "What is the most disturbing is that trafficking is a manmade disaster that can be prevented..." -The Natashas, #endslavery

Get involved at Exodus Cry and look for Nefarious to be released soon on DVD which succinctly gives the only answer to the problem  -- Jesus Christ...that the world may know.

Don't break the chain!

If you're like me, finding time to write, complete a new project, or begin a new resolution isn't always an easy task. Too often, those things you may really want to start simply get pushed to the back burner especially when your daily routine already reminds you of a chef preparing seven course meals, all day, every day for a packed restaurant of exacting clientele; and that’s just taking care of my family! Okay, I don't really make seven course meals, but the time demands are very similar.

A simple, yet easy tool, Don't Break the Chain calendar credited to comedian Jerry Seinfeld as the biggest secret to his success, may be your answer.  Jerry starts with a year-at-a-glance calendar and puts an X on each day he writes; his goal is to not break the chain.

This is a great idea and one that I've started using for 2012. I fully don’t expect to not break the chain, but it will give me a goal to shoot for and has already provoked me to write more.  That’s good!  At the end of the year, I’ll post my “chain” and see how it went. I’ll also post a list of projects I’ve completed and compare it to 2011 to see how much it may have helped.

Place your own calendar next to your desk or hang it on your refrigerator.  It is a great visual aid for those who need a reminder and a little nudge now and then. This concept could be used for many applications other than writing; the possibilities are endless!   

You can read more about it at the Writers Store -- and then download it...it's free!

27 Million.....

What comes to mind when you read twenty-seven million?  That’s 27,000,000. The production cost of a major motion picture? Or maybe the approximate viewership of one episode of American Idol? Perhaps the entire population of the state of Texas or the country of Venezuela?

What about the number of slaves internationally in the world today? Yes. Slaves. In the 21^st century. 2012.  

With the mention of slaves, we often think of the Israelites building pyramids during their Egyptian captivity or African slaves working on cotton plantations during pre-civil war days. We don’t often think of forced laborers; men, women and children around the world often times involved in the manufacture of products we use every day.

Nor do we think of the millions of mostly young women -- including girls as young as four, victimized, being trafficked from customer to customer in the sex industry both nationally and abroad.  It is incomprehensible that this could be happening today. Right now. At this very moment, and on our watch.

January 2012 is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  Get involved. Join the over 42,000 college students who recently attended Passion 2012 here in Atlanta vowing to help put an end to human trafficking in the 21^st century.  

CNN’s Freedom Project also has joined the fight and provides valuable information concerning the magnitude of this challenge.

Here are some ways you can help:

1. Pick any of 21 Ways to Help at the A21 Campaign: Abolishing Injustice in the 21^st Century. Then commit to at least one activity between January 11-21 at BECAUSE so that you too can help get the message out and engage.  

2. Ever wonder how many slaves work for you in 2012? The Slavery Footprint is working to create awareness and provide online tools to help inform consumers of exactly what 21^st consumerism may involve that’s not included on the label.  They are working hard so that the world’s favorite brand becomes “Made in a Free World.”

3. A project born out of the Passion experience where “worship weds songs with action.” Because none of us can do it all...but “none of us can do it alone.” Do Something. Now.

If it were your loved one, wouldn’t you rush into the street, shouting to the rooftops trying to find just one person -- anyone you could compel to do something?  To bring aid, or “if you see my loved one, please, would you give them money, clothing, food...whatever to help get them back to me?” Wouldn’t you plead “Dear God, oh, dear God...please, won’t you please help me?”

That is the cry of 27,000,000 million and that is what Jesus wants us to do in His stead, in His name.  Together we can make a difference, together, we can do something.