Twin brothers David and Jason Benham say they are God-fearing Christians with traditional beliefs on marriage and abortion — beliefs that cost them a highly-anticipated reality show on HGTV.
But the siblings, who run a highly-successful real estate business, told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV, that they have absolutely no regrets. "We lost our job because there was what we'd say is a bully agenda to silence people like my brother and I that are pro marriage and pro lots of things that we find in the Bible," Jason Benham said Wednesday.
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"They didn't like that too much. They pressured HGTV and we were let go."
The Benham brothers — authors of the new book,
"Whatever the Cost: Facing Your Fears, Dying to Your Dreams, and Living Powerfully", published by Thomas Nelson — were set to host HGTV's "Flip It Forward" last October.
The brothers, who are the sons of Flip Benham, who headed an anti-abortion clinic protest group called Operation Save America, were filming episodes for their home renovation show in May — when HGTV announced the show was history.
The ax fell after a watchdog group disclosed the brothers' conservative views on traditional marriage and abortion. The blog,
Right Wing Watch, referred to David as an "anti-gay, anti-choice extremist."
USA Today reported that David told a conservative radio show he was campaigning to "stop homosexuality and its agenda that is attacking the nation" and "demonic ideologies taking our universities and our public school systems."
That led to pressure to have the brothers' show cancelled.
"These activist groups … want to absolutely silence one side of the issue. The problem is in America when you silence either side, all intellectual and spiritual progress stops," Jason said.
"We didn't want to lose this HGTV platform, but when we live for Jesus or we stand for our beliefs, whatever the cost, it's well worth it in the end. We don't have any regrets, we lost the show and we're moving forward."
David said he and his brother had hoped to make it into "the big leagues" of television "more than anyone."
"But we never made it to the big leagues and the Lord taught us early in our life that you are to chase your dreams, but die to them at the same time," he said.
"When push came to shove, we said if our faith costs us a reality show, then so be it. We were dead to that dream in our heart."
Jason told Steve Malzberg that as Christians, he and his brother "have a responsibility to stand up for what's right, period, whatever the cost.
"When you do face your fear and you don't back down, you realize that God takes over the fight and your greatest blessings are found on the other side of your greatest fears.
"Ronald Reagan said it best [that] these freedoms must be fought for, protected and handed on to the next generation. So we've got to fight for those freedoms whatever the cost."
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