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Power Rangers: Ken Ham Says ‘It’s Not Ok’ If Movie Teaches Kids To Accept Others

By Steph Bazzle
Published on: 08:51 PST, Apr 2, 2017

Ken Ham is concerned about the new Power Rangers movie. Specifically, according to his latest blog post, he’s concerned that it might teach kids it’s okay to accept people for who they are, even if they’re different from you. Granted, the new movie definitely appears to explore some new avenues — but then, isn’t that what typically happens when movies get new iterations?

When a much-loved movie, series, or character gets a new iteration more than 20 years later, almost by definition it’s going to see some changes. A new cast, of course, and typically new storylines, and updates to take into account that technology and society have changed over a period of decades — not to mention taking advantage of developments in SFX technology.

However, in the case of the Power Rangers, first popularized in the early 1990s, the new movie will reflect a change in society that Ken Ham already isn’t happy about: the fact that being gay is becoming steadily less taboo.

This is a regular concern for Ham, along with the fact that discrimination against people for being gay, and anti-gay speech and behavior, are both becoming less socially acceptable. In fact, Ham has expressed that being gay or transgender are actual attacks on what he sees as the single acceptable definition of “family,” and that acceptance of LGBT individuals must mean exclusion of Christians.

Ken Ham’s new post addresses this directly, in fact.

“In this day, though, when a Christian lovingly points out that homosexual behavior is sin (as stated clearly in God’s Word), then that Christian is almost immediately falsely accused of being homophobic!”

Ham described the updates he sees as most relevant in the Power Rangers movie: Billy, the Blue Ranger (RJ Cyler), is on the Autism spectrum. Also, there’s the faintest indication that Trini, the Pink Ranger (Becky G), has a girlfriend.

[Image by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Lionsgate]

Wired covered the movie recently, noting that what’s being called a “gay moment” is barely there — a brief interchange where another character asks if she’s having girlfriend problems, and she gives a minimal answer, saying she doesn’t discuss her sexual identity.

For Ken Ham, that’s far too much. He lauds the directors and actor for showing that people with autism are regular people — but Ham goes on to express distaste for doing the same with the LBGT population. According to Ham, this is a case of “promot[ing] sinful behavior as acceptable, which undermines the entire movie.”

After describing the entire Power Rangers movie as an attempt to teach kids inclusion and acceptance, Ken Ham gives it a three-word, large-type response.

“That’s Not OK.”

Ken Ham’s blog post goes on to explain that there’s a problem with society’s current tendency toward more inclusion and acceptance.

“It’s wrong because it so often fails to recognize sin for what it is and instead encourages the sinner to continue on his path of sin.”

[Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

In fact, the message of inclusion and acceptance is exactly that the Power Rangers actors express a hope to promote. Becky G spoke to Billboard, saying if she had superpowers in real life, she would use them to fight bullying and says if she could pick a power, it would be the ability to let people see the world from the perspective of others.

How do Power Rangers fans feel about the changes?

As for Ham, he closes his post by adding that, in fact, the inclusive message falls short, “because it fails to deliver the most inclusive message of all — that there’s grace and forgiveness for all at the Cross.”

Ken Ham offers no specific suggestions for integrating this idea into the Power Rangers movie.

[Featured Image by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Lionsgate]

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