What Happens When the Media Puts Faith on the Hot Seat?

The mainstream media seemingly experiences a meltdown when the topic of faith comes up. As an illustration of this phenomenon, Harrison Butker, a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, delivered a commencement speech which resulted in some spirited (to say the least) conversations on various outlets. Does this explosive reaction imply that a high-profile individual should hold back and keep the topic of faith to themselves? Famous or not, that’s a call that all of us may have to face at some point even if we don’t intend to cause any kind of controversy.

In Butker’s case, we can possibly assume that some of his audience would have already heard/read about topics similar to those that he presented. In general, he encourages his audience to fully embrace and live out their Catholic faith–and everything that comes with it–as opposed to picking and choosing certain aspects of it. So, this begs the question of “what was the big deal?” After all, he was delivering a speech at Benedictine College.

 Although the dust has settled, you might still hear references to Butker’s speech whenever his name comes up in a news story related to his team. Ironically, one can almost conclude that the members of the mainstream media drew more attention (and the number of views) to Benedictine’s YouTube channel, which means that an even larger audience heard his message. This situation is not the first of its kind and most likely, not the last.

Going back 20 years ago, another celebrity risked backlash, this time, for taking on a movie role that could’ve been the beginning of the end of his career. When Mel Gibson reached out to Jim Caviezel about playing Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, he warned him, “You’ll never work in this town again.” To which, Caviezel replied, “We all have to embrace our crosses.” 

While both director and actor had taken some heat for this film (and probably will again in 2025 if the sequel is released on schedule), gained a huge following across the globe. Plus, Caviezel doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon, especially after the surprising success of the Sound of Freedom. Again, the irony of the situation is that the controversy drew more attention and curiosity about the film, which subsequently attracted a broader audience. Although Caviezel still received some bad press for this movie, there were still some positive reactions from individuals who believed that the issue of child trafficking needed to be addressed in order to open up more discussion about rescuing those who are abducted and how entire communities can come together to protect their children.

Another instance of a celebrity speaking about his faith involves Jonathan Roumie’s interview on The View back in January. He spoke about how placing his trust in Christ had made a powerful impact on his life and ultimately on his career. When the conversation shifted to his character on The Chosen, he tactfully handled some tricky questions with thoughtful, logical answers. When questioned about the cast’s ethnic diversity, he simply describes the historical backdrop of the setting which consists of “seafaring towns” and “port cities” through which merchants from various regions would travel through. In other words, his response was informative and logical without any hints of a hidden agenda.

Likewise, Roumie was asked about the manner in which Jesus is portrayed as “speaking up for the marginalized people, the poor, “et cetera. This inquiry started in such a way that appeared to invite a debate or at least a rant session. Regardless, Roumie didn’t take the bait. Instead he discusses how Christ's “example” is one that we could all follow while circling back to a more positive note. Overall, his upbeat and respectful tone combined with common sense, shut down any bickering that could’ve ensued–which might explain why this scenario didn’t make the front pages. Nonetheless, this segment has garnered over 300,000 views on Youtube thus far. 

So the question may not be whether a high-profile individual should address his or her beliefs on media outlets but rather how, especially when we see some well-known Catholics take a disturbing stand on abortion and the sanctity of marriage and the family. However, as we can see, there are famous folks out there who are willing to talk openly about how Christ has impacted their lives and career decisions in a manner of humility, courage, and compassion. While they’re only human (and probably still working on their own conversion like the rest of us), they offer a bit of encouragement in countering negativity and persecution. Butker reminds his audience that faith is more than just fluff, Caviezel continues to speak out for the unborn and others in need, and Roumie excelled in a teachable moment on live T.V.