I had no idea that a Christian cartoon could stir up so much trouble. “The puritanical pressure group known as One Million Moms has announced its own homosexual-free cartoon series,” is how one article began. Another article accused us of “Christian indoctrination and child abuse.” I couldn’t believe what I was reading.
After years of crafting the story, working with animators and approving edits, my brother and I had finally released AFA/One Million Mom’s first animated children’s series Ryan Defrates: Secret Agent. Horrified at the garbage that was slipping into children’s entertainment, we had set out to do something about it. All we really wanted was to create an entertaining show that would be safe for families and would promote a positive and uplifting message. I wouldn’t say that we set out to make “our very own, very heterosexual TV show” as one article claimed. In fact, we didn’t really plan on tackling any issues of sexuality considering this is a kid’s show and AFA believes those conversations are best left to parents.
But I have a confession: we do have an agenda. We don’t just create content to entertain. We also hope that the moral lessons in our stories inspire kids to be more Christ-like, to choose patience, and to love others. There is a serious need for content that reflects a biblical worldview today and it’s our goal to meet that need. The thing is, all films promote a worldview. Films are made by filmmakers; and every filmmaker, whether they are aware of it or not has a worldview.
According to Norman Geisler and William D. Watkins in Worlds Apart: A Handbook of World Views, a worldview is “a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality.” That’s why when you watch Wall-E, the animated story of an adorable waste-collecting robot on a journey through space, you aren’t just being entertained. You are also learning something about the filmmakers’ views on our environment and their opinions on what needs to be done. As content creators, it is impossible to make something without your views on life seeping into it. The exact same is true for Christian filmmakers. As CS Lewis put it: “A man whose life has been transformed by Christ cannot help but have his worldview show through” –C.S. Lewis.
So I guess in the case of AFA indoctrinating children with morals… AFA is guilty as charged. But can we talk about the LGBTQ agenda for just a moment? Their worldview is everywhere. On Disney channel last year alone there were a record number of LGBTQ “firsts.” Just take a look.
- Feb 23, 2017- Disney channel’s first gay kiss airs on Star vs. the Forces of Evil
- March 17, 2017- LeFou from Beauty and the Beast becomes the first real-life openly gay character in a Disney movie
- June 23, 2017- Disney Channel debuts it's first “coming out” scene on The Lodge
- Oct 27, 2017- Cyrus from Andi Mack becomes the first openly gay main character on Disney Channel
As mentioned before, Ryan Defrates: Secret Agent doesn’t touch on any issues of sexuality. But in case you are wondering what my worldview is and how it makes its way into the cartoons, I create let me just tell you. I believe that God places parents in children’s lives to instruct them in the ways of the Lord. Parents, though not always perfect should be seen as the loving authority figures God intended them to be rather than the bumbling buffoons we see in media today. That’s one of the things parents have loved about the series so far. Check out what this mom had to say: “I love the mother-son relationship! So many shows are making fun of the parents making it uncool to hang out with them. Love this series!” – Michelle.
I also believe that technology has become a major problem for kids today. Kids forget to show respect to others and engage in conversations when they become addicted to video games and TV. So, we made an episode all about that!
I believe that God wants us to think about others more than ourselves, that happiness is something that comes and goes but true joy lasts forever and that God can give us the power to be patient with others. All those are themes in the newest episodes of Ryan Defrates: Secret Agent (Ep 4-6).
If you believe there is a need for more quality family-friendly entertainment, would you consider partnering with us? You can invest in our mission simply by purchasing any episode of Ryan Defrates: Secret Agent. Every episode sold, directly supports the production of future episodes.
Purchase any of our episodes at Ryansecretagent.com or order the newest 3 episodes by clicking here: afastore.net/ryan-defrates-secret-agent-episodes-4-6
