Theologian and seminary president Albert Mohler is criticizing Fox News' hiring of Caitlyn Jenner as a contributor, saying the move by the conservative network should not itself be viewed as conservative.
"Let me say now, emphatically: This is neither conservative nor right," Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., said Friday on his podcast The Briefing.
Jenner, a biological man who identifies as a transgender woman, formerly was known as Bruce Jenner and won a gold medal in the men's decathlon at the 1976 Olympics.
Fox News hired Jenner last week.
"Caitlyn's story is an inspiration to us all," said Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott. "She is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, and her illustrious career spans a variety of fields that will be a tremendous asset for our audience."
Mohler said the hiring of a transgender individual cannot be considered conservative.
"You cannot have the LGBTQ revolution and claim a conservative identity. It simply doesn't work," Mohler said. "You may be more conservative on some issues than other people, but we as Christians understand that a worldview is composite. It's comprehensive, it is a whole. And if you're going to deny the very order of creation over here, you're going to have a very hard time identifying as a conservative in any consistent way at any other point."
Meanwhile, Mohler urged his listeners not to view cable news as pure news.
"I would simply point out to you that television news, especially when it comes to the cable news networks, is a combination of news and entertainment," he said. "And don't miss the fact that entertainment, and by that, I don't mean that it's supposed to be something that's funny, or jolly or a comedy – entertainment can simply be defined as that which captures your attention and from which you don't turn."
Related:
Conservative Pastors Criticize Fox News for Hiring Caitlyn Jenner
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
