Mr. Ratburn & The Fight for Children's Minds
Last week, Arthur, a show many of us watched as children, had its 22nd season premiere (yes, I was also surprised that this show was still on the air). The entire premiere episode revolved around Arthur’s male teacher, Mr. Ratburn, marrying another man. There are three important things from the show that Christians today should understand.
First, It is no surprise that it has become the latest trend for TV shows to join in on the LGBTQ movement. According to the 2018-19 study by GLAAD, the number of LGBTQ characters on prime-time TV shows rose from 58 in 2017 to 75 in 2018. That number will likely continue to rise. But it is important to note that Arthur did not merely introduce homosexuality—in fact, it already did that briefly back in a 2005 episode—it was the primary topic of the episode.
Second, it cannot be denied that the LGBTQ movement is specifically seeking to indoctrinate children. This is because they have an agenda to transform what is considered “normal” in our culture, and in order to achieve that they must capture the minds of young people.
This is not only evident in TV shows, but also in the education system. Two weeks ago USA Today released a front-page article entitled Sex Ed: an Age-Old Struggle of Morality Versus Reality, Enters a New Era. The important thing to note is that the LGBTQ movement is trying to revolutionize the way sex-ed is taught in public schools.
As it relates to this episode of Arthur, a lot is revealed by a brief conversation towards the end of the show. “Mr. Ratburn is married, I still can’t believe it,” Arthur said. “Yup, it’s a brand-new world,” Francine responded (italics mine). It is evident what the writers of Arthur are intending to teach their child viewers: homosexuality and gay marriage are simply normal things to be accepted in today’s age.
Third, it is important to remember that PBS is not just any broadcasting network. Being the Public Broadcast System, a portion of their funds are provided by American taxpayers. Thus, this seems to confirm a fear conservatives have had for some time that taxpayer dollars may be favoring the left’s moral revolution.
Christian parents should always be cautious of what their children, especially young ones, watch and learn from. As Scripture teaches, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). But it is unfortunate that parents have to be cautious even about a network like PBS.
Arthur’s 22nd season premiere may seem like a small thing, but don’t kid yourself; it reveals major movements that are intentionally being planned and executed in our culture to influence the minds of our children, right before our eyes.