Chenoweth: "God Doesn't Make Mistakes"

KRISTEN CHENOWETH X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Kristin Chenoweth talked to Time magazine about her new Broadway show Promises, Promises, being a Christian who supports gay rights, and why appearing on Pat Robertson’s show to promote her inspirational record was a huge mistake.

“I'm a Christian,” Chenoweth says when asked how she would describe herself. “And I know unfortunately there's a bad connotation that comes with that now, but I'm also nonjudgmental. God doesn't make mistakes. People are born how they are born. And I think people should be able to get married and love each other.”

Chenoweth says she’s taken a lot of heat from the religious community for her support of gay rights — from Pat Robertson when she appeared on his show ("Live and learn," she says) and when she was fired from an appearance on the “Women in Faith” tour.

“It was devastating. They are quite aware I'm in the entertainment business. And they asked me to step down and I said, ‘No, you'll have to fire me.’”

Read the full interview here.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Glenda S
Date posted: 5/15/2010 4:23:14 PM
Hometown: Colorado Springs

Comment:
Sam, Read "The Christian Agnostic" by Leslie Weatherhead. It has been out of print for years but is still available through Amazon. It will answer all of those questions you have!
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Name: Scott
Date posted: 4/28/2010 7:16:35 PM
Hometown: Portland

Comment:
Sam, religion has no logic whatsoever. I struggled for a long time trying to make sense of it but you just can't. There is one god yet the opinions of religious leaders spanns from death to gays and eternal hell to equality. If god exists and has made his position clear, I would say that there would be more consistency between religions. I would expect nothing less from a guy who created the earth in 6 days, then said let there be light so made the sun real quick. God is whatever each person wants him to be, he has to be because he does not exist.
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Name: Mike S.
Date posted: 4/28/2010 7:14:03 PM
Hometown: Gurnee, IL (Seoul, South Korea)

Comment:
Loved her since she was on West Wing. Keep being a role model!
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Name: Robyn
Date posted: 4/28/2010 5:31:59 PM
Hometown: Pittsburgh

Comment:
Actually bigoted Christians ARE the MINORITY. However, the biogts are the ones that get the media coverage and so I can understand how you might believe that all Christians are bigots. However, this is NOT the case. How many are in the Fred Phelps cult? Maybe about 10 max. AND they are all related. How many come out to COUNTER protest them? A LOT more! Christians who really do believe and share the love of God with others ARE fighting this battle. AND yes, there ARE GLBT persons who are Rebublican as well. We can't put GLBT persons in a box and neither can we put people of faith in a box. There are More Light congregations growing all the time and the Covenant Network is also a large organization. Yes, the bigots are getting the screen time, but those who believe in a loving God ARE making progress everyday-we do exist. And we won't be put in boxes.
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Name: MarkM
Date posted: 4/28/2010 11:52:17 AM
Hometown: Oakalnd

Comment:
If God doesn't make mistakes, then how do you explain that lavender eye shadow?
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Name: Sam
Date posted: 4/28/2010 11:01:31 AM
Hometown: Boston

Comment:
"God doesn't make mistakes. People are born how they are born..." I have always found this notion to be an utter slap in the face to all of the parents out there who have been informed by their doctors that their children have, unfortunately, been born with terminal illnesses and/or debilitating diseases. "Sorry, folks, but that was no mistake: 'god' meant for your child to suffer horribly. You are obviously supposed to learn some sort of inspirational life lesson as a direct result...good luck figuring out what that lesson may be, and in the meantime, here is your hospital bill." Gee, thanks 'god'. Epicurus said it best: “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
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Name: Val
Date posted: 4/28/2010 6:08:32 AM
Hometown: London, UK

Comment:
I agree with Kevin, it's very sad. Personally I am not religious at all but I grew up being taught a very positive Christian message about love and acceptance of others. I really don't understand how some people have managed to completely turn that on its head and create a philosophy built on hate and the exclusion of others.
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Name: Stan James
Date posted: 4/27/2010 11:41:53 PM
Hometown: Baltimore

Comment:
Pat Robertson - the guy who blames the people of Haiti for the earthquake that killed several hundred thousand, in the poorest country in The western Hemisphere. Right wing Christianity is nothing but sick and evil. Some of their leaders are the scum of the earth and they should be put in an insane asylum. and people who follow them should all have their head examined. Where the only sex they can have is gay sex. And you can bet the truth will come out.
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Name: Mark
Date posted: 4/27/2010 11:06:37 PM
Hometown: Wappingers Falls

Comment:
She's great. I wish Christen's closeted co-star (Sean Hayes) would be as outspoken about how people born gay (like him) should have the same civil rights as everyone else as citizens/taxpayers.
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Name: Scott
Date posted: 4/27/2010 8:42:07 PM
Hometown: Portland

Comment:
Kristin is very A very talented person. Pat Robertson (as far as I am concerned) is nothing more than a demon who masquarades as a human being. He spreads his word of hate and intolerance while taking advantage of superstitious people by taking their money and lying to them. He indeed gives religion a very bad name, I know, he is the reason why I stopped going to church.

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