“Full House” alum and actress Candace Cameron Bure has responded to critics who ripped her for her views of traditional man-and-woman marriage due to her Christian beliefs.
Bure, who made her remarks in an interview with The Wall Street Journal regarding to the kind of programming she intends to pursue as creative director at her new network, Great American Family, noted that the criticism “breaks my heart.”
“One Tree Hill” alum Hilarie Burton Morgan accused her of being a “bigot” for a payday, while her husband, “The Walking Dead” actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, joined in as well.
In a lengthy statement, Bure addressed the backlash, noting that her intention was never to hurt anyone and that she feels like the media keeping the country divided was simply a continuation of feeding the current “toxic climate.”
“We need Christmas more than ever,” she noted.
“I would like to address my comments on Great American Family’s programming as reported in ‘The Wall Street Journal.’ All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people,” she began. “It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone.
“It saddens me that the media is often seeking to divide us, even around a subject as comforting and merry as Christmas movies. But, given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever,” she said.
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Continuing, she said that her faith in the Christian religion meant that she sees God in every human, even those who do not agree with her views, and that she only wants to unite people.
“I am called to love all people, and I do. If you know me, you know that I am a person who loves fiercely and indiscriminately. My heart yearns to build bridges and bring people one step closer to God, to love others well, and to simply be a reflection of God’s huge love for all of us,” she wrote.
“To the members of the media responsible for using this opportunity to fan flames of conflict and hate, I have a simple message: I love you anyway,” Bure added. “To those who hate what I value and who are attacking me online: I love you. To those who have tried to assassinate my character: I love you. To everyone reading this, of any race, creed, sexuality, or political party, including those who have tried to bully me with name-calling, I love you.”
Bure, who starred in the remake “Fuller House,” also said that while she was happy to be a part of “faith-based programming” at Great American Family, it was never her intent to be preachy.
“I’ve never been interested in proselytizing through my storytelling, but in celebrating God’s greatness in our lives through the stories I tell,” she noted.
“The God we serve is a wildly creative and loving God. He didn’t just capture a small part of my heart, He has captured all of my heart. He will be reflected in everything I do and say; in my family, my work and my interactions with people from all walks of life, God’s love and God’s compassion is front and center,” Bure added, going on to point out that the story of Christmas was itself central not only to her story-telling on the network but also in her own heart.
“All of that comes from the LOVE that God himself showered upon humanity when he gave the gift of joy and forgiveness on the first Christmas morning 2000 years ago,” Bure concluded. “It is why I love Christmas stories and sharing true joy and true peace with millions of people around the world. And in the sole motivation of pure love, I hope you’ll join me in sharing God’s hope for all the world this Christmas season. Call that my Christmas wish.”
