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Late last week, we posted an article in which the Christian filmmakers behind End of the Spear explained their decision to hire a gay actor to play the role of a Christian missionary and one of the heroes of the faith.

Chad Allen, a practicing homosexual, plays the parts of Nate Saint—one of five missionaries martyred in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956—and Nate's son Steve, who was only five years old when his father was killed by Waodani tribesmen. End of the Spear tells that story, and more.

Every Tribe Entertainment's Mart Green, an executive producer of the film, and Steve Saint, a consultant on the project, told Christianity Today Movies that they didn't know that Allen was gay until after they had offered him the job. They then decided that it would be a bad Christian witness to rescind the offer, so they kept Allen on the job. The film had a solid opening weekend, finishing in the top 10 at the box office.

We asked readers what they thought of Every Tribe's decision to retain Allen after they learned about his lifestyle, and we received over 150 e-mails in reply—the vast majority of them positive, lauding the studio's decision. A sampling of those reader responses follows, starting with the positive replies, followed by the negative ones.

I am glad they stuck to their commitment. There has been far too much nastiness and meanness toward homosexual people from the Christian community. What an opportunity to demonstrate mature Christian love!

The producers did the right thing. "Your word is your bond" is a good motto to live by. As a long-time producer of Christian films, I was criticized for using professional actors that were not Christian. But they conveyed the thrust of the film's message and biblical truth far better than "Christian" actors. The apostle Paul was not, from a human perspective, a likely candidate for the role God had in mind for reaching Gentiles. But I am glad God did, so I could be included in his kingdom.

Of course they should have hired Chad Allen. What kind of a witness would that be to rescind a job offer?

Chad Allen was exceptionally strong as Nate Saint. I can't imagine someone playing the role any better. The fact that Chad offered to walk away from the movie out of respect for Steve Saint and the family shows high character. I'm glad the producers showed the same character and incarnated grace and mercy that God shows to us sinners. I pray it's a sign that God has plans for the hostility and misunderstanding between our two communities to one day end, just as with the Waodoni!

This is an incredible story of following God's desire, not our own. If we, as Christians, are unable to work with people we may not agree with, how in the world will we be able to show how Jesus washed the feet of Judas before he left to betray him? Praise God for these people who are able to stand by their word even through difficult personal and faith issues.

We are called to be salt and light to the world. We cannot fulfill that commission if we isolate ourselves from sinners. Are we to break contracts in the interest of upholding the Christian ideal? With whom are we to break contracts? Only some sinners? The filmmakers were correct to honor their contract. A Christian company ought to hire the most qualified individuals to perform the job.

Honor that contract and let Jesus work in this young man's life!

Chad Allen's acting ability is not dependent on his sexual identity. Here is another instance where evangelicals seem more concerned with an outward show of moral conformity than with the human being in front of them—who, by the way, is a child of God. I guess it is easier to avoid or exclude folks that "aren't just like us" than to embrace them. Happily, in this case, the Spirit of a loving God prevailed.

I think Saint and the producers acted not only with integrity, but also with compassion in allowing Mr. Allen to continue working on the film despite his chosen lifestyle. God chose to use someone who has spoken out in favor of something God detests in order to further spread his message. This isn't the first time, either (read: Paul).

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Related Elsewhere:

The Wrong End of the Spear	Printer view
Is Christian passion for purity blinding us to our missionary impulse?

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'I Feel Betrayed'	Printer view
A son-in-law of one of the murdered missionaries says the casting was a mistake.

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Christian Studio Explains Hiring of Gay Actor	Printer view
The makers of End of the Spear didn't find out about co-star Chad Allen's homosexuality until after they offered him the job, and then they felt obliged to honor the contract.