Sadie Robertson Huff recently addressed the backlash she received for going on a family trip to Disney World, saying she doesn’t agree with everything Disney stands for. The 26-year-old reality star and her mother, Korie Roberston, spoke about the social media criticism on a recent episode of Huff’s “Whoa, That’s Good” podcast.
Huff urged Christians to stop engaging in “cancel culture,” warning that it’s often too “extreme.” She said many people unfollowed her on social media, calling her “woke” and “no longer a Christian” because she chose to take her family to Disney World. She also called Disney “corrupt,” saying that the company stands for things she disagrees with, but said Christians are called to be “in this world and not of the world.”
The mother of two pointed to Mark 2:13-16, warning Christ’s followers not to pass harmful judgment on others based on where they are, as Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners but remained sinless. She said, “We’re not saying ‘this is an excuse to go sin,’ because Jesus didn’t sin when he sat at the table with sinners. Jesus did not become less holy when He sat at a table with sinners. He was always holy. But, He was still in the presence [of] sinners.”
Huff continued, “He’s sitting with such unholy people in an unholy place, and they’re like, ‘You can’t be holy if you’re there. How could you be with them? How could you recline at the table with them and say that you’re God?’ But, the thing that Jesus preached and lived is He is holy, and He is always holy, no matter where He is.” Huff said she “can’t obtain holiness without the holiness of God being in my heart.”
She added, “I am not holy because of where I am. I am holy because of who Christ is in me.” Huff asserts she isn’t “less holy because I’m in a place like Disney World.” She said, “Did Jesus do everything the sinners did at the table? No. Does He agree with the way they live? No. He was reclining with them, but He wasn’t living like them. He didn’t agree with them. As a Christian, having that as my model, if I go to a place that might have sinners around, that doesn’t mean I all of a sudden become a sinner.”
The author and public speaker noted that the trip was primarily because her daughter Honey loves Disney princesses. She said, “I’m doing this for my family. I’m doing this for the right reasons. I’m not doing this because I agree with everything. I’m not teaching Honey what the back ends of Disney are and saying that we support that. No. We’re going because we’re going to meet Rapunzel.”
Huff added that while it is healthy to have conversations about how Disney has changed, she isn’t opposed to all of what Disney is putting out there, citing films like “Frozen,” “Tangled” and “Moana.” She said, “We’re actually getting spiritual things out of them and able to share with Honey just things that we see God in. Maybe if we keep going down this road and they start to change, and movies are putting out completely false messages that I do not want Honey to see, we’re not going to let her watch that.”
She acknowledged that Disney has created some projects she believes are “too far,” and she will not let her daughter watch or be a part of that content.