I realize they view this as a
prudent counter-weight to the supposed liberal bias in the mainstream media.
I'll say it again. The
mainstream media is primarily about ratings and entertainment. They are money
making businesses and that must be remembered above all else. From what I can
see they spend most of their time covering salacious murder trials or human
interest stories about wounded veterans making cupcakes and stories about kids
rescuing dogs from burning houses. There's precious little in the way of actual
news. There's absolutely no background or interpretation. If they really were
'liberal' they would be far more engaged in this type of activity which they
could skew if they wished. If they really wish to be subversive, they're doing
a poor job. They're creating compliant consumerist drones, not revolutionaries.
And what little news you'll find
is guaranteed to be little more than American biased propaganda. We used to
joke about the Soviet news agency Pravda. Well, Scott Pelley, Diane Sawyer and
the rest would have all fit in very nicely.
These agencies will never risk
alienating the regime. If CBS were to be barred from the Pentagon or White
House they would not only lose face but ratings. Because the next time there
was a big event and ABC, NBC, CNN and FOX had access, CBS would be out of the
loop and begin to crash and burn.
Corporate media will never
challenge the Establishment. Ironically you would see that coming from NPR
before you would the major outlets. But NPR hardly does that either. My
disappointment with NPR was only grown over the past 15 years. They're moving
more toward the mainstream.
What's coming out of Christian
circles is actually far more insidious as it is driven not just by greed but a
determined attempt at manipulation and lust for power. Truth is the casualty.
The sad part is that these deceived people think they can build the Kingdom of
Truth through manipulation and marketing.
Of course Janet Mefferd is one
of the worst of the worst. She's kind of a Christian-butch Rush Limbaugh... or
something even more base like Hannity. She spouts off about politics and
history and does little more than flaunt her ignorance. Theologically she like
most of her guests are in the grip of the Americanist idolatry, a perverse brew
of nationalism, militarism, a kind of juvenile/deliberately naive capitalism
combined with a veneration of guns, violence and oh yeah, some Reformation
theology thrown in.
This is not to say there aren't
plenty of problems with much of the theology that came from the Reformation.
But that's another issue.
What is most offensive is the
fact that it is evident these people have adopted a Consequentialist philosophy
in how they approach the world. The end justifies the means.
Having seared their consciences
they feel no compulsion to be truthful or to even seek after the truth. They
have the answers even when the facts and data are against them.
This is why these radio shows
can have experts and historians on the show to talk about the First Crusade and
then misrepresent what it was about. Twenty-five years ago Christians rightly
viewed it as shameful and not worthy of the Christian appellation. Today it is
justified and in some cases... almost venerated.
The show I was listening to in
its coverage of the First Crusade (from a Christian worldview) somehow omitted
the murderous laying waste of Jerusalem in 1099 or at the very least played it
down. Somehow Norman knights from Latin Christendom (which since 1054 had been formally
severed from the East) were coming to 're-claim' the Levant? Really? That was
their intention? That's why Baldwin went and established the County of Edessa
right? As usual the story is far more complicated than pop-coverage of
historical events.
I'm sorry to say it but NPR
would have done a much better job.
There are a lot of angles to be
discussed and no doubt motivations are complex. But these supposed historians
aren't even going to touch on these issues. To do so would muddy the waters and
harm the agenda.
What's the agenda? The
reconstitution of the great heresy known as Christendom.
In the end the entire broadcast
was a lie.
Even after years of watching
this occur, sometimes I'm still left astonished. For some time investigative
reporters have worked to uncover the vast network of Koch and Big Oil money
that's working its way through the various activist groups and yes, religious
organizations. By working through proxies they can hide their tracks. Some diligent
investigation has been able to uncover part of the network.
Sadly it's no surprise that
Church leaders have once again proven the dupes and pawns of more powerful
interests. It's hardly anything new.
Calvin Beisner the propagandist
for the Cornwall Alliance actually had the audacity to appear on Mefferd's
programme and suggest that Environmental groups affiliated with the Evangelical
Left are taking money from wealthy donors and multi-million dollar foundations.
He was suggesting that it compromised their integrity!
Talk about chutzpah. Wow.
He insisted that Cornwall only
takes money from people who will sign on to their statement of faith.
Is he really that deceived or
just being deceitful? Truly I cannot tell. Most likely it is more than a little
of both.
Yes, Koch et al. funnel the
money to foundations and funds that are run by individuals connected with the
Christian community. These representatives will happily sign Beisner's little
statement and hand the check over. But they're plugged into the larger Koch and
Exxon networks and the money is ultimately traceable back to these larger
corporate entities... which have a great deal of interest in seeing naive
gullible Christians manipulated... but would have very little interest in
signing on to the doctrinal statements. The Koch's are hardly Christian Right material
but their John Birch and Libertarian ideas often overlap and they find the
Christian Right to be useful to their overall agenda.
What I don't understand is
there are plenty in the Christian community that know better or at least
should.
I suppose in the end many of
these folks succumb to the temptation of riches, the desire for fame, or the
need to promote a new book.
I must say after years of
partaking of Christian media, I've also lost a great deal of respect for many
Christian leaders. In some cases these men I'm thinking of are even themselves critical
of political Christianity or perhaps even how it manifests itself in the
American context. Some are critical of the larger Evangelical movement. That is
to be commended.
And yet... they are quick to
appear on every show from the likes of Mefferd to Glenn Beck.
They're not there to challenge
these frauds. They're on the shows to promote their books or discuss another
topic that avoids any controversy.
But again if they listen to or
watch these shows they will know the hosts are disingenuous, lack integrity, in
some cases intelligence and certainly have no interest in the truth. By having
them on... they're just using them for the larger goal.
Why then do they appear? I've
asked many of them but for the most part they've refused to answer me. The fact
that they don't dispute what I say about Mefferd and Beck is (at least to me)
kind of telling. I guess they're happy to be used?
Even though I'm strongly
against Dispensational theology I've respected John MacArthur for many years. I
benefitted from his books on Lordship back in the 1990's. He helped me better
understand the false Gospel system of Cheap Grace that had led me astray for
many years.
But then to hear him appearing
on Glenn Beck's programme? Even if MacArthur falls into the Americanist trap on
occasion, to appear on that charlatan's programme? Where's the integrity?
I guess in the end if you're
going to name a Bible after yourself, there's an evident misguided motive. The
money some of these guys bring in just beggar's belief. It's hard to imagine
they're genuine pastors of the flock when they're taking salaries in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Some of these men have done
much to help the Kingdom but at the same time I fear they will have much to
answer for and in many cases have built a great deal on straw.
In some cases I must wonder if
they're not the false prophets Peter warned us about who are making merchandise
of God's people. Did we think they would all be as obvious as Benny Hinn?
By covetousness they
will exploit you with deceptive words
