John Birch Radio Continues to Spread Confusion

VCY's Crosstalk might as well be called John Birch Radio as figures associated with the far right-wing society regularly appear on the programme and in general terms what is passed off as Biblical Christianity and commentary is in reality little more than thinly veiled Bircher ideology.

And alongside this is just a lot incoherent rubbish. This message recently sent out by VCY typifies this – the muddled thinking at the heart of today's Evangelical movement and (in this case) what's left of Fundamentalism. Consider the following:

“Derailment Epidemic”

By Jim Schneider, Executive Director
VCY America

2023 has seen a host of train derailments.  And while derailments happen every year, this year has been notable for trains derailing carrying hazardous materials.  Much attention was given to the February 3, 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in which 38 cars left the tracks.  Being transported on this train was vinyl chloride.  Some of the railcars burned for more than two days in a “controlled burn” while releasing hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air causing the evacuation of many from their homes.

Just a week earlier on January 28th, another train derailed in Keachi, Louisiana spilling more than 10,000 gallons of acid products.  March 17th in Anacortes, Washington another train derailed spilling in excess of 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel.  Nine days later near Wyndmere, North Dakota 31 cars derail with some of them carrying liquid asphalt.  Four days after this in Raymond, Minnesota another train derailed carrying ethanol.  A fire breaks out from this derailment.

April 15th saw another train derailed in Rockwood, Maine causing a fire.  Aboard this train were hazardous materials involved in the fire.  Less than two weeks later in De Soto, Wisconsin yet another train derailed causing paint to be spilled into the Mississippi River.

Carrying hazmat materials, another train derailed June 24th at the Yellowstone River near Reed Point, Montana.  Petroleum products were among the materials reportedly leaked.

In addition to these train derailments carrying dangerous chemicals, multiple other trains including both passenger and freight have derailed all over the United States.

These derailments are a picture of what’s presently occurring in our society.  The morals and values our country once held are being derailed.  The result is that hazardous materials are being spewed into the air and wreaking havoc.

John Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, one of the framers of the Constitution, and the second president of the United States said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  Perhaps this best explains the derailment in modern society.  The moral and religious train has derailed.

Proto: This is a rather strange juxtaposition and transition. Adams is hardly infallible and for Christians we would never look at the document as 'ours' anyway – nor would Christians support the sinful revolution that birthed it.

But there it is – the United States came into being. What Adams refers to is a social consensus. Maybe that was there at one time – maybe not. But faith is not something that can be legislated and in reality the principles enshrined in the documents of the revolution have simply gone to seed – they were never Christian to begin with. VCY's Jim Schneider is trying to put back together something that was always broken. You can't re-heat rotted meat and think it's going to turn out okay.

VCY: The morality of our nation is falling apart at the seams.  School districts are secretly informing children how they can receive the “gender affirming care” they desire and happily directing them down the pathway of no turning back and facing a life of regret.  Secret information and new personal pronouns are being provided and practiced in a way to keep parents out of the loop. The state has become the surrogate parent.

The latest films produced by Hollywood are filled with mindless indoctrination.  Entertainers act as pied pipers leading lambs to the slaughter.  Corporate America has bent over backwards to see which of them can be the wokest of all.  The military is suffering from a recruiting shortage as they enact policies that cut at the very heart of military readiness and military cohesion.

On another matter, Maine just became the latest state to allow the killing of a pre-born child for any reason up to the time of birth if the abortionist deems the abortion “necessary.” Maine now joins six other states that allow for abortion up to birth.  Another derailment.

Indeed, the derailments across our society are many.  So much cleanup awaits, meanwhile lives are being wrecked.

Proto: More confusion. It's not our nation. It's Babylon and a Babylon confused with Zion is a dangerous thing indeed. No one doubts or denies the wickedness in the public school system. What does that have to do with us? Christians should not send their children to such schools.

As far as the state becoming a surrogate parent – this is where a degree of schizophrenia comes into play. On the one hand as good children of Enlightenment and American ideology there is a Libertarian tendency at work among many Evangelicals and Fundamentalists. Of course this is not Christian but they mistakenly think it so.

And yet on the other hand there is a growing tendency to reject the foundational assumptions of Classical Liberalism – which birthed American ideology and its notions of democracy, rights, limited government, the social contract and so forth.

These people want a moralizing state – one that legislates and enforces religious ideology and ethics. The two models don't go together very well. Though their mythology tends to present Puritan New England and the eighteenth century American Revolution as part of a seamless narrative they are in fact very opposed to one another and incompatible. The former was authoritarian and not based on the ideals of Classical Liberalism – and it too had its contradictions which played a part in its demise. These folks rail against state authoritarianism and yet would replace it with an authoritarianism all their own. They don't seem to even understand what they're about.

The entertainment industry has always been bankrupt. Does Schneider not realize that John Wayne films were often little more than indoctrination? He's concerned about a nanny state but I'm guessing he would want to return to the days of the Hays Code when under pressure from the government the movie industry censored its works – in other words the state restricted free speech and enforced a set of values – some of which were compatible with Christianity, some were not. Patriotism is not Christian and neither is deception or historical revision. That doesn't mean a commitment to the truth must be graphic or obscene but hiding the truth for the sake of decency or to promote a romanticized narrative is still a lie. One thinks of how many people like Schneider get upset when movies are made that make American soldiers look bad and the like. He is not interested in the truth and to quote a movie soldier – he can't handle it.

And on that note, look at how confused he is. He's upset about a drop in military recruiting. As a Christian I think this is a cause for rejoicing. I will admit it's probably due more than anything to cultural decadence but I still won't lament the degradation of the murder machine that is the US military. Schneider and his ilk celebrate this beast and the piles of dead bodies and destruction it produces. And as such his 'pro-life' concerns are bogus and bankrupt. He has no standing and as a Bircher he supports policies that lead to the degradation of life, the exploitation of the weak and innocent, and promote suffering.

VCY: But it’s not only the morality of the nation that is running off the tracks; religion itself has taken a wayward path.  We are in a time where people want to have their spiritual ears tickled rather than sit under sound Biblical preaching.   The latest fads, the trendiest services, the hottest entertainment, and the lack of standing on biblical authority all work together to derail the spiritual train.  Sermons get shorter, messages become watered down, and entertainment increases all for the purpose of getting more people to walk through the doors.  Sadly, the religious/spiritual train is experiencing derailments all over the country.

Proto: Religion has taken a wayward path. Who can doubt it? And yet I believe groups like VCY have played a large role in this. They tickle ears and want their ears tickled. They want American ideology and with it American wealth and power affirmed – and yet it stands condemned. Not condemned on the basis of secular liberal argument but in terms of the Scriptures.

I guarantee that the folks at VCY have little interest in sound preaching. That said, there's no doubt that the culture is sick and the Church in confusing its identity with the world (something VCY actively promotes), has led to worldliness and subjugation to corporate driven fads, consumerism, utilitarian ethics, and much else.

Does Schneider think his audience is spiritually healthy? I think not. The tension in his voice is palpable when it comes time to open the phone lines. His audience is an embarrassment and he knows it. They are not Biblically literate and they lack even basic discernment, even basic knowledge in many cases. This show has been on for years and yet this is what it produces?

I agree the American Church is in a sad state. But Christians sinfully singing 'My Country 'Tis of Thee' or 'America the Beautiful' is part of it and such idolatrous filth has no place in Christian worship.

VCY: It is said that the right investments in maintenance can help keep a train from derailing.  What are we doing to maintain the moral and religious beliefs upon which our nation was founded? 

It is imperative to get back to constitutional principles, such as the separation of powers and not overreaching where the Constitution does not allow.  We must put forth candidates that will follow the Constitution.  And it is imperative for citizens to be informed and vote. 

Proto: More blind leading the blind. Look at the pronoun confusion – 'we'. We who? We, America or we the Church? The two are confused in the minds of Evangelicals. To argue that lost people can act like Christians is futile and compelling them to do so only creates Pharisees and hypocrites. And Cotton Mather was wrong – 'better hypocrites than profane' is not Biblical and hypocrites (as functional apostates) are still profane and twice the children of hell.

If it's a question of we the Church, then we do not need to look to 'constitutional principles'. On the contrary 'we' need to set that aside and repudiate it and the assumptions behind it. By voting, Christians simply give sanction to an un-Christian system and ratify its flawed assumptions and ultimately sanction its actions whether or not the side you voted for won the day. And in doing so, such Christians damage their witness and open up the door to alien influences and ideology. Schneider is once again stunningly wrong.

VCY: But more importantly, believers in Christ must get serious and recognize that we are in a spiritual battle.  We must move beyond “playing church” and forming religious clubs and societies to give us a spiritual persona.  Rather we must be engaged in churches which uphold the authority of God’s Word and be active agents as salt and light.

It is critically important to reckon with the words written by Jeremiah, “O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.” (Jeremiah 14:7) 

Proto: I agree with this section but it is impossible to realize due to the seeds of chaos and confusion sown by the likes of VCY. This is the great irony. This is why it's a case of the blind leading the blind. It's as if they're treating a gunshot wound with poison. Maybe they're better off than some who don't even recognize there's a gunshot wound – but that doesn't mean they should be listened to nor should anyone buy their snake oil.

It is a spiritual battle – but sadly, Schneider is a wolf in sheep's clothing, an ear tickler who has great power when it comes to one very narrow demographic. He will have to answer for it.

VCY: Unless proper maintenance is conducted, more and more derailments will occur, noxious odors will be spewed into the air and precious lives will be lost.  There is much at stake.

It is time for spiritual maintenance. It is time for self-examination.  It is time for repentance.  It is time for change.  It is time for commitment.  The question remains: are you willing to take appropriate action? Or are you standing by and waiting for the next derailment?

Proto: It is time for repentance but Schneider and VCY can only produce false repentance and the very noxious odors he warns of in this awkward and flawed metaphor-analogy. Just because one side is evil it doesn't mean the other is good – or that there are only two sides to this larger equation.

Ultimately, there are only two sides – Zion and Babylon. A Tower of Babel with a cross on top is still a Babylonian tower and thus that's the side Schneider is on. The Church is in a bad way but he's part of it. Beware of such false teachers.