Yesterday, National Public Radio fired long time reporter/commentator. Juan Williams for remarks he made at his other journalist stint as a commentator on Fox news. Clearly left of center, I usually find myself in disagreement with Mr. Williams, but I have ,also, found him to be “cut from a different cloth”- a man who can at least lend his mind to thoughtful discussion, and even concede a point, or two.
But you see there is nothing truly public at NPR; free speech is dead at the nation’s national network. Thought is controlled, and those who present and comment upon the news must remain consistent and faithful to the policies of those who navigate the good ship NPR.
Mr. Williams was part of a larger discussion of a controversy involving Bill O’Reilly's appearance on a recent episode of The View. O’Reilly was excoriated by the female hosts for emphasizing that Muslims killed Americans on 9/11. O’Reilly felt that by now most American’s should know that it is given he meant radical Muslims.
Mr. Williams admitted to feeling nervous on occasions when he was on plane with Muslims that were obviously Muslims from their attire and behavior, he became nervous and uneasy. He, also, commented that he felt people would have been upset if people started referring to right wing radical terrorists who blew up the Oklahoma City building as the Christian bombers. (Personally, I can’t see how that analogy holds. We don’t have any taped farewell from McVeigh saying he did this for the glory of Jesus Christ, as we do for many Muslim terrorist who dedicate their acts to Allah.)
In other words, while Williams was gently chiding the host for a poor choice of words, he was man enough to admit to a new reality in this country. Shame on NPR for denying his right to speak the truth! The true measure of a man is not that he would have such thoughts. The times we live in stir them up. The true measure of a man is that he honest about them, and that does he controls them, so they do not control him and so that the fabric of our society remains intact.
When more budget austerity measure are taken in the next congressional sessions, let the axe fall on NPR. To all of you who flock to get your news from NPR, because you like it commercial free, calmly delivered, without anger and any confrontation…..just what exactly have you been getting? Selected news, and now manipulated commentary. Eliminate any voices that sing a different key, and we will all sing the same song. We don’t need its tyrannical reign over what was supposed to be the public’s radio.
"D"
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Glen Beck's Great Awakening
Glen Beck , who I admire, for exposing socialist/Marxist corruption in the current administration and for his passion in educating the public on the Republic, the Constitution, and U.S. History, has taken an unfortunate turn. Armed with a values centered theme of Faith, Hope, and Charity, he seeks to restore America to its foundational purity. On the surface, this seems an admirable and necessary goal.
Beck ties the ability of the Founding Fathers to undertake the American Revolution to the effects of the first Great Awakening. This position has strong historical consensus. It is an undeniable fact that the Great Awakening was an inherently Christian movement based on a salvation and sanctification through Jesus Christ resulting in a personal relationship with Him.
Currently Beck calls, as he did in Washington D.C. on Aug. 28, for a third Great Awakening. (Just calling it a third might be a matter of dispute, as some historians claim there was already a third one beginning in 1857.) Whereas, I can ignore an occasional exaggeration, historical misinterpretation, or even set aside Beck's irritating dismissal of the President's birth status controversy, to listen to him speak on the many areas where we agree, he has placed in my path a critical divide-an essential matter of faith.
Beck's pseudo-Awakening is not a Christian movement, and therefore, cannot be a Great Awakening. Neither could it produce the desired effects of the genuine movements. Beck's is man-based and universalist concept that calls for every man who cherishes the core values to call on his own god and look to that divine spark that each man carries within himself for guidance.
True works of the Holy Spirit, the Great Awakenings were purely Christian. I do not swallow that each of us has a "divine spark". Unsaved, each of is a depraved sinner, separated from God. You, also, cannot have a Great Awakening led by a Mormon. A Mormon might be a constitutionalist, moral, sincere, and any number of desirable things, but he is not a Christian, as defined by Scripture.
In fact, the Bible has provided us with the a very succinct guideline to check out the whole of Mormon theology. Paul was having his own trouble with individuals preaching another gospel and wrote in Galatians:
Gal !:6 I marvel that you so soon are being moved away from Him who called you into the grace of Christ, to another gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another, but some are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed.
Joseph Smith the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormon) reputed to have received the other gospel, the Book of Mormon, on golden tablets from the angel Moroni. Amazing that centuries before, we had been left a warning against a future, powerful deception. Believing Christendom has become very complacent and accepting of Mormons, because they are an appealing group. They are a moral, patriotic, clean-living,family-oriented, and charitable. Yet, they are not just another Christian denomination; they are heretics, because they have embraced a radically changed gospel.
Faith, hope and charity are not just "values" people!!! They are gifts of the Holy Spirit to true believers. In the regenerate heart of a believer, these life-changing gifts impact others in ever widening circles-family, friends, neighborhood, community, city, state, nation. That is how the first Great Awakening resulted in the founding of our Republic and its parallel in Great Britain saved that country from a bloody "French-style" revolution. The Second Great Awakening produced the anti-slavery movements and missionary movements on both sides of the Atlantic.
Beck's movement is doomed. A movement based on values will collapse on itself, because unlike the true gifts, mere values can be eroded. Beck is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Sadly, I could believe that he may not even realize that he's been hiding the sheep pen dressed in disguise. Fellow believers, pray that the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to him and that he repents and that Glen Beck experiences a personal and genuine great awakening.
For the present, believers cannot choose to invest their time, effort, and money(even indirectly) into a man who is misdirecting us from the truth of God's Word no matter how much his words tickle our ears, or stir our hearts. Be led by the Spirit of God and not the spirit of a man.
"D"
Beck ties the ability of the Founding Fathers to undertake the American Revolution to the effects of the first Great Awakening. This position has strong historical consensus. It is an undeniable fact that the Great Awakening was an inherently Christian movement based on a salvation and sanctification through Jesus Christ resulting in a personal relationship with Him.
Currently Beck calls, as he did in Washington D.C. on Aug. 28, for a third Great Awakening. (Just calling it a third might be a matter of dispute, as some historians claim there was already a third one beginning in 1857.) Whereas, I can ignore an occasional exaggeration, historical misinterpretation, or even set aside Beck's irritating dismissal of the President's birth status controversy, to listen to him speak on the many areas where we agree, he has placed in my path a critical divide-an essential matter of faith.
Beck's pseudo-Awakening is not a Christian movement, and therefore, cannot be a Great Awakening. Neither could it produce the desired effects of the genuine movements. Beck's is man-based and universalist concept that calls for every man who cherishes the core values to call on his own god and look to that divine spark that each man carries within himself for guidance.
True works of the Holy Spirit, the Great Awakenings were purely Christian. I do not swallow that each of us has a "divine spark". Unsaved, each of is a depraved sinner, separated from God. You, also, cannot have a Great Awakening led by a Mormon. A Mormon might be a constitutionalist, moral, sincere, and any number of desirable things, but he is not a Christian, as defined by Scripture.
In fact, the Bible has provided us with the a very succinct guideline to check out the whole of Mormon theology. Paul was having his own trouble with individuals preaching another gospel and wrote in Galatians:
Gal !:6 I marvel that you so soon are being moved away from Him who called you into the grace of Christ, to another gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another, but some are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed.
Joseph Smith the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (Mormon) reputed to have received the other gospel, the Book of Mormon, on golden tablets from the angel Moroni. Amazing that centuries before, we had been left a warning against a future, powerful deception. Believing Christendom has become very complacent and accepting of Mormons, because they are an appealing group. They are a moral, patriotic, clean-living,family-oriented, and charitable. Yet, they are not just another Christian denomination; they are heretics, because they have embraced a radically changed gospel.
Faith, hope and charity are not just "values" people!!! They are gifts of the Holy Spirit to true believers. In the regenerate heart of a believer, these life-changing gifts impact others in ever widening circles-family, friends, neighborhood, community, city, state, nation. That is how the first Great Awakening resulted in the founding of our Republic and its parallel in Great Britain saved that country from a bloody "French-style" revolution. The Second Great Awakening produced the anti-slavery movements and missionary movements on both sides of the Atlantic.
Beck's movement is doomed. A movement based on values will collapse on itself, because unlike the true gifts, mere values can be eroded. Beck is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Sadly, I could believe that he may not even realize that he's been hiding the sheep pen dressed in disguise. Fellow believers, pray that the Holy Spirit reveal the truth to him and that he repents and that Glen Beck experiences a personal and genuine great awakening.
For the present, believers cannot choose to invest their time, effort, and money(even indirectly) into a man who is misdirecting us from the truth of God's Word no matter how much his words tickle our ears, or stir our hearts. Be led by the Spirit of God and not the spirit of a man.
"D"
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Traffic and Weather
Have you ever noticed how radio stations lump traffic and weather forecasts together on their broadcasts?
"Traffic and weather together on the 5's."
Wonder why this is? I think I've figured it out.
The weatherman and the traffic reporter are in competition to see who can pull off the biggest hoax on the radio.
If a weatherman says, "dusting of snow", be prepared for at least 3 inches.
If a weatherman says, "sunny day", take your umbrella.
If he talks about the latest super-duper technology that they just purchased, it means the 2010 quarters have finally arrived.
The traffic reporter is no better.
I have sat in a 3 mile back-up listening to the traffic reporter describing a light traffic morning with no delays.
I've heard that there are major delays due to an accident at Exit X only to find no accident and no back-ups in my commute.
What about their traffic cams? I'm convinced they arbitrarily pull up archival material and use that as the basis for their traffic reports.
On I-95, the overhead signs now give you an estimate of how much time it will take to get to the Capitol Beltway. I guess this is supposed to give us the feeling that we are in line for a ride at DisneyWorld. It doesn't. It's also wrong most of the time.
Some days the weatherman wins the contest and some days the traffic reporter wins. But, most days, I'm the loser.
"Traffic and weather together on the 5's."
Wonder why this is? I think I've figured it out.
The weatherman and the traffic reporter are in competition to see who can pull off the biggest hoax on the radio.
If a weatherman says, "dusting of snow", be prepared for at least 3 inches.
If a weatherman says, "sunny day", take your umbrella.
If he talks about the latest super-duper technology that they just purchased, it means the 2010 quarters have finally arrived.
The traffic reporter is no better.
I have sat in a 3 mile back-up listening to the traffic reporter describing a light traffic morning with no delays.
I've heard that there are major delays due to an accident at Exit X only to find no accident and no back-ups in my commute.
What about their traffic cams? I'm convinced they arbitrarily pull up archival material and use that as the basis for their traffic reports.
On I-95, the overhead signs now give you an estimate of how much time it will take to get to the Capitol Beltway. I guess this is supposed to give us the feeling that we are in line for a ride at DisneyWorld. It doesn't. It's also wrong most of the time.
Some days the weatherman wins the contest and some days the traffic reporter wins. But, most days, I'm the loser.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Second Temptation
People rush to see a movie that outlines major catastrophes that they believe are foretold by the Mayan calendar. They aspire to interpret quatrains written hundreds of years ago by the French seer Nostradamus. They look to the heavens for deliverance by aliens in UFOs.
Yet, these same people scoff at the prophecies given to us in the Holy Bible...even though they can see the fruit of these predictions on an almost daily basis.
What exactly did Jesus tell us to look for? Earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights and great signs in the heavens, the seas and the waves roaring. I sit here typing and listening to the reports of Hawaii preparing for the tsunami generated by the 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile early this morning. The signs are on your television news and the front page of your newspaper.
In Mark 8:18, Jesus asks his own apostles, "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" He could just as easily have been addressing the current population. I often wonder how people can embrace the false prophets and reject the word of God that spells out SO CLEARLY what is going to befall our world. Then I remember there is another player in this drama.
Satan.
In 1 Peter 5:8 Satan is described as "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The sad thing is that his victims are willing victims. They would much rather embrace a lie that casts them as all-powerful than surrender themselves to the true Prince of this world. Not only do they accept the lies of Satan as truth, they seek to recruit others to the cause.
Isaiah 59:14 says, "For truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter in."
Let's consider global warning. In the face of growing scientific evidence that reduces the global warming "evidence" to the level of a hoax people still hold fast to the claims of Al Gore and his ilk that we are responsible for global warming which in turn is responsible for all of the ills of mankind. Pretty handy when you think about it. This is Satan's lie to explain all the natural catastrophes that Jesus told us were coming our way. Like one size fits all, one lie fits all.
Earthquakes? Global warming.
Famines? Global warming
Pestilences? Global warming.
Insomnia? Global warming.
Stupidity? Global warming.
I can imagine what Satan plants in the minds of people:
"It's not God's hand, it's man's hand. After all, didn't I tell you that if you ate of the fruit in the garden, you would be like God? Well, the proof is in the pudding....man is causing all these problems because man has become like God with control over the very elements of nature."
He slithers into our lives to tempt us yet again with the illusion that we can become God-like under his rule. All we need to do is disregard God and subscribe to his empty promises.
You have heard the truth. Believe what you will. As for me, I know that my redeemer liveth and I will lift up my head because I know my redemption draws near.
Dee
Yet, these same people scoff at the prophecies given to us in the Holy Bible...even though they can see the fruit of these predictions on an almost daily basis.
What exactly did Jesus tell us to look for? Earthquakes, famines, pestilences, fearful sights and great signs in the heavens, the seas and the waves roaring. I sit here typing and listening to the reports of Hawaii preparing for the tsunami generated by the 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile early this morning. The signs are on your television news and the front page of your newspaper.
In Mark 8:18, Jesus asks his own apostles, "Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?" He could just as easily have been addressing the current population. I often wonder how people can embrace the false prophets and reject the word of God that spells out SO CLEARLY what is going to befall our world. Then I remember there is another player in this drama.
Satan.
In 1 Peter 5:8 Satan is described as "a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." The sad thing is that his victims are willing victims. They would much rather embrace a lie that casts them as all-powerful than surrender themselves to the true Prince of this world. Not only do they accept the lies of Satan as truth, they seek to recruit others to the cause.
Isaiah 59:14 says, "For truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter in."
Let's consider global warning. In the face of growing scientific evidence that reduces the global warming "evidence" to the level of a hoax people still hold fast to the claims of Al Gore and his ilk that we are responsible for global warming which in turn is responsible for all of the ills of mankind. Pretty handy when you think about it. This is Satan's lie to explain all the natural catastrophes that Jesus told us were coming our way. Like one size fits all, one lie fits all.
Earthquakes? Global warming.
Famines? Global warming
Pestilences? Global warming.
Insomnia? Global warming.
Stupidity? Global warming.
I can imagine what Satan plants in the minds of people:
"It's not God's hand, it's man's hand. After all, didn't I tell you that if you ate of the fruit in the garden, you would be like God? Well, the proof is in the pudding....man is causing all these problems because man has become like God with control over the very elements of nature."
He slithers into our lives to tempt us yet again with the illusion that we can become God-like under his rule. All we need to do is disregard God and subscribe to his empty promises.
You have heard the truth. Believe what you will. As for me, I know that my redeemer liveth and I will lift up my head because I know my redemption draws near.
Dee
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