TV EVANGELISM (12-2003)

I don't normally watch Pat Robertson's "700 Club" TV show. But I
do occasionally watch its lead-in, "Whose Line is it, Anyway." So
sometimes, if I forget to change the channel, I find the tube
filled with Robertson's image, spouting off right-wing
commentary.

When that happens, I usually turn the channel with all due haste.
But a few nights ago, Robertson had a guest that was so far to
the right that he would have made Hitler seem like a moderate. I
had to watch for awhile just to be sure of what I was hearing.

The guest was Ryan Dobson. He is a young man that travels around
the world speaking at various fund-raises and Christian rallies.
His passion for speaking has made him a big name in dishing out
religious propaganda. 

The interview was mainly centered on his new book, "Be
Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid." As I listened,
red-faced, he detailed how certain groups, like scientists and
homosexuals, desired Christians to be more tolerant of other
people's stances in life. Ryan spoke out against that, saying
Christians should be more intolerant of those that are non-
Christian, and basically be more condemning. 

Dobson aired the comments from a couple of other Christian
preachers. One woman said that, although she believed her path to
Heaven was through Jesus Christ, she could not in all conscience
condemn others who may have found their own paths. She would
simply live by example.

But Dobson, in his great zeal, chastised her, saying she was
absolutely wrong and that she, and those like her, would go to
hell if they did not follow Jesus. "Muslims are all going to
hell," he said. "It is sad, yes, but I do not say this to sound
arrogant or condemning. I say it out of love and because I care." 

Please, give me a break. 

He then went on his tirade against homosexuals and how Christians
should be proud to own the absolute truth in the universe. He was
so full of himself with his ultra-conservative propaganda that it
made me wish I could jump into the tube and throw my hands around
his neck.

Then I realized that I should not be so angry at the young man; I
should, instead, pity him. He is so blinded by his beliefs, and
so judgmental of others, that he can't possibly be a happy man.

I am also comforted to know that not all Christians believe as
Dobson does. Tolerant Christianity is the focus for the majority
of those who consider themselves to be Christian. This silent
majority doesn't need televangelism to give expression to their
beliefs. 

The most common misinterpretation in the Bible comes from John
14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me." 

Too many Christians justify an exclusionary view of their faith
on the basis of this passage alone. It is more properly
translated to mean that Jesus is the Messiah. It describes the
role of Jesus in the reconciliation of God and mankind.

Remember, according to the bible, humans are saved by grace, not
by faith. We all enjoy God's grace, whether we know it or not, or
whether we acknowledge it or not. Therefore, there are many paths
to God.

Through the history of our world, people like Mr. Dobson are the
ones who have started the bloodiest of wars. He embodies the most
brutal deaths and horrendous theocracies. For every woman that
was stoned in Afghanistan, and for every witch that was burned in
Salem, his name resounds. 

Be intolerant. Be condemning. Be more close-minded and obstinate.
Do it for love and do it for Christ. But do it without me. And I
just have to congratulate Mr. Dobson for having it all figured
out.