The Harsh Backhand of Christianity

I receive email notifications from the AFA (American Family Association) periodically, as I'm on their mailing list. Here's a copy of the most recent, regarding the demise of a television show called 'The Book of Daniel':

Because of your efforts, NBC cancels 'Book of Daniel'
Dear William,
NBC's anti-Christian program The Book of Daniel has been cancelled! Your efforts, combined with those of hundreds of thousands of other AFA Online supporters, had an impact. NBC's decision to pull The Book of Daniel shows the power of the pocketbook. NBC didn't want to eat their economic losses. Had NBC not had to eat millions of dollars each time it aired, NBC would have kept The Book of Daniel on the air. Because of your efforts, the sponsors dropped the program. NBC then decided it didn't want to continue the fight. Even an impassioned plea by Daniel's producer Jack Kenny could not match your participation. "Ordinarily, I would never ask anyone to do this, but the AFA and bullies like them are hard at work to try and prevent you from seeing these beautiful shows, and that is censorship pure and simple. And that is both un-Christian and un-American," Kenny wrote. His attitude is typical in todays society. Non-Christians telling Christians what is Christian. People like Kenny don't want people like you to have a voice. They want to deny you the right to get involved. You are supposed to sit back and take the trash. And when you do speak up they call you names. This shows us that we don't have to simply sit back and take the trash, but we can get involved and fight back with our pocketbooks. I want to thank the 678,394 individuals who sent emails to NBC and the thousands who called and emailed their local affiliates. Thanks for caring enough to get involved!
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family AssociationP.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends

Now I've never seen this show, but from what I've heard it's really bad television. I would assume the network higher ups misunderstood the groups they were trying to reach. I would assume they were trying to reach the same folks (christians) who went nuts over 'The Passion' or 'The Chronicles of Narnia', but woefully missed the mark. Not surprising, considering their lame attempt at adapting the OT to TV about 6 or 7 years ago. I seem to remember this made-for-TV movie about the OT in which the writers placed Abraham, Lot and Noah in the same time period and I also seem to remember a lot of really bad acting and lame jokes as well. It was terrible, and I don't just mean the poor biblical adaptation (it was obvious the writers never even so much as cracked a Bible open)!

Now I don't intend to get off on some wild tangent about TV and the corruption of the church. However, I want to build a case which makes it clear that, basically, we act either as tools of Satan, tools of God or sons of God. However, I want to focus on tools of Satan, with regards to focusing on the flesh.

Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Another implication of these verses, from a demonic perspective, is: Satan desires for us to focus off of God first, and then the spiritual realm altogether, including himself, thereby leaving us to focus on other people as the real enemy. The problem is, in many cases, we're falling right into Satan's designs. Many in the church see themselves as better then the unsaved and worse still; see other believers (at times) as the enemy.

Where is the grace, forgiveness and love towards the unsaved and each other? We do all this wickedness in the name of righteous anger and defense of Christianity. Look at this quote from the above email: "His attitude is typical in todays society. Non-Christians telling Christians what is Christian." I see a real problem with this statement and resultant worldview and I'm concerned about the number of Christians prescribing to this. Not only does this statement seem very grammatically clumsy, but this also illustrates my point about Christians focusing on the flesh. From what I've heard this show would've been canned anyways, but the focus by a Christian group on this show has given the writer justification for venting his anguish and frustrations on Christians. Did this perceived victory really accomplish anything for the kingdom? Was Christ really glorified? Did Christianity protect the name of Jesus Christ? God is perfectly capable of "protecting" His glory.

Isaiah 43
But now, this is what the LORD says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.
The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Do these words sound like the words of an impotent God who needs man to protect His glory or His people? Think about this: We are the new priests, God's witnesses. What is the job of a priest, of a witness? Our sole role, as believers, is to proclaim the glory of God and rejoice in the salvation His son Jesus Christ has bought for us. All or our words and actions should spring from this living water. With this worldview in mind it should be clear that the Christian's role is to do everything in love, through this lens of sacrifice.

Hebrews 12:28-29
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

I want to be clear that I'm not against sharing information or even pointing out the issues with a TV show, movie, book, whatever, which basically mocks christianity. Of course I'm not against fast responses to false teaching. However, we all need to be careful about leading or teaching others. If we lead we lead others (according to the gifts God has given us) towards Jesus Christ. If we teach, we teach (If God has given us this gift) about Jesus Christ, for He is the only way to salvation.

James 3:1-2
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.