Olympics: a breath of media fresh air

Getting caught up in the Olympics is easy to do. The thrill of victory. The heartbreak of defeat. And the rush of seeing our country do well. After all, it is a patriotic affair. And who doesn't get in touch with their humanity when the inspirational stories are told? The first double amputee running in the regular Olympics (from South Africa). A young American who made it on the track team after having both legs blasted with buckshot. Numerous athletes from various countries competing after having operations or losing loved ones. Each of these inspirational stories, with very few exceptions over the years, can have a positive affect on us if we take them to heart. They are lessons to learn, lessons to pass on, or simply a positive uplifting tale that allows us to relish the good in humanity for awhile.

from MadHatter 17

from Deviant Art Website



Dwelling on the positive in humanity is far better than filling our minds with all the negative stories you hear daily on the news. In fact, when a scandal pops up during the Olympics, for the most part, they try to play it down: which is the exact opposite at any other time.

I am not saying that the negatives during the Olympics are not reported, of course they are, but it does not over-shadow the rest of the games, achievements, and stories like it does when the Olympics are not going (with a few exceptions).

from Pazzles.net



It would be great if all forms of the media would play down the negative stories in favor of positive, inspirational, and uplifting topics. After all, if you take the spotlight (or celebrity status) and other benefits away from all negative behavior we would see a decline in such behavior. Unfortunately, the media in this country (and all others) loves to reward bad behavior with celebrity status: the more inhumane the behavior the more media coverage it receives.

Nearly every textbook relating to human psychology touches on the simple truth that if bad behavior is continually reinforced or rewarded the behavior will continue, and often increase. In other words, it is no surprise that as our laws become more liberal and progressive -- following a more liberal and progressive society that does not want to insult anyone, including criminals, and giving their abnormal behavior more tolerant and clinical names -- we will continue to see the "progressive" decline of this once great nation.

Remember the adage "we are only as strong as our weakest link." As long as more and more people in this country accept negative human behavior -- whether as a participant or tolerating it through inactivity -- more links in the American chain will weaken and be ready to crumble when eventually put to the test.

from communities.washingtontimes.com



So I hope you enjoyed these Olympics. It was the rare breath of fresh air when positive stories out number negative in media coverage. And if your smart you will learn the lesson that positives can teach. Sadly, the media never seem to grab hold of that fact... except during the Olympics.

Chrislam: a decision we all need to make

We have been hearing about the Chrislam religion for several years now. It is the unifying push by many religious leaders to combine the Muslim and Christian beliefs into a single religion, and it started with a so-called simple comparison of similarities between the two. Many people have even voiced the opinion that Chrislam may be the foretold One-World religion. Thus, it is clear that all believers need to take a stand on this issue. It is too important individually and collectively to leave to chance, or worse... like leaving it only to the radicals.

photo from Time Magazine





There are some high-profile people on both sides of the issue. However, the presense of the high-profile personalities appears to be detrimental to the primary issue. As I perused the online fare regarding this topic I found that the issue has become more of a personality war instead of a search for the truth. A perfect example is the warring factions of Jack Van Impe versus Rick Warren and Robert Schuller. The media hype surrounding this "he said - they said" controversy has become so bitter that roughly 90% of the responses are simply choosing sides between the various personality camps. The Van Impe followers blast Warren and Schuller's progressive stance in buddying-up with Muslims, and Warren and Schuller's followers blast Van Impe for being an arrogant know-it-all who continually boasts about how many verses he's personally memorized.

Unfortunately, while the two primary sides pick the personalities apart very few are actually spreading what God's Word says about the issue. And the rare times when God's Word is injected into the conversation it is not the main focus and is overlooked, intentionally pushed aside, or shouted down by opposing comments. The warring factions appear so concerned with "being right" in the public's eye that the truth has become the casualty.

Personally, I am not a fan of Schuller (based on personal experience), but I do respect Van Impe and Warren. Sadly, I believe they were both well-intentioned in the beginning, but this media driven feud has skewed some of their decisions. For instance, Warren and his camp insist that he does not believe in Chrislam. They claim Warren is simply gaining close ties with non-believers (just as Jesus did) so that he might be able to lead them to salvation in the future. Unfortunately, some of his actions appear to over-step biblical boundaries.

It is true that Christ came not for the well but for the sick and lost. However, God's Word specifically tells believers to not be "unequally yoked" with unbelievers. And when Warren puts himself in positions that appear to suggest more than a casual association or tolerance, as a high-profile pastor, his actions portray acceptance of being unequally yoked. Warren may honestly be well-intentioned but his actions are detrimental to various believers who view him as being unequally yoked. And this may cause his supporters to view the other believers who think Warren is unequally yoked as being in the wrong... which is untrue. As a pastor Warren has greater responsibility in God's eyes. And God's Word tells us that even if eating meat is not wrong for us, we need to abstain from it in the sight of those that it is wrong for, so we do not cause them to stumble in their spiritual walk. And Warren's actions are clearly a stumbling block to many believers since this media battle has come to the fore-front.

photo of Jack & Rexella Van Impe

from whme.com



On the other hand, Van Impe could have gotten his point across far better without creating a media firestorm by pointing fingers and picking a few names to openly challenge and condemn. If he had simply pointed out God's Word and showed why the actions violated the biblical account readers and viewers would have had nothing but the facts to ponder. Instead, he chose to name-drop high-profile names (probably for marketability) which would no doubt be looked upon as a personal attack by the individuals named and their followers. Thus, they get defensive and the war of words begins... pushing the real issue into the background.

Investigation of God's Word in comparison to the Muslim beliefs show two separate and distinct Gods. There are dozens of other differences as well, including the various roles of Jesus/prophet/Madhi that are tossed back and forth in the debate. Furthermore, there is a ton of evidence available showing that Muslim leaders have a militant agenda against true Christians. Those leaders have publicly threatened to kill Christians, claimed that a Muslim flag will fly over the White House (which Obama apparently is in favor of), and will eventually be the sole religion of the world when they are through.

I have personally come to grips with how I believe on this topic. I believe God's Word. You need to study the Word for yourself and make up your mind on this issue. Choose wisely or answer to God for it later... and that includes who you help get into the White House.