The media's job is to tell the truth.
It's not as easy as you think.
Let' face the fact that the media often
has an anti-Christian bias. Here is a case in point. I just watched Kirk
Cameron this morning on "The Today Show." The interviewer questioned
whether it was right for him to talk about his religious views in
public, including homosexuality. This shows the bias of the media
because they would not be asking the same question to someone who is for
homosexuality and gay marriage. They assume anyone who thinks
homosexuality is sinful must be a bigot or a hate-monger.
Let me give you a personal example here
in my town of El Paso. My ministry made headline news for being listed
as a "hate group." It was not listed because we hate anyone, but because
I believe homosexuality is a sin, and I shared my views as to what I
think are some of the causes of same sex attraction. However, most reporters
gave the benefit of the doubt, not to me, but to The Southern Poverty
Law Center. Eventually it later came out that this group labeled us a "hate
group" because one person unilaterally decided to do it. Yet, this
made headline news. One person moved the media to put out this story,
not because anything was truthful, but because it was negative.
Bias news reporting looks for negative stories on godly people.
However, few news agencies in El Paso
wanted to cover the important story about how hundreds of
Christians are afraid of being jailed for participating in the
democratic process.1 This is why we need godly news reporters
to counter the anti-Christian bias.
Fortunately there are some good
reporters that are willing to tell the truth, even if the political
party in power looks bad. But those reporters are rare.
I do believe God is raising up
courageous reporters—maybe you—that are willing to risk their careers to
tell the truth and to report on the positive benefits of spiritual
faith. There is more to reporting than digging through corruption; it is
also doing positive stories about good things ordinary citizens are
doing. In the end, these ordinary citizens are often people of deep
religious faith, but sometimes the heart of their faith is not
mentioned. To mention their faith is considered too offensive to others.
Reporters should be telling the story of people's faith and how it makes
them better people.
Let's face the real facts: people who
go to church regularly and live by their faith are better people and
produce better children than those who don't. Want proof? Governments
like Cuba that are atheistic have a high rate of abortions and
astronomical divorce rates which should tell you what atheism produces;
yet atheists are wanting to make our country a secular nation, and the
media seems to go along with this philosophy.
The media has an obligation to side
with "truth" and there is nothing more "truthful" than Jesus Christ, who
claimed to be "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).
That's why spiritual conversion is so
important for every person, including reporters. When Christ lives in
someone, that person will be guided by the Holy Spirit and when the Holy
Spirit comes "he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Not
just "some" truth, but "all" truth. It is truth that reporters claim to
seek. But without the Holy Spirit, reporters are often led astray and
end up bringing forth stories that are untrue or needlessly negative.
As a born again, Spirit-filled believer
you have what it takes to be a reporter.2 You have the One
living in you to guide you to the truth. We need more of these types of
reporters in the media.
6. Mountain of
Arts and Entertainment
Hollywood has played a huge role in
shaping our culture. For good reason, people need leisure, and so they
look to the silver screen and television to entertain them. In the past,
Hollywood had ethics. They knew how influential they could become. They
could shape culture. So they made sure that movies and shows did not
harm society. Today, Hollywood has no scruples. They put out filth,
trash, violence, porn, cussing—you name it—they put it out. And they do
it because it "sells."
However, greed should not be the
motivating factor for those involved in arts and entertainment. There
has to be some self-guiding, self-motivating factor more important than
making money. It has to be lifting up the human soul and inspiring
people to live better lives. Movies and TV shows can do this. Paintings
and sculptures can do this. Music, more than we realize, can lift or
debase the human soul. Just because it sells is no reason to put it
out. We have to look at our responsibilities to the world and mostly to
God. Are we acting responsibly in making that movie? Are we right in
producing that song? Are we liable for that painting?
Today, people have lost their
connection with God, and so they lost their conscience. God is raising
up men and women of God who are willing to enter the dangerous field of
arts and entertainment. Hopefully these Christ-like-minded believers
will begin to change the way arts and media have been operating. Maybe
they can show producers that they can make entertaining films, TV show,
and documentaries and still make decent profits while still profiting
society.
7. Mountain of
Education
Children are more impressionable than adults, and that is why atheists,
secularists, and gay activists go after our children. If they can change
their thinking about God and morality, then they can change the culture.
They want to usurp the parenting role, and if you as a parent let them,
then God help the next generation!
Surveys have shown that people know
less about the Bible, attend church less frequently, and view important
moral issues in a different way than past generations. It is no wonder
today's generation is increasing becoming more acceptant of abortion,
gay lifestyles, sex outside of marriage, easy divorce, gambling, doctor
assisted suicide and a host of other important issues that affect our
culture. And their views are becoming less aligned with the Bible. The
reason is simple: children are suppose to be taught moral truths that
are the underpinning of a stable society, yet in today's schools,
including those in higher education, the schools are undermining
biblical and moral teaching.
To counter this, God is raising up
people to enter the teaching profession. These godly teachers recognize
that teaching is a calling from God. You don't have to teach at a pulpit
in church to make a difference. You can teach in front of a black board
in school and make a huge difference. We need teachers to exemplify
godly and moral principles.
It's not just teachers that God is
raising up, but he is raising up administrators, because in the end, the
administrators often determine the curriculum. Be open to how God may
lead you in education. Don't be moved by the little pay that is often
the norm. Feel the call. Let God use you in the education of children,
teens and adults.
Move
the Mountains
You have been challenged to move the
mountains that stand in the way of God's kingdom. It's time to get
involved in these seven mountains. You may not be called equally to all
seven mountains, but I think you can involve yourself in some way in all
the seven mountains. However, certain mountains will beacon you to move
them. Get involved in changing our society for the good. You can make a
difference. You can move the seven mountains of cultural change.
1 Not
once has the news covered the simple fact that El Paso's District
Attorney has presided at the CountyCourthouse during the worse
political corruption in El Paso's history. And not one reporter is
asking how this corruption could have taken place in the CountyCourthouse under the nose of the
District Attorney, and why it took outside law enforcement agencies to
make these arrests. Does anyone think that our District Attorney was
unaware of these illegal activities? I am not saying he knew it, but
where is the investigative reporters? Yet, he wants to indict and arrest
me and other Christians under the pretense that he is cleaning God's
house, however he has yet to clean his own house. But this does not make
the news.
2 This
is not to say that a person must be born again to be a news reporter.
However, reporters are not in the same class as doctors or electricians
where their faith or lack of it will influence their job. A reporter
tells stories, and one's philosophy or religious persuasion will show
itself in the story. Do not think for a moment that someone who rejects
Christ, Who is the truth, will be able to tell the truth without bias.
In the end, their bias will come out. Satan is called the "father of
lies" (John 8:4). Bias comes from "spiritual lies" that people have
bought into. If a person has not been born again, then Satan still rules
them. And no matter how hard they try to tell the truth, lies will come
out.
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