This week, I have been studying an American Government course. It is really eye-opening to see how our government works (or doesn't work). -But more than that, our founding fathers had a lot to say about the constitution they created. John Adams said that the constitution was "designed for a moral, godly nation. If any one else attempted it, they would fail." He went on to say that America "is not built on religion, but on Christianity... the gospel of Jesus Christ." So amazing! Yet, we never hear that today. Why? Well, I came across one reason for that too.
Reading through some amazing political races, it struck me time and again how much the media influences people’s voting. Instead of the media reporting on popular opinion, the media writes the opinion. To control the beliefs of the people, you must first control the media. It is no wonder that righteous politicians have such difficulty filling an office position. -They have to first cater to the media; and the media is liberal.
Sometimes, as in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the papers care nothing for the politicians or administrations, but rather about acquiring more readers. In fact, these papers lower their standards of journalism to exaggerate phenomena and give their readers a sensational “high” causing them to want future editions. Making wide use of color, comics, and pictures give this type of newspaper the title “Yellow Journalism.” These types of articles are slanderous and outrageous- but there are no rules to govern what media can or cannot say, so long as they can prove a lack of malicious intent! No one really checks the information they hear on the news. They just assume that the TV or the radio or the newspaper knows what they are talking about. The things we hear may be entirely false!
Now, I didn't intend to write this as a "slam" on media, but rather as a challenge to Believers. Very rarely do I check out the information that I hear through the "news," and I am not the one to encourage those reporters who do honest work. Even more than that, I find it easy to be just like the world: claiming rights at the expense of others or their reputation, finding numbers or popularity more important than integrity, using big words and colorful arguments to cover up sin... the list goes on and on.
One example is loud, rock-n-roll type "worship" teams at churches to make people more "comfortable" and inflate church attendance. Unfortunately, not only do churches accept mediocrity and even wrongdoing to bring in more unbelievers, but individual Believers lower standards to fit “in” with their peers. We are taught that if we make the gospel with more sugar and less salt, more people will accept Christ. Take out the part about SIN and just talk about God's LOVE and how you can come-as-you-are. This thinking is so dangerous! If we refuse to let our light shine, we are actually blowing out the candle of the gospel!
The challenge to me is, do I impact my area as the media influences the nation? Am I willing to be separate from the world, or do I succumb to “sensational” popularity? An I willing to call sin what it is and get right with God again? I must live in the world but of the Kingdom, and allow Christ in me to bring people to Him.
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