Posted by
Bob Siegel on Monday, November 09, 2009 3:21:27 PM
I spoke twice at a Presbyterian church in the Bay Area this past weekend. Part of the PCUSA, (a denomination that is becoming theologically and politically liberal) this particular local parish is still mostly conservative but with some liberal flavor trickling in. Therefore, the reaction to my teaching was mixed, mostly positive, but mixed. Unfortunately, those who are unhappy with a guest speaker make a louder noise. I guess they figure that the squeaky wheel will get the grease.
I am going to talk about two responses from the weekend but each in a separate blog since they were separate subjects.
Yesterday, in an adult Sunday School class of about 75 people, I taught on the bad reputation Christians have in the world, mostly based upon misinformation about Christianity. My lecture definitely hit some hot button subjects including, Militant Islam and Militant Gay Activism.
When I was done, a gentleman raised his hand and said in a friendly voice. "I think the purpose of Talk Radio is to entertain and shock people. I do not believe Jesus would have had anything to do with Talk Radio." (No, he didn't mean that radio hadn't been invented yet.)
If that sounds like a question out of context, you need not be confused because you did not miss anything. I hadn't mentioned Talk Radio even once, although I was introduced as a Talk Radio Host. Still, I responded to the words which seemed to come from out of no where.
I said to the fellow, "I disagree. There are all kinds of Talk Radio programs and it would be unfair to paint them all with one swift brush. Some are friendlier than others. As a matter of fact, many Liberals enjoy listening to Conservative Host, Dennis Prager because he is so nice to his guests. I treat my guests with respect as well, even when they disagree with me. But yes, I also do political satire, and yes, on the radio, one seeks to entertain. But remember, with radio, unlike television, people are forced to think because they are exposed to words and thoughts rather than flashy images. It's the next best thing to reading."
We then moved on to other questions. My feeling, at the time, was that this was a not so bright comment but an innocent comment. Most people who put down Talk Radio have listened to little, if any, and are instead responding to what they have heard about Talk Radio. Still, in my mind, no big deal.
It was later in the day when I had a chance to catch my breath and reflect upon the conversation. I realized that there was more going on than met the eye. Again, I had not said anything about Talk Radio in my lecture but was introduced as a radio host. This meant the gentleman made a calculated decision to inform me that my line of work was something Jesus would not do. I wonder if he thinks Jesus would go out of his way to be rude to a fellow brother in Christ. Alas, I doubt very much that such a question will keep him up at nights.
Discussing this incident with another individual, (the man who invited me out to speak in the first place), I learned that the guy with the radio comment was actually bothered by our homosexuality discussion but had refrained from bringing up his true concern. That is, he refrained from saying anything to me. He was not shy about talking with others.
I have written much about homosexuality and will not get into it again here. There is an article below that you can link into if you want to understand more about where I was coming from. Suffices to say that I strongly urged people to reach out to homosexuals with love and compassion without compromising their convictions. I also shared a story of a gay man who cried after hearing about Christ's unconditional love for him. But this was balanced with concerns about Militant Gay Activists, and the freedom of speech being slowly taken away from Christians for offering any objection to their lifestyle. In addition, I talked about the politics associated with declassifying homosexuality as an emotional disorder in 1973 and in that vein, I mentioned that in 1995 the APA also declassified pedephilia. I warned that the day might come when those who object to pedephilia will be called "pedephilophobes."
The gentlemen in question, when asked by my friend how he felt about my presentation, accused me of "fear mongering" and "deliberately polarizing people." He also called me a "terrorist." I know he heard the part about reaching out to homosexuals in love and I know he didn't once hear me call for any kind of violence. I also know that he was listening with his feelings and not with his ears. Since this provocative fellow is actually a doctor, my friend asked him if what I said about the APA was true. He admitted that it was but claimed that emotionally he hated my talk anyway. I'm glad he at least admitted the role being played by emotions.
The standards Liberals have for themselves, compared to what they expect from Conservatives, never cease to amaze me. I guess calling me a terrorist, was not fear mongering on his part. No, not at all. Neither was it an example of him being polarizing.
Also by Bob Siegel:
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