John 15:19-21
English Standard Version (ESV)
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
As Christians we've enjoyed a very friendly environment to practice our faith in the U.S., but make no mistake that is changing. There is a secular anti-God movement that is penetrating our culture. The irony is this country was founded in large part because of religious oppression, yet here we are 236 years later seeing the ground work to religious oppression being laid yet again. It's subtle and many will laugh it off as just entertainment and claim that we are reading too much into it, yet the road to oppression, hate and tyranny is always paved first in entertainment. The reason? Entertainment is simply a reflection of society. The tide is turning. Take notice Christian.
NBC Declares War on Christians
Published February 19, 2013
FoxNews.comDoes NBC hate Christians?
That’s what I was wondering over the weekend as I watched “Saturday Night Live” blaspheme Jesus Christ in a violent and bloody Quentin Tarantino parody – just three days after Ash Wednesday.
The fake movie trailer for “Djesus Uncrossed” featured the Savior brandishing guns and blowing away Romans in classic Tarantino-style. Blood and gore and profanity spewed across flat screens from coast to coast; at one point Jesus sliced a man’s head in half.
“Critics are calling it a less violent ‘Passion of the Christ,’” the announcer declared. “I never knew how much Jesus used the N-word.”
Offending Christians is apparently what passes for entertainment these days.
A few days before the SNL episode, NBC Sports blogger Rick Chandler wrote a scathing smear against a prominent Christian church in Dallas.
The First Baptist Church in Dallas had invited Tim Tebow to speak at an upcoming service. Chandler urged the outspoken Christian football player to reconsider.
“Tim Tebow to speak at virulently anti-gay, anti-Semitic Dallas mega-church,” read the headline on Chandler’s hit piece.
Sing Oldham, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention, told me he’s not surprised by NBC’s blistering assault on American Christians.
“It’s open season on those who profess personal faith in Jesus Christ and pattern their lives by biblical morality,” he said. “Evangelical Christians are treated with contempt and targeted for ridicule.”
And at the Peacock Network, the contempt and ridicule are on steroids.
NBC removed the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance during a produced video that aired during the U.S. Open.
NBC medical editor Nancy Snyderman infamously denounced the religious part of Christmas during an episode of Today.
“I don’t like the religion part,” said Snyderman. “I think religion is what mucks the whole thing up.”
The “religion” she was referring to is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
The network has also produced religion-bashing shows like “The New Normal” and “The Book of Daniel.” That particular show as so offensive it led American Family Radio Chairman Donald Wildmon to declare, “We are tired of NBC’s anti-Christian bigotry.”
I wish I could tell you that this sort of anti-Christian bigotry is an anomaly. Sadly, it is not.
We’ve seen the networks and national news publications denigrate the Christian faith with great flair -- from the “Good Christian B****es” of ABC to Newsweek’s Christmas essay about the “The Myths of Jesus.”
I find it interesting that the networks always mock and ridicule Christianity – but they give other religions a pass.
Why aren’t the writers at SNL churning out weekly skits about Islam – or the Prophet Mohammed? Where’s the mock movie trailer for “Jihad Undetonated?” Where’s the television show called “Good Muslim B****es?” Or the magazine essay about “The Myths of Mohammed?”
I suspect we all know the answer to why.
I’ve often wondered why the people at 30 Rock hold Christians in such contempt. Maybe they choose to attack Christians because we are easy targets.
Southern Baptist spokesman Oldham said it should come as no surprise that networks like NBC target Christians for ridicule.
“Jesus said, ‘the world will hate you because of my name,’” he said, referring to a passage in the New Testament.
As best as I can tell, the folks over at NBC are either ideological bullies or religious bigots.
Either one is enough for me to change the channel.
Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary and the author of
"Dispatches from Bitter America: A Gun Toting, Chicken Eating Son of a Baptist's Culture War Stories."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/02/19/nbc-declares-war-on-christians/?intcmp=obnetwork#ixzz2LRhjjFRu
Offending Christians is apparently what passes for entertainment these days.
