Hillary Tells All ... Well, Her Doctored Version
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
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Going straight to the Cross
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Don't follow this modern model, on two counts.
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COLUMN: Thankful
Hillary Tells All ... Well, Her Doctored Version
by A. A. Neale
The big to-do in the U.S. these days roils around
Hillary Clinton's new book of old tales. For eight
million dollars up front and bunches more to be
doled out later, the former First Lady spills the
beans.
But it's not about money, not completely, anyway.
Most everybody recognizes what she's up to,
clearing the way for a run for the White House.
It's power, pure, unadulterated power. Her book is
a softener, getting us public rags ready for the
big wash.
Hillary represents everything the indecent,
immoral liberal element in America loves. Nothing
she can do will displease them, because they speak
the same language, though not all of New York
state thinks their Senator is the greatest thing
since sliced bread.
You might think otherwise, but this article isn't
about Hillary. It's about our public face, mine
and yours. Two problems keep popping up to mar the
image.
First, like Hillary, we think we need a spin job
to catch the public eye and win support. Try these
examples on for size, from yesterday's Agape
Press:
"Some Ohio churches are jazzing up their services
with movie clips, rock music, theatrical lights,
and giant video screens. Pastor Bryce Davis says
Eastside Christian Church in suburban Cincinnati
has increased attendance ten-fold since adding
high-tech equipment. Nearly 1,600 people came to
Easter services this year. And Gail Rizzo,
director of worship, technology, and drama at
Mount Carmel Christian Church, says the church
wanted to make sure it was using every available
tool in its services. So the church has installed
enormous screens that project guest speakers
beamed into the sanctuary by satellite. An
elaborate speaker system pipes rock music into the
church to introduce the sermon topic, and
theatrical lights spotlight actors performing
Bible stories."
Whoops! They forgot the smoke or dry ice or
whatever makes the ground boil to make the
performers look like they're floating on clouds.
And how about suits with lights? Or bring the
preacher flying in on a hidden wire, like Peter
Pan. That ought to get their attention. Or maybe a
theatrical Matrix-Star-Wars-kung-fu battle to show
how real the battle is between good and evil. If
not, why not? You can take this just as far as you
want to to take it, because once you get away from
the simplicity of the gospel and the Biblical plan
of worship, the imagination's the limit.
This isn't church, it's Hollywood in religious
garb, and it just plain stinks as it rises to
Heaven.
That's the first public face. The Lord's order was
for edification not titillation. Go read 1
Corinthians 14.
Here's the second one. Like Hillary, lots of us
religious folk show a hypocritical face. Lots of
people are laughing at Senator Clinton's mock
surprise at Bill's shenanigans. As if she's going
to convince anybody she's the poor victim.
Well, the polls say people who claim to be a part
of Protestant Christendom don't live any better
than their non-religious neighbors. I think it was
Barna who said the Baptists are breaking up their
marriages quicker than most folk. There are
reasons for that, a main one being, to my mind,
the faith-only doctrine of salvation that says
that even if you don't live it, it doesn't matter
anyway because once you got it you can't lose it.
Be that as it may, the big evangelical world is
just as perverse as its pagan neighbors. The
denominationals are drinking and doping, divorcing
and dancing, double-timing and defaulting just
like everybody else, and putting on a pious face
on Sundays. When they go.
That trite phrase, "walk the talk," was invented
among people who, as a rule, don't do it. Will the
one body, the Lord's church? If it doesn't, it
will cease to belong to the Holy One.
And if the real Christian tries Hillary's ploy,
he'll be the laughingstock of the world. Just like
her.
It's time we threw away the masks, and got real.
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