In keeping with my deeply held belief in diversity and the wonders of cable TV, I decided tonight to watch The 700 Club. For those of you who don’t know, the Club is a human interest news show produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN.) The lead face of this little Jesus cult is Pat Robertson. On tonight’s show, he was interviewing a Urkranian Jew for Jesus living in Jerusalem. This woman had been in the vicinity of a terrorist bomb but luckily survived. She creditied, of course, her survival to JC himself. Another story was about a teen who, to be popular, drank and smoked a little. But, fretting the hollowness of that existance, decided to walk in the path of JC and reclaim his purity. The best segment, though was about a campaign they are doing called Stand United in Prayer. From their site:
We are on the eve of the most important election in our history. So much is at stake: our National Security, the future appointment of Supreme Court Justices, our Christian heritage and even our most basic freedoms.
Yet, our country is so deeply divided. The battle for the hearts and souls of Americans is raging as never before. The Bible tells us that “a house divided cannot stand.” It’s time to unite and pray for America.
On September 24th, we will launch 40 days of prayer and fasting for America. Please join with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and pray for the upcoming election. May God give us godly and righteous rulers who will do His will. Take a moment and sign up now to pray together for America — declare to the world and future generations that “United We Stand.”
Another interesting part of the website contains a link to their Sanctity of Marriage campaign. Since I love you guys so much (bless your souls,) I’m going to show you the nifty little bumper sticker they have created:
Isn’t that precious? Allelujah!
However, I must admit, the 700 Club is polshed and professionally presented. The two women hosts this night looked very wholesome (read, less dowdy than Lynne Cheney.) One was a plumper white woman and the other was a very light skinned black women. Although I’m not a big fan of the nuveau-Church Lady look, they were agreeable targets of my gaze. There is also a great feeling that the anchors are speaking directly to you. After each segment, one of the anchors moralizes about what’s just been shown for about a minute. As they go on and on about Jesus and love and redemption and salvation, the camera very slowly zooms into a face shot. Their words are hypnotic, and you are literally drawn towards these conduits of Christ.
Now we all feel lonely at times, or unclear about direction. Very cleverly, during each broadcast, they post a 1-800 number, and show a bunch of clean cut operators supposedly talking to callers just off to the periphery of the set. Other partisan shows, like the Daily Show, leave the viewer agreeing with many things, but then off bed. These people go for the kill while the carcas is still steaming. Draw them in, get one phone call out of them, give them a free gift, get their mailing address, snag a new name on the Republican/Christian Coalition roster and get you some votes.
It’s fiendishly clever.
I am Jewish and although I am not particularly religious, having religion be a component of my being, I beleives, sometimes helps me to reflect. I know, Ayn Rand would not be happy, but then again, she’d have one or two other beef’s with me as well… I don’t need to go to temple all the time, keep kosher, or even observe the sabbath every week. The level at which I hold my religious beliefs is deep within me, and certainly not something I’d like to push on others.
But in a way, I can see the lure of these individuals. They shure as heck look friendly and happy. In a modern world so disconnected (i.e. individuals ranting about personal issues to strangers in blogs,) I can see the need to have something to beleive in which is beyond yourself. Organized religion is a great way to fill that void, and of those for whom it does, power to them. And, if in addition to creating personal happiness, it teaches compassion and kindness for other humans, then it is certainly a good thing. In that sense I’m a friend of religion.
But when the right Jews are Jews for Jesus, when our leaders must be followers of Him, and when the Constitution is looked upon as a means for enforcing discrimination, then I wonder if religion is such a good thing after all.