The Power of Truth

I have never watched Duck Dynasty. I certainly don't have anything against it, in fact I applaud the Robertson family for their work in putting a wholesome show on the air. I just don't happen to really watch TV, hence, I don't pay too much attention to it. That being said...

"Evil peddles tolerance until it is dominant then seeks to silence good."
-Chaput

For background on where this post is coming from, I recommend reading Yes, You Will be Made to Care. It is an excellently written post, and I don't want to spend space rewriting it it my own words. Once you've read that, head on back. :-)

I am not going to rant about how ridiculous the suspension is, because I believe that ignores the real truth behind what is going on. I will not go off about 1st Amendment rights, because A&E is a private entity. There will also be no bemoaning of just how far down the tubes our culture has gone because, let's face it, if you are reading this blog you probably already have a pretty good idea about that.

Instead I want to write about the reality behind what we see happening. If you read my previous post Covert Attack, this post is the other side of that coin. In this case, instead of parading "Christians" acting in an unchristian way, the goal is to promote Real Christianity as unchristian and evil.

I see it working like this:
1. Read an interview where Phil Robertson states a belief that is considered "wrong."
2. Put him on "indefinite" suspension (which really means nothing, "indefinite" can mean a day or a decade).
3. Watch as reporting on the situation says he has been suspended for "Anti-Gay" comments.
4. Promote the idea that Real Christianity is not "Christianity", and is, in fact, bad.

Number 3 is where the attack lies. As CS Lewis said, words are important. Words have meaning. When every report of this situation states "Anti-Gay" comments, the goal is to normalize the thought that anything said that does not explicitly endorse the gay lifestyle is "anti-gay." You see it all the time in the (rapidly growing) list of reports on how people who do not wish to use their services to promote same-sex marriage. It is never enough to say "they stand by their beliefs," of that they "disagree with the event." The refrain is that they are "anti-gay," which is to say, they hate all gay people and never want to help or serve them in any way, shape or form.

See, the attack doesn't lie in the initial attack. The attack lies in the aftermath. It is an attack not on a person, but on a mindset. On a belief system.The attack is one of the mind. Really, A&E is only a tool of the attack (whether it recognizes it or not).

In Matt. 10:22 Jesus says,
"And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved." 

In John 15:18-20 He says,

"If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are no longer one with the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours."

^{Understand that the world hates Christianity. The world is a place of darkness, and darkness hates light. It will stop at nothing to bring Christianity in line with itself. If it cannot do that, it will stop at nothing to silence it and make it yield.}

^{Do not expect to win this battle on earth.}

^{I don't say this in a defeatist way or to make people feel helpless Remember, our victory comes when Christ returns. Our victory will be total, complete, and undeniable.}

^{Our real victory comes in showing Christ's love to all, and showing it in truth. Our victory comes when we takes Jesus' message to everyone: gay, straight, criminal, rich, poor, hungry, needy, comfortable - everyone; and bring them to the glory of the Father.}

^{I am not saying ignore the culture war or have nothing to do with it. I am saying focus on what our real focus should be - saving the souls of those who do not know God. I am saying fight for the real truth without falling for the distractions that keep us from spreading God's Word.}

^{The power of Truth is Life.}

^{The Power of Truth is Victory.}

^{God is The Power of Truth.}

^{And no enemy, whether it is in front of our faces, of coming from the side, will be able to stand against it in the end.}

^{So stand up for righteousness and truth and Phil Robertson.}

^{But make sure you are standing for God first.}