Message must be clear, part 2

Yes, it is the season of bashing Christians. While America is getting ready for the sensationalism of an alleged Tomb of Jesus in the film with the same title, our own Swedish TV, the one we pay for, the one I pay for (and have to pay for), has devoted a whole prime time evening to showing the "real colors" of Christianity.

I do not blame them.

Why?

Because this evening, more than anything else, shows that THEOLOGY MATTERS.

What I have just seen is embarrassing, to put it mildly.
The evening kicked off with "The Root of All Evil", in which, as you probably already know, Richard Dawkins is not hiding his despise and hatred towards religion in general, and Christianity in particular. His objectivity is close to zero, but he has no trouble, especially with the disgusting cooperation of one Ted Haggard, to prove his point.

Next item was a Swedish documentary, "Hallelujah Wedding". Two young Christians are preparing to get married... Members of a Pentecostal church, another painful watch, when the main occupation during the service is running around, jumping and dancing, shouting and gibberish...

And the final item - "Jesus Camp", quite a film, it appears, with another dubious set of theology and brainwash, this time on kids. And Ted Haggard encore. One of the little girls had a pretty clear opinion about churches where people "are just sitting and worshipping". She called those "dead churches". If you do not jump, shout, cry, run about - you are dead. Did you know that? Shame on us, dead reformed baptists...

Some short episodes from within the films - preaching with a nonexistent Bible, this young husband-to-be trying to witness to some young men, telling them only that Jesus loves them and blessing them (they could care less), Ted Haggard making some low-level jokes in the arena of his mega church, fat lady showing gadgets she uses to brainwash the children, a fanatic pro-life activist with no understanding of child psychology making small kids weep over the tiny dolls representing fetuses... I could go on and on...

Two levels of disgust.

1. As a Christian, I do not appreciate this type of unfair journalism. What this evening showed is not Christianity, but a caricature of it. This is not the Faith I know and embrace. It is very easy to reject Christianity having THIS picture in mind. Nobody wants to leave reason for a circus, right? But the angle is clear here: a well-designed propaganda in order to ridicule, just in time before Easter. Congratulations, SVT (Swedish TV). But I do not think I want my money spent on this.

2. As a Reformed Baptist, I must repeat my cry from Message must be clear - post. People reap what they saw, plain and simple. I am glad I have seen those films, especially the last one. Now I have a much better understanding what my brothers and sisters in the USA are up against with. Christian Research Network depicts and uncovers a multitude of these things. When you only read about it, you give it some thought, of course, but when you see it with your own eyes, it goes beyond anything you could ever imagine. It is scary. I am scared when I see believers confessing the prosperity teachings. I get scared when I see brainwashed children, I get scared when the Bible is forgotten and put aside in favor of jumping and shouting.
Suddenly I like this poem very much...

Theology matters. You who are responsible for this mess - think about it. Deep and long.

But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
(Luk 12:48)