I offer this to identify a failing of many, many Christians. We have been subjected to endless admonishments of acceptance of others. We are commanded to love one another and to “look for the beautiful, look for the true.” With this charitable attitude it is easy to allow our guard to be lowered and to be drawn into dangerous traps and snares,
It is not enough to “know God;” we must also be savvy enough to recognize Satan in all his various poses. Looking for a red suit, horns and a tail would certainly identify the adversary, but unfortunately he does not assume this cartoon identity. He comes dressed as others in our acquaintance, equipped with glib speech and an other-worldly ability to deceive. Through treachery and guile on his part and a wholesome Christian outlook on the part of the believer we observe an imbalance of purpose which enables us to stumble, or at the least be pictured as doing so.
This was abundantly apparent in the Gibson/Palin interview recently featured on ABC. As I watched I was somewhat disappointed in the result. It appeared disconnected and not up to the usual level I have come to expect from Governor Palin.
Thanks to Mark Levin, I now know why.
He has furnished a complete transcript of the interview as it originally took place. The text he supplies is the original, as recorded, with only one addition. In a comparative evaluation, Mr. Levin has taken the trouble to show, in bold face and underlined that which was edited from the original. The editing has removed significant portions of her answers to critical questions and paints her response in a far different light than she intended.
The net result is to provide a useful piece of propaganda tailored to suit the needs of the opposition party. Missing on the ABC presentation are the powerful statements in regard to our national defense, energy policy and relations with foreign governments. The artful editing then projects a view of Mrs. Palin which is remote from her views and remarks as previously established.
She is the victim of a fault which most of us have fallen for at least once in our lives and probably more. She extended trust where caution would have been better advised. I am appalled that her managers did not recognize this potential honey trap and take the necessary steps to avoid it. Allowing ABC to do their own editing is equivalent to sending the fox to guard the hen house.
As individuals, we are bombarded with false promises and shady propositions on a daily basis. If you doubt this; check your mailbox or turn on your television. There is a huge industry of people who indulge in double speak and for that matter double cross. You experience offers constantly to brighten your smile, lose pounds of ugly fat, better your love life, and make millions buying gold, real estate, junk bonds, time shares and prosperity gospel.
Open your bible at random and see how far you have to read before God imparts a clear warning to be wary of deceivers. It is a constant recurring theme. Like much other advice which He so lovingly provides it often goes unrecognized.
Life is not all puppies and fuzzy kitties. It is laced with pitfalls and devious devices which I truly believe are the works of Satan, which prey on our obligation to love and accept others. This acceptance is necessary to carry on the work of the Lord but it does not require that we become fools in the process.
I freely admit to outrage in the example cited. This is a problem which I shall work out with the help of my Redeemer. I can only pray that it heightens my awareness and prepares me to deal with the vicissitudes which life presents and continue to work for that which serves my brother, my family, my nation, and most important, My Lord.
In His abiding love,
Cecil Moon
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1 comment:
Cec,
That is the way it has been for over thirty years with these types of interviews. They do not negotiate on editing either, unless they don’t have a message to manipulate.
My mother used to speak for the NRA in T.V interviews. Tom Browchow was the worst. He made my mother look like she could wait to shoot her next victim. He made a cold-blooded murder look like the victim and my mother like the Ma Barker. In reality she and shot and wounded a man that had killed her coworker and shot my mother in a robbery of a store she managed. Due to her level head he was caught and is spending a life sentence in jail.
My mother was well spoken and prepared for the attack questions. However, once the editors were done with her she was made to look ridiculous by her own words. She finally stopped doing such interviews.
Years later, Oprah was given my mothers name by the NRA to contact for on air shooting lessons. My mother told her no, she had better ways to spend her time. Like teaching her grandchildren how to shoot.
My mother’s story is included in the book “Safe, Not Sorry” by Tanya K. Metaksa, pages 115-120.
Adrienne
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