Wretched Radio begins in three, two, one. If the God of the Bible really exists, I would go gladly to Hell. And anybody happy to go to Heaven to worship such a creature is morally bankrupt. It is because God's wrath is real that His mercy is relevant. Unless you have a real wrath, the Biblical concepts of mercy and of grace are robbed of their meaning. It's time for Wretched Radio with Todd Friel. Have you ever wondered why so much of today's modern art... Todd, I think that's redundant. Why so much modern art... is so bad? This is Wretched Radio. Perhaps you're thinking to yourself, Self, what in the world does this have to do with Christianity? Answer, a lot. World views manifest themselves in culture. The philosophical mindset of the majority of people plays itself out in the physical realm. You can see evidences of what people are thinking in events. in culture, in the arts, and so it is with modern art. You know, the eh, eh, where it's just junk and you can interpret it any way that you want to and it makes no sense. That does not happen by accident. Okay, the art itself probably happens by accident, but it doesn't come out of nowhere. Why did art used to be so beautiful? Why did it used to be so identifiable? I know what that, I'm looking at it and I'm going, oh I know what that is. It's a mountain with a wagon going over the top. I got that. Now it's like, I think I see somebody who craves orange juice but can only have bananas put into a blender with a bunch of paint. I think. Oh, if that's what it means to you, that's a brilliant observation. What happened? What you're about to hear comes from Prager University. It's not really a university. It's videos from Dennis Prager. He's a Jewish talk show host. And I've said this before, I'll say it again. Love Dennis Prager. It's just that when it comes to religion... I've never heard him say anything right. Now, much of what he puts out in this Prager University is actually quite interesting, and you're going to hear a fellow who's an art critic, he's an art expert, talk about why so much of today's modern art looks so bad. And he's going to explain it, but he doesn't ultimately get to why. When you see behavior in culture, Trace it back. There's a worldview there. Why do we have these, what are they called, no-enter zones where the police can't go because the Muslims are there? Why is that that way? Go back. There's a worldview connected. It's called secular humanism, which, by the way, is where the art story really begins. Art used to be lovely. Art used to be pretty. The Mona Lisa, the Pieta, the girl with a pearl earring. For a score of centuries, artists enriched Western society with their works of astonishing beauty. the Rocky Mountains. Master after master, from Leonardo to Rembrandt to Bierstadt, produced works that inspired, uplifted, and deepened us. And they did this by demanding of themselves the highest standards of excellence, improving upon the work of each previous generation of masters, and continuing to aspire to the highest quality attainable. But something happened on the way to the 20th century. Now, he's going to give his explanation But ask yourself why? What motivated this? What changed it? The guy's name, by the way, is Robert Florczak. He's an artist, he's an illustrator, and he's an art historian. He's going to explain how it happened, but he doesn't get to why it happened. And I would suggest to you that we have bad art today because of the lack of influence of Christianity and the rise of the secular worldview, predominantly emanating out of The profound, the inspiring, and the beautiful were replaced by the new, the different, and the ugly. Today, the silly, the pointless, and the purely offensive are held up as the best of modern art. Michelangelo carved his David out of a rock. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art just offers us a rock. A rock. All 340 tons of it. That's how far standards have fallen. We went from David to Iraq. By the way, just a reminder, last hour we were talking about syncretism, the blending of a faith with another faith, or a faith with a worldview or two worldviews. David, the statue of David, is a great example of syncretism, Christianity and Greek philosophy. What was the goal of Greek art? It was to show the beauty, the perfection of the human form, that man is the measure, the standard of all things, and it was also designed to be erotic and regularly homoerotic. Why do you suppose King David, a man after God's own heart, appears in the buff? It is because Michelangelo, when he was carving the statue, was influenced by Neoplatonism, a new version of Greek philosophy. The Medici family, funding the art predominantly, had caused a great Greek influence to invade the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, the nude King David. the king of Israel, naked. Why? Because of the Greek influence on Roman Catholicism. Think Adonis. Think the thinker. Why were they in the nude? Because the Greeks had a philosophy about art. It was designed to show something, to teach something. And that is why David, the king of Israel, looks like a Greek model. Syncretism. Robert Florczak explaining why we went from King David, which is a beautifully carved statue, to an art display in Los Angeles of a rock, a boulder, a 340-pound boulder that people actually pay to see. He explains that it has happened, how it has happened, but not why it has happened. How did this happen? How did the thousand-year ascent towards artistic perfection and excellence die out? It didn't. It was pushed out. Beginning in the late 19th century, a group dubbed the Impressionists rebelled against the French Academy de Beaux Arts. Now, stop right there. He's right. We love the Impressionists. You've got your Monet and the Water Lilies. You've got your Degas. Oh, who doesn't love the ballerinas? Because you can sort of understand there was a bit of rules that still applied and yet fuzzy. Why? What was the rise of the impressionists and why France of all places? It was the fertile ground for secular humanism, dating back really to the 15th, starting in the 15th century, picking up steam in the 16th century. Look out 17th century with the Voltaires. Into the 18th century, ultimately July 14, 1789, the Bastille invasion. You saw everything Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic, but everything Christian shoved out, replaced by what? Reason. Humanism! Now we saw the reign of terror from that, but we saw the rebellion against rules, the rebellion against standards. So it starts out in France with the Impressionists, a rebellion against the rules. It's demand for classical standards. Whatever their intentions, the new modernists sowed the seeds of aesthetic relativism, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder mentality. Today, everybody loves the Impressionists. And as with most revolutions, the first generation or so produced work of genuine merit. Monet, Renoir, and Degas still maintained elements of disciplined design and execution. But with each new generation, standards declined until there were no standards. Why? All that was left was personal expression. Why? Why, why, why? The rules go out. Authorial intent. Bye-bye. Read a response. Why? Because nobody knows the truth anyway. Art represents worldview. Nobody can... What do you mean that's the rule? Why does it have to be done that way? Why not just throw some paint against a canvas and let people interpret it? That was postmodernism in its infancy. That was secular humanism which ultimately led to full-blown postmodernism. Nobody can know what is lovely How dare an artist! You decide what you like! And so increasingly, we went, predominantly coming out of Paris, coming out of France, because of the secular humanistic revolution that was happening there, it started to reflect itself more and more into art, until today we've got a rock in a Los Angeles art museum. The great art historian Jacob Rosenberg wrote that quality in art is not merely a matter of personal opinion, but to a high degree, objectively traceable. Nope. You see how that comes into contradiction with postmodernism and secular humanism? What do you mean objectively traceable? Everything is subjective. But the idea of a universal standard of quality in art is now usually met with strong resistance, if not open ridicule. Again, do you hear this? This art is reflecting the world view of the dominant growing secular humanist world view. No standards. How dare you? That's old school. Nobody can know those things. We, the individual, gets to decide all things true. How can art be objectively measured? I'm challenged. In responding, I simply point to the artistic results produced by universal standards compared to what is produced by relativism. The former gave the world the birth of Venus and the dying Gaul. while the latter has given us the Holy Virgin Mary, fashioned with cow dung and pornographic images, and Petra, the prize-winning sculpture of a policewoman squatting and urinating, complete with a puddle of synthetic urine. How did we get here? Sorry for that, but that's what they're hanging in museums these days. And there's worse. We edited those out for you. What's going on? Why does this happen? It is because it is a reflection of worldview. Now, let's go back a little bit further. Western art, the stuff that we admired mostly, came out of at least a philosophical system. Forgetting Christianity for a moment, a philosophical system that said, there are some norms, there are some standards, there are some things of beauty. Even the Greeks got that. Well, worldviews changed, and secular humanism, post-modernism, has kicked realism, objective standards, and Christianity out of the artistic world. artistic beauty in the West typically came because of Christianity and that is why if you ever get the chance to go to Edinburgh, Scotland and you walk down the Royal Mile and you get to the bottom you're going to see that glorious castle where the Queen hangs out. And then across the street is this hideous building, silver, with jutted angles that is just downright ugly. And you go, what is that? That piece of that building was basically a shout out to across the street. Hey, you with your traditions, old school. We're modern art. Look at us. And it was a rebellion against tradition. Art is never just art. It comes out of a worldview. Without aesthetic standards, we have no way to determine quality or inferiority. Here's a test I give my graduate students, all talented and well-educated. Please analyze this Jackson Pollock painting and explain why it is good. Now, it happens to be a piece of white canvas with some pretty colors all over it. Please analyze this Jackson Pollock painting, Modern Art, and explain why it is good. It is only after they give very eloquent answers that I inform them that the painting is actually a close-up of my studio apron. I don't blame them. I would probably have done the same, since it's nearly impossible to differentiate between the two. And who will determine quality is another challenge I'm given. Again, They're simply applying their worldview to art. If we are to be intellectually honest, we all know of situations where professional expertise is acknowledged and depended upon. Take figure skating in the Olympics. Please. Where artistic excellence is judged by experts in the field. Surely we would flinch at the contestant who indiscriminately threw himself across the ice and demanded that his routine be accepted as being as worthy of value as that of the most disciplined skater. And stop calling him Shirley. Again, this is its worldview hanging in your furniture store, its worldview hanging at your art museum. It's a reflection of rebellion. It's a reflection of humanism. It's a reflection of, there is no God. Not only has the quality of art diminished, but also the subject matter has gone from the transcendent to the trashy. Where once artists applied their talents to scenes of substance and integrity from history, literature, religion, mythology, etc., many of today's artists merely use their art to make statements, often for nothing more than shock value. Artists of the past also made statements at times, but never at the expense of the visual excellence of their work. It's not only artists who are at fault. It is equally the fault of the so-called art community, the museum heads, gallery owners, and the critics who encourage and financially enable the production of this rubbish. It is they who champion graffiti and call it genius, promote the scatological and call it meaningful. It is they who, in reality, are the naked emperors of art. For who else would spend $10 million on a rock and think it is art? Now, as a side note, if you do not like something that is in your store, who do you blame for that? Well, really, there's kind of a two-way street here. One is the public who consumes it and buys it, because there needs to be some form of demand. But then again, the public actually takes what is put out there for them. And so if you don't like what you see in stores, you can probably blame the buyers, because they're the one pushing that agenda. Why do I bring that up? Forget art for a moment. Think about your Christian bookstore. Who's responsible for that stuff? Well, a gullible, undiscerning Christian public, but also book buyers. The theology that you see in the Christian bookstore mirrors the theology of the buyer. And the same thing is true with art. This crummy, rotten, nasty art simply is an outcropping of a worldview. This is Wretched Radio. best movie night idea ever, On the Shoulders of Giants. It's your chance to see some gorgeous footage of Europe and learn about your Protestant heritage. Todd Friel is your tour guide on a European vacation, visiting historic Reformation sites and explaining the theological battles of our Protestant heritage. So get your copy of On the Shoulders of Giants at wretchedradio.com. Remember, your purchase helps us reach more people with the amazing gospel. This is John MacArthur with another edition of Portraits of Grace. Those who trust in Him now are forever covered with God's love. While we can't cover sins in the redemptive sense that God covers our sins, we can help restore the victims of sin. Peter said, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. When you become aware of someone's sin, be there to help them bear the burden and lift them up and thus reflect the heart of Christ. This is John MacArthur looking forward to bringing you more Portraits of Grace. you Why did Hitler believe it was right to exterminate those he believed were inferior? Why does America still practice eugenics? Could it be a natural extension of social Darwinism? Doctors David Berlinski, John West, and Richard Weikart ask and answer the question, what hath Darwin wrought? It's a tough answer, but it's an answer every Christian should hear. What hath Darwin wrought? At RichardRadio.com. Remember, your purchase helps us reach more people with the amazing gospel. Now here's a clip from one of our favorite pastors here at Wretched Radio. This is Steve Lawson. Recently I have spoken on various martyrs in church history and our hearts are greatly moved as we consider the price that others have paid who have gone before us in the faith. But nothing compares. to this ignominious death that our Lord and Savior died upon the cross. He certainly was no martyr, for He came into this world to die upon this cross for you and me. A death the likes of which no man, no woman has ever suffered here upon this earth. Others had died of crucifixion, but none ever died on behalf of a vast multitude of sinners pouring out His blood to purchase their eternal salvation, none other ever died suffering under the wrath of God as did the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we as Christians confront our culture with a message that is offensive without being personally offensive? Prepare to go face-to-face with our lost and confused culture. Join Todd as he dares to proclaim the gospel at Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, and the Minnesota State Fair. Speaking the truth in love is a delicate balance, so get your copy of Face-to-Face at wretchedradio.com today. Remember, your purchase helps us proclaim amazing grace. Thank you. Titles of Christ In the Bible, Jesus is given many titles that teach us about who he is and what he has done. Jesus is called God and Savior. If Jesus were only human, his death could not have paid our debt. But Jesus is both man and God, able to represent us, yet able to bear the wrath of the Father. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel. You know, There used to be a day where you'd get a newspaper, a magazine, you'd read an article, and you'd go, wow, that's a little wacky, but I trust that. These days, you can't trust the internet, and the world's getting so downright wacky, you just never know anymore, do you? This is Wretched Radio. According to Fox News, Our federal government, that means you and I, spent a little bit of money, $33,000. Now that's, I grant you, in government money that's not a lot, but I'd take it and be quite thrilled with it. $33,000 to find out if same-sex couples live close to tobacco shops. That's right, that's some research money being well spent. Federal government, yours and mine. Yeah? Wow. A National Institute of Health. That would be your NIH project. Entitled, Relationship Between Tobacco Retailer Density and Sexual Minority Couples. Reasons? No. No, they didn't. No. There was no reason in this whatsoever. That since many gay and lesbian couples live in cities, they may be close to stores that sell cigarettes such as 7-Elevens. Because you know what happens if we discover that's true? I have no idea really there's no reason given for this unless because don't forget smoking these days far worse than homosexuality tobacco use is substantially higher among sexual minorities than among heterosexuals how do we know the reasons for this persistent disparity remain unclear but the high toll of death and disability from tobacco use create substantial health inequalities and cancer So $33,341. Check that out. You think that's nuts, do ya? I do. Well, how's about this one? When it comes to competing for contracts, this is from Canadian business, being gay is a growing asset for business owners. You see, there's some government grants out there, some incentives for businesses to hire different businesses, positions. And if they hire those organizations that identify themselves as LGBT friendly, then you get extra money from the government. Because remember, the government doesn't promote one people group over- No. Another. Ever. yepper how's about this one real we've had enough frankly we have the stanford dean for religious life now stanford is stanford it's like the hobbit of the west well is it but there's is it still there's isn't there a stanford that's a baptist university in Alabama if I'm not mistaken. I'm thinking of the one in California. David Whedon went to Stanford to play tennis. By the way, if you're looking for a book, David Whedon is an excellent author. David Whedon has written a book. He's a tennis player. If you love tennis, you know David Whedon. Written a book, very gospel-centered, about his pooch, Ben. So if you love dogs, you know somebody who loves dogs, could be a good evangelistic book. Know somebody who loves tennis, could be a good evangelistic book. My boy Ben is the name of the book, David Whedon. He went to Stanford. And he would even be surprised at this. Well, he wouldn't be surprised, but... All right, is anybody looking for Stamford? All I'm finding is Stam... Stanford is in Stanford, California. The Baptist one. Okay, good. Then this is Stanford, the Dean for Religious Life. Uh-oh. This isn't gonna be good, is it? Who happens to be a lesbian? And all you got children with red... What? Dr. Jane Shaw identifies herself as not a very churchy person, advocated that the church welcome people more without converting them, and not even necessarily to do religion all the time. I've been saying that about McDonald's. Why do you rest food and hamburgers all the time? Why do they serve food all the time? I don't get it. They're so insistent on doing what they're made to do. Couldn't they do an oil change now and again? Come on. Oh wait, that would get back to the food, wouldn't it? She thinks that the churches should focus less on religion and more on art. Claiming the greatest current crisis now. That's a that's a big statement right there the greatest current crisis in the world You guessed it climate change She's an ordained priest in the everybody together now Episcopalian Church area there's a shocker right there At the swimming pool do the kids have to splash around in the water so much couldn't they do something else there maybe promote a Couldn't they teach calculus while they were at the pool? Something like that. See? Denny Burke commenting on the story. You recall, this is from last week. Old news is old news, isn't it? Do you remember Josh Lila Elkhorn? Josh kind of thought he was a Goyle. His parents undoubtedly encouraged that behavior. Well, he died. No, he actually, this story is the opposite. Actually, Josh was encouraged by others. His parents were Christians. My apologies. His parents were Christians. This is the one, because typically when you see the transgender stories, like, I think if I'm not mistaken, did I see that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have a boy that they're going to let dress like a girl or vice versa? Other way around, I think, yeah. You know, there you are, the other way around. There's no other way around. It's all just whatever. Really? Your old-fashioned sort of ways of identifying gender. You shouldn't correct anybody about anything, mister. Ever. So this young man killed himself. According to Denny Burke, the funeral had to be moved to a private location because the threats that the parents were receiving. Because that's tolerant. Terrific. That's what it is right there. Activist Dan Savage has been calling for Lila's parents to be prosecuted. And for the state to take their other children away from them. Because remember, you'll be allowed to keep your religion. Just practice it privately. And don't teach your children. You'll be fine. Otherwise, we'll take you to the gulag. Savage says that the state should be harsh and make an example of the parents. Why? Because he views taking the child to Christian counseling as child abuse, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment. Don't you worry. We're going to be just fine, Christian. We're going to be just fine. Writing further in his article, I thought some very helpful things. Garrett Kell has written an extremely helpful pastoral word in light of this young man's death. What would Jesus say to someone like Lila Elkhorn? That's a great question. We know the answer to that. It's in the Bible. There are eight statements that would be made to this young man. You are made in my image, and I love you. You are broken, you are sinful, just like everyone else. Number three, you have a unique struggle and I will use it. Isn't that a cool thought? Who's without a unique struggle? I mean, really. I mean, I guess at some point, if everybody's got a unique struggle, it's not unique, because if you're special just like everyone else, then nobody is. The point is that God takes our garbage. I'm not talking about sins. I'm just talking about our weaknesses, our propensities. says, I'm going to take you, I'm going to forgive you, and I'm going to put you to work serving me, representing me, to glorify me, to tell others about me. That is shocking. And if you haven't spent any time reminding yourself, because perhaps you've been saved for a long time, that you've forgotten about your brokenness, your deficiencies, that God took those and said, I'll forgive them all, and I'm gonna put you to work for me. And he did. Remember those things, remember those things. That he took you, took you, and he redeemed you, and he gives you a business card that says representative of Jesus Christ, and you get to talk about him. Wow. Jesus would say, I came to rescue people like you, so trust in me. Jesus would say, the journey is hard, but it's worth it, and I will help you. Jesus would say, your parents aren't perfect, but they love you. Jesus would say, go to my people. They will walk with you in grace and truth. Oh, the world heard that message louder. I was reading an article this morning by a guy. It was in the Sunday Opinion of the New York Times. And he's mad at us, Christians. He has heard, somehow through the grapevine, that his lifestyle challenges American democracy. That it is a threat to American civilization. Okay, is that true? I think you could make that case. But he's furious at us for that statement. Now, he shouldn't be furious at us for that statement. Because he should hear from us, hey, we'll help you. We love you. We've got the solution for you. We'll do whatever it takes to help you to walk and to do something far more noble than you've ever done before. Because we love you. We know Jesus Christ. We'd like to introduce you to him. He's your maker, he's your creator, and he stands willing to save you." Oh, that he heard that message. But it doesn't seem that he has. Instead, the headline of the article was, Gay Bigots and Religious Freedom. Who are the bigots? You and me. Now, is he right in his assessment? No, of course he's not. That's not the point. That's what he hears predominantly from us. And that should not be the case. This does not mean that we stop saying the things that we say, but we need to be saying other things louder. Remember, we are not Pharisees. We're Christians. We're not the morals police. We're Christians. We're not Republicans. We're Christians. We're not conservatives. We're Christians. We are not the clean-up-your-act people. We are the you-need-forgiveness people. Jesus would say, don't give up on life. I make life worth living. Indeed. And that should be our message to gay people too. Never watering it down. But if they don't hear that we're Christians, I'm telling you, we will have biffed on this subject big time, and I fear we already have. I think this was discussed last week, and I don't know why this story kind of hits me so... Canadian Mennonites. Go ahead and use your imaginations for a while. Canadian Mennonites. officiate first same-sex wedding in Saskatoon Canada Anita Retzloff and Patrick Preheim of Nutana Park Mennonite Church will see there's your first problem right there Anita Retzloff officiating at the Mennonite Church you see these things don't happen in a bubble usually proceeded with something the Mennonite Church in Canada officially opposes same-sex nuptials go ahead and guess what the next word is Last year, leadership announced that it would allow each congregation to believe as they wish on the subject to keep congregations from leaving the denomination. We did a little research, got the timeline. It turns out that immediately after that announcement was made last year, the devil sent out a memo and a text. None of the publicity agents, none of the news people picked it up, unfortunately, actually thanking the Mennonite Church for cracking open the door for a bunch of other sins. So he was pretty pleased with that. Actually probably sent out that text when Anita was ordained and they meant that is always the first it's always the first The first way to get the little camel's nose underneath the tent is to lift it with the issue of the role of women in ministry. I Don't think that there is a liberal Apostate denomination today that did not start out that way and it didn't start out with ordination it started out just a little bit a little more just a little bit a And then the next thing you know, you're the ELCA in the Episcopalian denomination. And unfortunately, a bunch of denominations right now are in the throes of that battle. If you are in one of those denominations, I would encourage you, fight for your denomination. If you leave, it's a goner. Fight for it until it's a fait accompli. Because we need good denominations and it is a whole lot better to try to rescue one than to watch one go down the tubes of liberalism and then have to go create a new one. Stay and fight for it. If you can. This is Wretched Radio. Studies say that the percentage of professing atheists is growing rapidly. Are you ready? Ready to answer their questions or refute their errors? You will be, with Wretched Worldview Atheism. It will equip you, encourage you, and provide you with everything you need to engage or evangelize an atheist. Wretched Worldview Atheism, available at WretchedRadio.com. Remember, your purchase helps us reach more people with the amazing gospel. Shortly after Chiang Lai and his family accepted Christ in 2012, villagers began threatening and harassing them. Village authorities worried that the Christian family would ruin their chances of being considered a model village by the communist government of Laos. Even when they destroyed his home, Chan Lai stood firm in his faith during everything that happened to him. He rebuilt and refused repeatedly to deny Jesus. Finally in 2014, authorities expelled him from the village. Now in a new village, Chan Lai's two children are not allowed to attend school. To learn what it means to serve God in Laos and many other restricted countries, subscribe to the Voice of the Martyrs free monthly newsletter at 875-VOICE. That's 875-V-O-I-C-E. Call 875-VOICE. The Voice of the Martyrs is a Christian non-profit organization. It never seems to stop people attacking the New Testament. They say the Bible's based on myths, or it's got tons of errors, contradictions. It's not the same as the New Testament that was written 2,000 years ago. Well, Dr. James White will answer all of those accusations and more in New Testament Reliability. This DVD makes it clear you can trust your Bible. Get your copy of New Testament Reliability today at wretchedradio.com. Remember, your purchase helps us reach more people with the amazing gospel. It's time for a drive-by minute. We have to make sure that we're authorities that reflect the kind of authority God exercises in our lives. That's not easy because sometimes authority typically means I'm going to impose my power on you. I'm going to get you to do what I want you to do because I've got the might. And after all, I pay for this roof over your head, Pally. Yeah, that's the way we often approach the issue of authority. And I think we really need to have a very different presentation. In fact, I think presentation is incredibly important. Rather than coming to our children with that power play that says, look, you live in my house. You're going to do what I say. We need to come with a very different presentation. that says there's a God in heaven who's good. In love and kindness, he's giving you a mom and dad who love you. It is a blessing for you to live under mom and dad's authority. And we insist on your obedience because we know that's what's good for you. There's a world of difference between those two presentations. You can get drive-by parenting and all of our drive-by resources at wretchedradio.com. Witnessing to someone you know and love can be, well, terrifying. So if not knowing what to say has kept you from witnessing to someone you love, Terrified is here to help. This CD includes a workbook and actual witness encounters, ranging from backslidden Christians to complete atheists, so you'll never be at a loss for words again. Get your Terrified CD today at wretchedradio.com. And remember, your purchase helps us reach more people with the amazing gospel. Attributes of God God is a person. He is not a detached, impersonal force. He is a conscious, self-aware being with a mind and a will. He has made himself known through scripture, and most of all, He wants you to know Him personally. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Freel. Thanks a lot, France. This is Wretched Radio. What did France do now? Maybe not the right time to be critical of France, considering all that they are going through. Hey, did you notice some people showed up for a rally? That was nice. Our president probably had a tea time, but otherwise a bunch of people showed up for a rally in France. He's sending the Secretary of State. Terrific. I'm not exactly sure what that accomplishes anyway. I appreciate the gesture. I'm sure that it gave some French people some pride. What will it do? As if the Muslims are going to go, uh oh. We better quit this. I guess gigs up for us. That would be very nice. I just don't think that that's going to happen. It seems to me that they've got a much bigger problem than anything that a rally can possibly seek to solve. It's a worldview issue, it's a religious issue, and until it's dealt with on that level there ain't gonna be ain't gonna be nothing changing anytime soon. I would think, now I'm not a scientist, but it seems to me when you do an experiment and you repeat it again and again and again and again and it stays consistent for I don't know say 14 centuries you might have an established pattern by the way was sent an email from from big red Williams I was I Was big red kind of it's supposed to be Bridget. It's big big red red Williams See, that's why it was we came up with spaces, you know in the original Greek no spaces and once in a while then you would have somebody say big red Williams when it's supposed to be big red Williams and The question is, this Charlie Hebdo sarcasm, the French version of the onion, should it be something that the Christian gives a thumbs up to? And the answer to that is very complex. Satire is valid. There are times when satire I think is actually sinful. There are no hard and fast rules to this game called satire, but we can see from the Bible there are plenty instances of sarcasm being used to expose how ridiculous an idea is that opposes the Bible. Elijah? for one, Paul, for another. And so there's nothing wrong with it if used rightly. So should Charlie Hebdo have made cartoons that mock the Prophet Muhammad? I cannot speak for their motives or intentions because that is most certainly a part of it, but let's just see if we've got any rules to the game here. I believe that it is sometimes okay to mock Muhammad. Sometimes. It is never right to mock Jesus Christ. You say, those aren't fair rules. Yes, they are. One is truth, the other one is not. The other one is a satanic system. Now, you're not going to be able to sell that one to your secular friends, so let's just set that aside for a moment. Is it ever okay to mock Muhammad? I think of it as a point. Now you say, that's a little vague. I grant you that. So that we have to guide through it with some, I think, some maturity and some wisdom, with lots of counsel. If it makes a point, if I'm just talking to somebody, a Muslim, and I go, yeah, nice pedophile, that Mohammed. true, probably not helpful or beneficial. Could I bring that issue up? Of course. Could I, in a newspaper, satirically bring that out? I think if your intention is to persuade people that Islam is bad by exposing some of the horrific acts of the past, then yes. If it is just done to no end. Now, I haven't seen the Mohammed cartoon, but I can think of some Christian satire that is absolutely pointless. Think of the number of blasphemous plays, movies, art, that has been made to mock Jesus Christ. For what end? None. And so if a cartoon about Mohammed is merely a taunting thing, I don't think that... I don't think... Look, I'm not sure it's a sin, but I just don't know that it's wise to do that. Remember, we're still trying to win Muslim people. And if we are just vulgar or crude or crass or sensational just for the sake of mocking, for the sake of mocking, don't bother. I think you're barking up the wrong tree. But that doesn't mean you cannot satirize Mohammed or anything about the Islamic religion to legitimately point out its weaknesses, its flaws. So these rules, they're not perfect, but I think they're somewhat helpful. If you're at the water cooler, can you ever use satire for Islam? Yeah, I think so. If you are in any sort of conversation trying to persuade, I think it's available to you, thoughtfully used, but don't I don't think we should be mocking their religion in kind of a neater, neater sort of way. As wrong as it is, as violent as it has been, if nothing else, I just think it's bad manners. Let's just say, let's just say that you were talking to somebody about automobiles and you found out that they drove a fill in the blank. Tony, your friend drives a what? Fiat. That would be a mock worthy. A Fiat. Haven't seen those? They look like half a rubber ball with tires. Okay, better yet, not that we turn our faith into a product, as so many evangelicals do, but you're working at the Honda dealership and you know somebody who's kicking the tires and what kind of car do you drive? A Fiat? Fiat! You know what Fiat stands for, don't you? Forever in a tire store there you go you know you turn it whatever okay probably probably probably no wise or helpful we still want to win people favorite audio of video turks that way you can get both that would who Ultimately, right now, I happen to be working on a presentation for the book that I'm working on about how we speak even to and about homosexuals. That's another issue that I think we need to be careful of, what we say, why we say it. And to what end? We are still trying to win people. And if we keep that in mind, that will guard and guide our satire. That will guide our sarcasm. By the way, can I give you a little tip? Something that I've learned about sarcasm? This one's free. This is absolutely... It took me a while to learn this one. I don't think that I've ever shared this before. I have learned that most women do not like sarcasm. It's not that they don't get it. I just don't think they like it. When it's aimed at them. That's all. That's all I'm saying about the subject. Dude, most women don't like the three stooges either. I mean, come on. They have a comedy problem sometimes. The point is, I'm not arguing with you. Whether it's right or wrong, I'm just telling you. Using sarcasm with girls is not... Sarcasm is a guy's way of saying, I like you. Women don't seem to get that message. Women get the message of you're basically a jerk. So, sir, if you haven't learned that lesson yet, if you haven't understood why those women seem to get so turned off by your sarcasm, that perhaps will explain why. As a species, I just don't happen to think that they dig it. So thank you, Big Red. Big Red. We're sending that in. I'm sorry, who? Big Red. Completely different. Are you familiar with the Chris-lum? Now this is something that I think is kind of mock worthy, if you don't mind me saying so. There is a movement. that is Chrislam. Some people think Chrislam are some American evangelicals who try to cozy up with Muslims, kind of downplay the differences so that we can kind of get along, maybe do a worship service with them. That is a form of Chrislam. That is a type of Chrislam. That's not the type of Chrislam that I'm going to describe for you from this article by one Joshua B. Lingle and Bill Nikkides. N-I-K-I-D-E-S. There's a merger of Islam and Christianity, like common word document. Not talking about that. Not talking about pastors who speak in mosques and vice versa. That's not the Chrislam that I'm describing here. This Chrislam is different. This is missionary Chrislam. These are missionaries who will tell the Muslim, you can still be a Muslim and a Christian at the same time. Here's from the article, this is from the article. If you're in a Muslim community or a Buddhist community or a Hindu community, you maintain that identity in that socio-religious community. But you work out your discipleship to Jesus. So you follow Jesus as a Hindu, You know what I love together? I just love, I love in one thing, male, female. That's just hot, cold, oil and water, integrity and Al Sharpton. You see, these things just don't actually go together. You can't be a Hindu Christian. It's just bonkers. They're apparently called insider movements. Buddhist or whatever other variety of socio-religious community you might be from, accordingly, this form of Chrislam has assumed the moniker insider movement. It's to be stealth, so you don't have to be overtly Christian, renounce the satanic system that you grew up in. It's insider. That's what this is about. For example, the jesus in the koran conferences j iq exegete koranic verses about jesus and give them new christian eyes meanings uh... home i don't think that mohammed would care for that really what nerve how dare we do that uh... somebody's book that's well yeah we do it to christianity in our bible all the time that's not what the book was intended to actually teach this teaching suggests that the legitimate legitimacy of muhammad's prophet hood is a matter of personal choice for new believers rather than muhammad being a false prophet end of story he can be profit like Yikes. At a May 2009 consultation, SBC statistician Jim Haney stated that there are tens of thousands of Isa al-Masih Yamats or Jesus congregations in North Africa. Now that sounds exciting. But the members of these Yamats call themselves Muslims. They do not believe in the Trinity and believe Muhammad is a prophet of God. Um, then they're not Christians and I'm not celebrating. One battle internal to the SPC, that would be your Southern Baptist Convention, is the validity of using the so-called camel method. We've gone through that before. A book developed by Kevin Greeson utilizes the Quran rather than the Bible to witness to Muslims. Um, faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. That's the one right there, not the Quran. Nobody's gonna get converted if you preach the Quran to them, even if you mangle it and twist it. They can't, it has no power. The Holy Spirit, his authorized means is to work through the word of God, not the Quran. Now I guess the Holy Spirit could save somebody if he chooses to, but it would be despite that person's efforts. In Malaysia, so-called Muslim-friendly translations of the Bible are replacing son of God with prince. not not not raspberry beret prints but small p prints the arabic and bangla bangladesh translations uh... all display an even more dramatic change don't like this at all in arabic bible translations air by translating father is lord Guardian, Most High, and God. Son of God is Messiah of God. Consistent with the Quran, which references the merely human Jesus. In Turkish, same thing. They're changing these words to make them more palatable. As Emily Belts of World Magazine reports, Hurstman estimated that of 200 translation projects, Wycliffe, others, they've undertaken in Muslim context, about 30 or 40 employ some alternate renderings for the divine familial terms to legitimize that form of Chrislam. Uh-oh. Impressive statistics are touted. But if they don't have correct theology and they're not following the correct Jesus, They're still lost. Be praying for your Bible translators and missionaries. This is a stinker of an idea. Until next time, go serve your king.