Topic: Media
The Pious Perfidy of World Magazine Trusted by thousands of Christians as reliable news, World Magazine slights Ron Paul, preferring big government over Christian principle.by creator
(Libertarian)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
♣American Heritage Dictionary: per · fi · dy (pûr'fĭ-dē) Pronunciation Key n. pl. per·fi·dies
Deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; treachery: "the fink, whose perfidy was equaled only by his gall"(Gilbert Millstein).
The act or an instance of treachery.
Inexcusable. Treacherous. Bought and paid for.
My Aunt and Uncle have generously gifted me with a subscription to World Magazine for several years now. I've recently expressed my gratitude once again, but this time I've asked them to think of something else to spend their hard-earned money on. I want everyone to know exactly why.
Are you familiar with World Magazine's slogan? "Weekly News | Christian Views." If that weren't clear enough, the latest issue of World contains this statement:
"Every issue of WORLD seeks to offer you a timely and accurate understanding of what's going on around the world, and to do that with a God-centered perspective."
The December 22nd issue of World features a highlighted Mike Huckabee on its cover, arms folded, standing against a dark background and gazing away and slightly upward towards the light. The headline reads: "Out from the shadows - Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the spotlight is on Mike Huckabee." Inside, a piece that goes nicely with this flattering cover imagery.
Where is the perfidy?
On the Sunday before this issue, some 58,000 of Ron Paul's supporters coordinated a gift to Dr. Paul and his campaign. It was the largest single-day aggregate political contribution in history, in excess of $6 Million dollars. Yet after hunting high and low through the pages of this issue of World, I was unable to find even a mention of Ron Paul. Surely such an event -- accomplished entirely by grass-roots Paul supporters -- is newsworthy? Presumably such unprecedented support would merit a cover, or at least an article?
OK, let's be charitable and give World the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the cover date and publication lead time caused the Ron Paul story to miss press time? When we examined that possibility, we found that November 5th, the date of the first money bomb, was a Monday. We found a trivializing mention of that amazing $4.3 Million dollar day buried towards the back of the World issue dated Saturday November 17th, and so we know by example that events occurring the 12th day prior to publication can be reported.
Here's the cover of the December 29th issue of the magazine, purporting to summarize "2007 NEWS OF THE YEAR":
You would think that significant news about contenders in the presidential race would merit inclusion? You might be right, as long as the name of the candidate is not Ron Paul.
Paul's latest and greatest fund raising record, achieved on December 16th, Sunday - the 13th full day prior to publication - is not even mentioned in the issue of December 29th. In fact, Ron Paul is not mentioned once, while Huckabee is mentioned eleven times, McCain six times, Giuliani five times, Thompson twice, and Romney is mentioned once, (source: http://worldmag.com/ search.)
In a further search through issues of World published after the November 5th "money bomb", over the course of the six weeks spanning the November 17th through December 29th issues of World, we find:
Paul McCartney. Paul Chesser. Paul the Apostle. We see Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Paulie Bleeker, Paul Tibbetts, Paul J. Henry, Pope John Paul II, Paula Apsell, Paul Goodman, Paula White Ministries, Paul Kengor, Paul Giamatti, Paul Baricos, Paul Feuerstein, Paul Weyrich... All the "Pauls" fit to print, except...
Where's Ron Paul? Mentioned exactly twice; once in the snidely diminutive and disrespectful mention of his $4.3 Million dollar day, and once, dismissively, as "even Ron Paul" in a Joel Belz piece advancing General Petraeus as "the man" to run for president ("Time for a proven hero", December 15th).
We're talking about Ron Paul here, a humble Christian man who lives his faith and consciously prefers not to use it as coin in the political realm. Ron Paul, who has for twenty years fulfilled his oath to support and defend the same Constitution that the home and private schooled children of the Christian readers of World magazine are taught to honor. Ron Paul, Republican candidate for president!
In the light of this evidence of suppressing news about Ron Paul, World's slogan, "Weekly News | Christian Views" somehow seems to overstate what World Magazine actually delivers. What agenda might the editorial staff of World Magazine have? We'll try to address that question in a future article, but here's a clue:
In the lead article of the current Paul-less issue, Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World, favorably compares and contrasts Mike Huckabee with George W. Bush, summarizing by saying
"Huckabee is a Bush who can talk."
Exactly. That ought to terrify any American who has watched the Bush administration massively expand government while trampling our liberty. Heaven help us all!
Copyright (c) 2007 by Dann McCreary (aka creator) - Permission to copy with attribution granted.
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2007 creator, all rights reserved.
Published: Sunday, December 30, 2007
Last modified: Sunday, December 30, 2007
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Our Lord said we should not deny Him. I try so hard never to do that - breaking many of the politically correct rules. I love my Savior. I have had hope in my heart ever since I was baptized into His body and had my sins washed away and I look forward to the day of His return when I will be taken up into Heaven for all eternity - leaving this Old World behind.
But I am often tempted to deny being a "Christian". The term, like so many others has been hi-jacked. Today the best synonym would be "Neo-Con". Or as I wrote in another thread - "socialists". For most "christians" are in favor of a government that will implement their "Bible" program.
There are at least two important real Bible teachings relevant to the errors of modern-day Christians.
1) Organizational structure. The New Testament clearly identifies the early churches as being independent. They were autonomous. There was no hierarchy. There was no central headquarters - save Jesus. As men set aside the clear Bible example they established more and more structure - a power structure - and like with all power structures, the power structure became corrupted.
Back several decades most of the main stream denominations were taken over by the National Council and World Council of churches - both organizations had been established by Communists. When I learned of this I left the beautiful little building near Punchbowl in search of truth. More "christians" need to do the same.
2) The second error is the "exciting" mis-interpretation of the Book of Revelation (and other books of prophecy). Folks God offered up one big clue: He had Jerusalem and the temple utterly destroyed in A.D. 70. Up until that point, apostles like Paul continued to respect the Jewish laws and holidays, but once God sent His "message", the Jewish system ended. Reread Romans nine, ten and eleven. Paul's heart's desire was that his Jewish brethren would become Christians.
Thus, the focus on Israel is entirely mis-placed. Nothing special is going to happen there - at least not in God's big plan for the end of the world. First, the Bible clearly teaches that the last days will come like a thief in the night, and second God simply does not need the help of the U.S. State and War Departments to bring about the fulfillment of His plans.
My Christian friends seek the truth. Not in magazines like WORLD, but in your Bibles. Jesus does not want us killing. He never used force to bring about good. He calmly taught, generally in quiet places. He restored life, he didn't take it.
So, let's not be led astray by any secular magazine, whose founders may be found to have had a very different agenda than their slogans and statements may claim. I wouldn't be surprised to find a long history of articles that have supported a "Neo-Con", "One World" set of goals - always surrounded by inspiring articles. (The most insidious lies are those surrounded by truth.)
It just cannot be an oversight that a man of demonstrated christian faith gets no "honorable" mention in a supposedly christian magazine. It is time to cancel your subscription.
You've hit on something that's been bothering me for a while. I'm suprised that there hasn't been more support from the Christian community for Ron Paul. Even Rudy (shudder) seems to have gotten more support and acclaim.
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The December 22nd issue of World features a highlighted Mike Huckabee on its cover, arms folded, standing against a dark background and gazing away and slightly upward towards the light. The headline reads: "Out from the shadows - Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the spotlight is on Mike Huckabee." Inside, a piece that goes nicely with this flattering cover imagery.
2007 creator, all rights reserved.