Although we in the Truth have better things to do than to spend valuable time listening to much of what is presented by the BBC and other radio stations, the listening to religious broadcasts can be instructive and, as with news broadcasts, be a way in which we watch the signs of the times. As one who came out of the Church of England some years ago, it is interesting for me to see what is happening in the churches of what is known as “Christendom”, causing me to wonder how so many can be deluded by the harlot system, and this means that I wonder how I could have been one of the deluded for over forty years. The answer is that the Truth brings light, and not all are able to come to the Holy Inspired Word of God with an open mind in order to see that light. We must realise, therefore, that the Truth is not for everyone, and that should make us aware of our very privileged position.
Types of Programme
The religious programmes fall into four main categories:
- The daily five-minute “Prayer for the Day” at 6;25 am and “Thought for the Day” at 7;45 am, from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays at 7.45 am there is the five-minute “In Perspective”, which is normally a review of topical religious items by the BBC’s Religious Affairs Correspondent.
- The “Sunday” programme which, since the beginning of this year, has run in two parts, from 7.40 to 7.55 am, and from 8.15 to 8.50 am.
- Specific programmes, or series of programmes, on religious subjects, such as Gerald Priestland’s audacious and blasphemous series “The Case against God” and Don Cupitt’s “The Sea of Faith” of 1984, and a more recent series by Brian Redhead enquiring into church beliefs in relation to the Bible.
- Broadcasts of church services (which are of no value to us).
There are also the local radio stations, some of which, I understand, have given time for Christadelphian interviews. In the case of my local independent station, however, although invitations were extended for the advertising of forthcoming religious events, and I had at least one Sunday evening lecture subject advertised, it was apparent that this was not to be done on a regular basis, and I did not send in any more of my meeting’s lecture subjects when my requests were ignored. Could it be that our straightforward titles were unacceptable,-and/or the Christadelphians would become too prominent for comfort in the period set aside for such announcements?
I used to listen to the “Prayer for the Day” programme until it was brought forward to its present time of 6.25 am. Since coming into the Truth I have risen at 6 am for prayer and Bible reading, and this cannot be interrupted for what can be nothing more than critical listening to much that is superficial and spiritually unedifying. Apart from holiday times, it is not possible for me to listen to the later “Thought for the Day” programme, because I leave for work at the time it comes on the air.
The “Sunday” programme can be listened to when one is getting ready for attending the Memorial Meeting, and at times can be most instructive in the ways’of the religious world of apostasy.
Attitudes to the Word of God
Whether it is worthwhile listening to some of the programmes broadcast under the third category is debatable; The reading of the introduction in the “Radio Times” is sufficient to put off one who knows and loves God’s Holy Inspired Word. Here is a sample from the “Radio Times” for the week commencing 7th April 1984 which related to a television series, “The Bible…In the Beginning”:
“I’m interested in the Bible as a universal myth, as a prop for numerous legends”, said director John Huston, who tackled the first 22 chapters of Genesis with intermittent flair. Adam and Eve make a poor start to both mankind and the movie, but matters improve when the emphasis shifts to simple, roistering spectacle (Noah and his Ark, the Tower of Babel). Chiefly filmed in Italy, the Garden of Eden is really a seaside estate outside Rome.
I do not possess a television set, but if I did I would not have wasted time in viewing this kind of thing.
Upon coming out of the Church I felt it my duty, as the opportunity presented itself, to take up with those who broadcast error, partly in defence of the Truth, and partly in the hope that those concerned would see that which was true. One, the ‘Rev.’ Richard Harries, used to be the regular Friday speaker on “Prayer for the Day”. On the 12th January, 1979, this ‘reverend’ gentleman, in speaking of Romans 9:21,22 concerning the Potter and the clay, said, “Surely Paul has got it wrong here “. This statement stood out, because it was one of the few occasions on which I had heard him quote from the Bible, it mostly being Jack London, Tolstoy, or any one of a number of poets. I wrote to him pointing out the inspiration of Scripture according to 2 Timothy 3:16,17 and 2 Peter 1: 20,21, and pointing out that God will show His anger over the disobedience of those who are likened to clay which has gone hard and brittle and cannot be worked into shape. He replied as follows:
“You may perhaps know that Muslims believe that the Koran has been dictated word for word by God. They are ‘the people of the book’, in a way which Christians have never claimed to be. Christians believe that God has revealed himself in Christ. The Bible is important because it points to him and because it is the only record we have of Jesus. But though the writers were inspired, God worked in co-operation with fallible, limited, sinful human minds like our own. He did not override their human wills and capacities. That is not the way God works, and not even the Pope is infallible. God has made us free beings, not puppets and all of us, including Paul, can get things wrong.
“I very much hope you will be able to see the truth of this.”
I replied, stating most clearly that I did not see the truth of it, that I failed to see what the Koran had to do with it, that Christadelphians consider themselves to be people of the Book, if “Christians” did not do so, and pointed out what 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Revelation 17:5 says about the Pope! There the correspondence ended, although I since heard both he and Gerald Priestland make remarks (I believe for my hearing) concerning those who are so concerned about others being misled, and themselves knowing all the answers; In “The Listener” of 13th December 1984, in connection with the infamous series of programmes “The Case against God”, Gerald Priestland made the following comment: “…I, at any rate, have yet to receive one letter saying, ‘You have destroyed my belief’; One’s critics are always smarter than oneself, but they are concerned for others not so smart as they.”
We can only leave Messers Harries and Priestland, and all others like them, to think whatever they wish; The fact is, however, that many people look to such as they, as having knowledge of the Bible. They are the blind leaders of the blind and allow themselves to remain willingly ignorant of Truth. This is an aspect of religious broadcasting which is dangerous for those with little or no knowledge of Bible Truth, irrespective of what these purveyors of error say; Within only a few days of writing this article I heard Richard Harries on the Sunday programme (25.l.87) commenting on the Manchester Chief Constable’s views on homosexuals, and criticise him for making such people feel guilty and sinful; Richard Harries will, of course, say that Paul “got it wrong” in Romans chapter 1. It was announced at the end of the interview that Richard Harries was Bishop-elect of Oxford, so he must be right and Paul must be wrong!
The Ecumenical Movement
This leads us to an aspect of religious broadcasting which has changed over the years. There may in fact be more “religious” broadcasting than there used to be, say, thirty or forty years ago. In the past, however, the Roman Catholic Church would not have been included; but members of that church are now prominent in religious broadcasts. Jews also have their part, and I like hearing them, apart from Rabbi Lionel Blue who I see as nothing more than a comedian. Jews are increasingly completing the ecumenical trend by associating with “Christian” churches; Even the beliefs of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others are allowed religious tolerance. It is little wonder that the Bible is very seldom mentioned when a particular issue is under consideration, and I have heard more than one comment to the effect that “If you believe the Bible to be wholly inspired, you will have to believe a good many strange and impossible things.” This is, as near as I can remember, the actual wording from one of the members of a “Sunday” panel discussing a matter of “religious” interest on a programme early this year.
Review of an Abhorrent Programme
When Gerald Priestland presented his audacious and blasphemous series of programmes, “The Case against God”, a certain ecclesia asked me if I would give a lecture in answer to it. At first I was doubtful, partly because of the scope of the subject to be covered in one lecture; and partly because of the nature of the programme, which I found distasteful. Upon consideration, I tentatively agreed. The broadcasts were at 6;15 pm on a Sunday, thereby coinciding with the evening lecture, so I arranged for one or two of the programmes to be taped. I purchased all issues of “The Listener” in which the programmes were reviewed and also sent for the BBC leaflet on the subject, which it pretentiously called “Study Notes”. I found it was possible to answer the matter on the basis of the scanty Biblical examples which had been misapplied and certain things which were said in the programmes.
The original idea for Mr. Priestland’s programmes came from Buchenwald concentration camp, where a group of Jews, described as “learned”, including several rabbis, decided to put God on trial for “neglecting his chosen people, and allowing them to be destroyed”. Witnesses came forward for the prosecution and others for the defence, while a bench of Rabbis acted as judges. The case for the prosecution was overwhelming, the accused was found guilty as charged, and then, apparently, they all went to their evening prayers. Gerald Priestland considered “the process of accusing God and demanding satisfaction of Him as thoroughly Scriptural”, quoting as support Jacob wrestling with the stranger, the case of Job and Psalm 22:1; Among those who took part in the programmes were John Taylor, Bishop of Winchester, Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a self-confessed atheist (Sir Freddie Ayer), agnostics, scientists, artists and so-called intellectuals.
Gerald Priestland raised the question of whether there was a God, and then by way of contradiction asked, “Why doesn’t God call on everyone?” The Rabbi said that he did not blame God for what happened to the Jews during the last war, but blamed godless men who perpetrated such evils; The Bishop made the amazing statement, for a leader of the church, “I think God is engaged in a much longer and more dangerous adventure, in which there is a great deal of accident. That is the sort of world God had made and has submitted Himself to”. Gerald Priestland eventually came to the conclusion that there was “enough evidence for the existence of God”, and then made the ridiculous statement that “there really is no such thing as faith, only the faithful”. How do we have the faithful without faith? Can he not open the Bible and read Hebrews chapter 11?
Copies of the lecture were sent to Gerald Priestland, Rabbi Hugo Gryn and the Bishop of Winchester. There was no response from Gerald Priestland, and the Bishop returned the lecture with the remark that he was on the move, and would not like the copy to be lost, which I might wish to keep as a spare! The Rabbi reiterated his views according to orthodox Jewish beliefs; I then explained our understanding of the Jewish position, and our outlook towards his people in relation to the Scriptures.
Current Trends
1987 commenced in the typical BBC “Sunday” programme way by the review of a book written by one Hyam Maccaby,in which it is suggested that Paul instituted what the church calls “the Eucharist”, and also in which the Messiahship of Jesus is questioned in favour of Paul; On writing to the BBC and pointing out the relevant Scriptures in respect of the truth on these matters, the answer of the producer of the programme was, “It is well within the scope of a religious news and views programme like “Sunday” to explore controversial theological viewpoints. And in Mr. Maccaby’s case we did present the orthodox view in the person of Canon Michael Green.”
Canon Green, however, did not quote the powerful Scriptural references that I offered the BBC in support of the Truth. In the case of any technical treatise, the publisher would expect to be assured of the author’s credentials and qualifications. Not so, it seems, in such an important matter as the Holy Inspired Word of God. The BBC and book publishers are like the Athenians, who spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing (Acts 17:21).
That particular programme also included much that was humorous in the poorest of taste; and on commenting on this aspect, the producer agreed that “we were exceptionally light on 4th January, but the ‘religious humour’ item carried a lot of very serious points”. I was assured that the programme is not intended to be a comedy show, but the levity continued in the following weeks, including, in one case, making fun of prayers.
On occasions I have written in response to requests for listeners’ views on particular issues, but to my knowledge my letters have not been broadcast. I always mention that I am a Christadelphian, because I am not ashamed of the fact, and it could be this that sees that the letters remain at the bottom of the pile!
We are among those who are often labelled “fundamentalists” in the BBC programmes. One thing that stands out in these broadcasts is the absolute lack of any fundamental belief among those who take part.
‘From such turn away’
Such, then, is the view of religious broadcasting as I see it. When we see how those in the churches around us flounder without any understanding of the Truth as revealed in the Holy Inspired Word of Almighty God, we are ourselves assured of those things spoken of in that Word which has been written for our learning and which is the only means of salvation. We see the form of godliness, but the denial of its power (2 Tim;3:5). The Spirit through Paul says, “From such turn away”. We see in them the harlot and her daughters coming together in a way which even 40 years ago would not have been thought possible. We have to be on our guard, however. They can be very persuasive, and try to make us feel in the wrong. Those who are weak in faith, and many of our young people, can be led astray. It is therefore essential for us to follow diligently our daily readings, to study the Word to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), to meet in fellowship one with another at the Memorial meeting week-by-week, and to support the lectures and Bible Class. It is in these ways that we follow the exhortation of the Spirit through Paul:
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness: and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked: and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:13-17).
Is Pentecost Happening Today? – (Part 3)