Let Jennings, ABC Hear from You on Blasphemous 'Jesus and Paul' Special

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY ^ | 04/06/04 | JAMES DOBSON

[Inspectorette]

The only thing I can think of is that Petey Jennings USED to be very handsome and has a good voice.

For that matter, I can actually remember (I'm old ;-) when Dan Rather was quite good-looking! Obnoxious, but handsome.

[GailA]

Scooby (2) Don't drug promotion in children's movie

Those who find a thinly veiled drug reference in all those Scooby snacks will appreciate the scene where Shaggy sucks on a whipped cream container.

The movie has a message about being yourself, unmasking who you really are; thus the makeover of the brainy Velma (Linda Cardellini), who temporarily ditches her trademark turtleneck for a sexy, red leather jumpsuit. Scooby and Shaggy also try their hands at being real detectives, but soon revert to using Scooby's flatulence for a flamethrower.

[smith288]

OK I will bite. If it wasnt over the need of non-jews to become circumsized to join the movement, something that for adults in 1st century Israel was a highly risky operation, what did Paul break with James over. Sure some of it was faith verus works but what the Bible says the primary arguments where about circumsision and the necessity to keep all the Jewish dietary and other laws.

Some of it was faith over works? Let's not minimize such a huge difference. Works like circumcision and other such acitvites was no longer needed after Jesus' sacrifice. The difference is huge. Im not a scholar about it but faith that Jesus has paid my debts in full is far different than what Jews do that gets them salvation (no offense to Jews, the chosen people).

[epow]

But one thing we all agree on is that Jesus is divine and the Son of God

I must take issue with that. While it's true that all true Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the liberal apostates posing as Christians don't. Many of the modern liberal theologians and scholars, most of whom are affiliated with mainline Protestant denominations, are working overtime trying to convince us that Jesus was just a good man who was afflicted with a Messiah complex, and that the church (which is defined by scripture as Christ's body on earth, not a denominational structure) is just another religious system comparable to others such as Islam or Hinduism. The Jennings special, which I didn't see, was no doubt an example of their work.

Throughout the history of the true Church from it's beginning on the day of Pentecost to this present day, the most effective weapon Satan has forged against it has not been the institutions and forces which openly oppose Christianity, it has been false Christians and apostates working from within to undermine the faith of true Christians and to deceive the people the true church is seeking to evangelize. I believe we are seeing those insidious agents of the enemy redoubling their efforts as we approach the time of Christ's return to earth.

[Dave S]

"Jennings repeatedly refers to 'the Jesus movement' as if it were just another political party or faction," Focus on the Family's Tom Neven writes in his review of the special. "They also pit Paul against Jesus, as if the apostle taught things that contradicted Jesus, and some refer to Paul as 'the founder of Christianity.' "

There were many religous movements back in the first century. Few had the staying power of CHristianity. Jennings and the scholars referred to the "language" used as political, in that most of the terms used to describe Jesus were also being used to describe Caeser. By the way, what got the Christians in so much trouble in the Roman empire was that they worshipped a God that was also King. Even worse they refused to worship Caeser. The Romans had many gods and allowed those conquered to keep theres. They just had to hold Caeser as a god as well.

Excuse me but what is your evidence for the fact that Jesus was the founder of Christianity? He was a Jew, not a Christian.

If you are as closed minded as you appear, you probably should have watched the basketball game or went out and preached against gays or something.

[Dave S]

I'm no Biblical scholar, and like i said, I didn't watch the entire show. But right at the top, the preface, Jennings tells viewers that if not for Paul, there would be no Christianity today, as if events, and history, were sheer happenstance, accidential even. No mention I saw, that God was in charge.

Would it have made you happier if he had said if God hadnt created Paul there would be no Christianity today? Gee some people are very thin skinned. Without Paul, Christianity would not have taken hold throughout the Roman Empire. Without Paul, over half of the books in the New Testament would never have been written. Without Paul, the Jesus movement would have remained a minor sect within Judaism. Note that before the end of the first century most of the Jewish followers of James had scrolled into obscurity.

[sharktrager]

Don't under estimate the power of a non-Nielson family.

Cable and satellite companies have the ability to find out exactly what you watch. How often they do it is something I don't know, but I know satellite companies use the popularity of channels among their customers when the contracts are renegotiated.

Also, if people don't watch the networks, they will not be spreading word-of-mouth advertising about the programming. Word-of-mouth is key to TV networks. Even a post like this one will raise interest among many who did not watch the program. Saying, I didn't watch it raises no interest.

[Sloth]

So I guess when it comes to this show that Jennings hosted, (whether he has it all wrong or not) I respect what the people had to say and I am really not all that cranked up about it since ALL people have the right to holds and offer their beliefs.

The problem with these kinds of programs is not that they air differing beliefs or viewpoints, but that the beliefs of a *huge* number of people who take the Bible seriously are either portrayed as clownish or omitted altogether. It is a deliberate misrepresentation of the religion.

[Dave S]

Mr. Jennings has a beef with Christians, just like Joseph Goebbels had a beef with the Jews.

Boy I bet you scared ABC, bet you have them cowering now. Do you really think you changed anyones views with that piece of crap comment?

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - Jennings was on the James Kennedy radio show yesterday promising that last night's show would be much more balanced than his last show on Jesus - WRONG!

[twigs]

FWIW, we are a Neilsen family. While it was not high up on my list to watch, that meant that I was determined not to watch it!

[Semi Civil Servant]

The left-wing media has been anti-Christian for a long time. I would expect nothing less than a hatchet job from any left wing produced program on Christianity.

I have no problem with a secular scholar attacking the fundamentals of Christianity. In fact, I would expect it.

What infuriates me are people like "Bishop" Spong who are paid by church organizations to destroy the Church. "Bishop" Spong is paid by his denomination to destroy the faith of the people who pay his salary.

If a denomination has "gone bad", a believing Christian's ethical choices are to work diligently to remove the apostates from the midst of the denomination (until the apostates throw THEM out) OR to move to a church that doesn't use the money of the faithful to try to destroy people's faith. There are so many churches in this country that preach the gospel that, for the life of me, I can't understand Christians who stick with their churches while their affiliated denominations are turned into vortices for the lies and bile of hell.

ABC is the least of our troubles in the Church. Complain to ABC? How about boycotting denominations that openly hire wolves in sheep's clothing who tear at the flock?

[Dave S]

And while I saw maybe two hours of the special, I only saw him on screen for maybe a minute and I believe he was talking about Rome. He wasnt commenting on his 12 theses.

[agrace]

I'm sure he wasn't commenting on them - he'd look kind of funny contributing to a documentary that seeks to be taken seriously if viewers knew he rejects virtually every defining theological point of Christianity!

Kind of like the Jesus Seminar. They're about on equal footing with Spong regarding credibility.

[vandykelastone]

Typical canadian waffling and pussy-footing. How long would you all waffle if somebody on national hookup took off on the moslems?

[bray]

ABDNC just proved why The Passion was such a raging success. Christians are hungry for The Truth. Watch the Fox special on Jesus and you will be impressed. It ran against PJ and was a real tribute to Jesus with Christians speaking the message at the end. FOX ROX!!!

Pray for W and The Truth

[Burkeman1]

I caught some of this program. I was annoyed by the continued use of the term "Jesus Movement" and switched after only a few minutes. Jennings is simply not watchable.

[epow]

The Church was founded on the Jewish day of Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. The Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity, came upon the followers of Jesus at that point in time, and the Church was born with signs and wonders attesting to it's divine formation. Therefore, I believe it it would be true to say that Jesus, acting through the Holy Spirit, founded Christianity on that day.

The mystery of the Holy Trinity, one God in 3 persons, is beyond the scope of the human mind's ability to conceive, so don't ask me how the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ can be one and the same divine person. But they are and are also one with the Father, and the 3 in 1 are one unified God. The doctrine of the Triune Godhead can only be accepted by faith, just as all things of the spiritual realm are not apparent to the natural eye and can only be accepted by faith.

[swampfox98]

So Peter Jennings can tell me all about Jesus and Paul without lying his ugly, aging face off? I don't think so.

[hellinahandcart]

Jennings blathered about "different truths for different people" and kept referring to all the times he had lived in the holy lands etc

Which he referred to, in the special, as "Palestine" whenever he could.