The ABC Doing What it Does Best
OK, I am writing a piece on something that is still some days away yet. But judging by decades of past performance, I do not have the slightest problem in saying the following. Indeed, I can guarantee that if I waited till next Monday night, saw the program in question, my article would be just the same, barring a few small details.
So what am I talking about here? I am referring to the next episode of the debate show Q&A which is on ABC television each Monday night. Some of you may have heard that the next instalment will feature “Christians”. Some might be saying, “Oh wow, finally Christians will get a hearing on this show”.
Well, before you get too excited about a “Christian” panel on Q&A, let me make you aware of a few facts. First, this is the ABC, and this is Q&A. That means there will be little of anything good to come out of this. I have written so many stories on this frightful network and this frightful program that it pains me to have to do it once again.
The ABC is a hyper secular left organisation that supports every radical cause, while taking pleasure in bashing Christians and Christianity every opportunity it gets. Ditto, if not more so, for this lousy program. Both have a proven track record of being among the most biased, leftist, anti-Christian media outlets around.
So past history alone tells us all we need to know about how this program will go next Monday night. Indeed, I am writing up my report of it now because we know exactly how it is going to proceed. First of all we have the biased leftist moderator Tony Jones along with an overwhelmingly biased leftist audience, as we have every single week.
There it is: two-zip, even before we begin. So what about the panellists? Five Christians – that has got to be good, right? Um no, not at all. As usual, we have most of them on the left side of politics, pushing all the activist causes, including trendy lefty issues like homosexual marriage, and only a minority who are conservative. This time, perhaps feeling guilty of their usual deck-stacking, they have not just one sole conservative voice, but two.
So that is two against three, or really, two against five, adding in Jones and the audience. This is the ABC’s idea of a fair debate: two against five. You will never, ever see a genuinely fair debate there, such as two against two, or three against three.
At best there will just be one or two conservative voices pitted against all the rest. Some years ago when I did these sorts of shows quite often, it was always that way. I was almost always the lone conservative voice pitted against two, three, four, five or more secular lefties.
But this is par for the course for “our” ABC and so much of the mainstream media. It offers a pretence of “balance” and “fairness” by having one, and just maybe two, conservative voices to stand against all the others. And all of us taxpayers are funding this despicable bias and intellectual treachery.
So let me run through the five Christian panellists. As mentioned, we have only two who actually uphold traditional Christian teachings on most issues. Lyle Shelton of the Australian Christian Lobby has been on before, and he will seek to calmly and rationally defend biblical Christianity against all the other radicals and activists.
John Haldane is a Scottish Catholic intellectual. He is a philosopher and Thomist, who has written important books such as his 2010 volume, Reasonable Faith. He has done much to defend theism against the new atheism, and has also done much on ethical issues. He happens to be a visiting lecturer right now at the University of Notre Dame in Sydney, so that is why he is available for this show.
That is where the good news ends. The other three “Christians” are hardly that. The first is lesbian activist and comedian Julie McCrossin. She “married her” female partner in 2014, and the ABC of course considers her to be representative of Christianity as a whole! She is an elder at a Uniting Church in Sydney.
She has often been on this and related shows. Indeed, on one occasion Q&A had another “Christian” panel – also with her on it – but this time it was six against one! I also wrote that show up: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2011/07/11/the-abc-should-be-put-out-of-its-misery/
Rev. Tiffany Sparks is an Anglican Priest and representative for A Progressive Christian Voice. Um, whenever you hear the word “progressive” you need to run for the hills, especially when it is applied to Christianity. Indeed, I have written up progressive Christianity before.
They are big on the progressive part (as in pushing every radical trendy leftist cause) but real small on the Christian part (as in proclaiming biblical truth). See here for example: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2011/01/23/progressive-christianity/
Oh, and just so that we know she is a fully ABC-approved lefty, we see she is also in favour of the homosexual agenda. As just one example, she tweeted this to lesbian Labor Senator Penny Wong when she was debating homosexual marriage a few years ago: “@SenatorWong be awesome. We are counting on you.”
Finally, we have an aboriginal Christian. Oh that’s good – well, not quite. He is also another lefty activist. Ray Minniecon, Indigenous Anglican Pastor, has also been outspoken on various causes. But since we are concerned at how much this show will focus on sexual morality, marriage and the like, where does he stand on all this?
Well, we already know, and he certainly is not representative of his people as a whole, not of the Christian church. For example, when the ACL rightly spoke of a new “stolen generation” being created with children being deprived of both a mother and a father with homosexual marriage, Minniecon angrily lashed out at them.
He took Lyle and the ACL to task, claiming past government policy on children in aboriginal communicates was “no way comparable to the desire of a loving couple to have a child and have their relationship recognized. It is disrespectful to the current Stolen Generations, their history and their families. It is also dehumanising and demonising of gay couples and their desire for marriage and family.”
Here we have – once again – a quite unrepresentative aboriginal spokesperson. The great majority of aboriginals are of course strongly against homosexuality, and there are a number of terrific conservative evangelical aboriginal Christian leaders that could have been asked on – but weren’t.
So here we have not one, not two, but three pro-homosexual “Christians” debating two believers who adhere to the biblical stance on morality and marriage. And this is representative of the church at large? So the ABC is trying to tell us that a full 60 per cent of all Australian Christians are pro-homosexual while only 40 per cent are not!?
Um, this sounds like a set-up job from day one. And that is exactly what it is. The ABC pretends to be fair and even-handed, and pretends to represent all of Australia, but all that it does is represent its own radical activist ideology. And I will guarantee you right now that they will have plenty of homosexuals in the audience and on video hook-ups giving their emotional case for “Christian love” and for homosexual marriage. I guarantee it.
The ABC activists simply invite in all their buddies, fills the audience with them, and tells them ahead of time they will be called upon to give their story. I have seen this in action so many times when I have been on these sorts of shows.
Indeed, I recall being on one such show in Sydney for SBS. Sure enough, homosexuality was again the main topic. When it finished many of the homosexual audience members came down and hugged and chatted with the show’s producers – they were all buddies! So much for just recruiting a fair and unbiased audience from the community at large. They just call their activist friends in to make their case for them!
Because the ABC in general and Q&A in particular are so appallingly biased, bigoted and unbalanced as they push a radical secular left and anti-Christian agenda, my usual rule of thumb is not to watch them at all. On occasions like this I may tune in simply to offer up prayers for the handful of brave contrarian voices.
I hope you also pray for this debate, especially when it goes to air live on Monday night. Pray that bits and pieces of truth will emerge even though it is another stacked deck, designed to pillory conservative and Christian voices, and push radical agendas.
While some have told me our side should not even bother going on such rigged shows, I believe God can still use folks who are willing to stand up for truth in the public arena, no matter how hostile and unfair the environment may be.
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Great writing Bill!
I gave up watching Q&A years ago. I was tired of going to bed feeling angry (Ephesians 4:26).
Only for the truth and our two gentle warriors will I watch the Queer and Arbitrary (despotic) monstrosity on Monday prayerfully. Thanks for the sadly accurate assessment.
Lyle did well the last time and the aggression towards him only made the aggressors look disgusting.
He spoke clearly, compassionately and kindly to everyone and their vindictiveness and ugliness towards him was on full display for all to see. I admire him and anyone else who goes into the lions den of the ABC or any of our bias lefty media.
Thanks for letting us know about this too Bill.
I’ll be praying.
A few points that would have been easily cleared up if some research had been done.
Tony Jones is not hosting this program, Julia Baird is.
Reverend Tiffany Sparks does preach on “biblical truth” – I suggest anyone in the vicinity of S.Paul’s Ashgrove go and hear her.
However a deeper question is, “What is truth”?
Thanks Blair. It of course does not mean beans who is moderating the show. There has never been a conservative moderator on during those rare times when Jones is not moderating. Indeed, the last time he was not on, some homosexual activist took his place. So your objection is utterly beside the point.
And of course your defence of Sparks, coupled with the line by Pilate, tells us everything we need to know about both you and her. You make my case thanks about the progressives and their war on biblical truth and absolutes.
Bill,
I enjoy your writing so much.
You bring up an excellent point with the television. I would love to hear you comment on this idea.
If all the folks that call themselves Christian would take the TV in whatever form and throw it in the yard and make a very public spectacle of doing so, the result would undoubtedly be for the advertisers, marketers, and producers to suddenly be very interested in the Christian community. The fact is, the majority of confessing Christians are carnal as all get out and refuse to quit putting the evil thing before their eyes. A preacher I know once made an excellent point when his grandson asked why they did not watch TV…He said…”Son, why don’t we drink out of the toilet?”…..same reason.
I am not one of the people that thinks the screen is bad for its own sake, but it is a pipeline that brings trash like you just described into our homes in front of our children and more. The folks that own and control the media outlets are not about to come around to our way of thinking because we participated in viewing the filth they send our way each day. The best thing for us to do is let them have it.
A side comment: If the 3 “progressive” individuals you described really are pro Homosexual, abortion, etc… they are Christians in name only. Just because some TV show labels them as such, and for that matter, just because they call themselves such does not make it so. They need to be saved.
Thanks again for the wonderful daily stream of writing, I look forward to reading each morning.
Thanks David. Television, like the Internet and other forms of mass communication technology, can of course be used for good or for ill. They can be used for diabolical purposes or Kingdom purposes. As to a mass anti-TV action by Christians, sadly it will never happen. Most Christians are far too hooked on their TVs. They may happily go a month without reading the Word, but they cannot go a day without their TV. Such is the abysmal state of Christianity in much of the West today.
Bill, why on earth do you concern yourself with this garbage? You seem to get incredibly hot under the collar about all this standard sin. Turn off your TV!
Thanks John. It of course has nothing to do with being hot under the collar and everything to do with caring about the world we live in, caring about attacks on Christ and Christianity, and caring about getting truth into the public arena and standing up to falsehoods. It is about being a responsible and concerned Christian in a non-Christian world in other words. And even if I were not a Christian, I would still be greatly concerned about my tax dollars being misused and abused in this fashion. Maybe you don’t give a rip about these things, but I would have thought that all true Christians should be greatly concerned.
And the ‘just turn off the TV’ line is a complete copout and a case of reckless irresponsibility. Even if I chuck my TV out the window, that solves absolutely nothing. I am still greatly concerned about everyone else who still has the TV on, and is getting all these lies and anti-Christian bigotry pouring into their living rooms. As I say, all real believers should be concerned about such things. So I will keep on doing what God has called me to do thanks, and ignore the armchair critics who do not seem to care much about anything.
Nominal definition, being such in name only; so-called.
Greg Sheridan used the term last week ‘nominal catholic’.
John Haldane and/or Lyle should instead use the term ‘nominal Christian’.
We very often hear the reply ‘Jesus didn’t talk like that’ when someone simply disagrees with what Christians say, it is nothing less than a hi-jacking of Christianity as being ‘Christian’ is not always about being ‘nice’, as if the other panellists have never scolded children as being an example of that.
Nominal Christians are nominal friends as they are not being truthful within the relationship. You can’t be half pregnant with your friends!
Great work as usual Bill, God Bless.
“….As to a mass anti-TV action by Christians, sadly it will never happen…..”
On this Bill I will beg to differ. You would be surprised as to the amount of people, both Christian and secular, who would put their old/broken TV’s in the carparks of channel offices around the country to send a message. Some would even put out their good second tv to send a message.
A lot of secular parents hate what is on tv where their children’s viewing is concerned.
Sure, it may not all be about ‘sin’ on tv – but rather lies, misreporting and agendas. There is a lot of people who loath all of that.
Sin AND truth is at least better than the current viewing – all out sin. And if it was us Christians who started it, well, who knows…….
Thanks for the prayer alert: We may expect an avid fan of the late Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins to conduct regular televised “roastings” of Christians who still insist on taking their God and His Scriptures seriously…
As far as those “Christians” that oppose the word of God and the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles I am reminded of two scriptures:-
Deu 13:13 Men, the sons of Belial, have gone out from among you and have drawn away those who live in their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known,
and
1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time. And just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have risen up, from which we know that it is the last hour.
1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out so that it might be revealed that they were not all of us.
(MKJV)
These people who preach a false, relativist, sin promoting, fornication accepting Jesus are being revealed as promoters of the False Christ before our eyes.
Such voices are hard to find in our country. I found this by chance… will tag it for future reference
Some unbelievers are determined to attack whatever Christian influence there is.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-horrifying-religious-instruction-classes-planned-for-qld-schools-20160420-gobbpk.html
I encourage all Christians to not only pray, but to pray and fast, on Monday as you lift up Lyle and John.
“When they bring you to be tried in the synagogues or before governors or rulers, do not be worried about how you will defend yourself or what you will say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Luke 12:11-12 (GNT)
I imagine that they would the likes of John Dickson, an evanjellyfish who cozied up to rabid misotheist Lawrence Krauss and now blames the Church for the homobullies.
I agree with those who say just don’t watch it. I won’t. I’ll pray for Lyle of course. But watching Q&A at any time only makes me angry and I am already angry enough! I understand why you say Bill we need to be engaged publically in these debates but i tend to think its better to just boycott them and let them stew in their own juice. Let’s put al lour efforts and resources into a no vote at the plebiscite if indeed we ever have one.
Bill, if my understanding is correct Mr Tony Jones is not the host on Monday night. With blessings and appreciation for your ministry. Vlad.
Did you watch? from what I have read it appears that it was a typical leftist outing.
Thanks Ian. Yes I did watch, and yes it was bad – as expected!
Bless Lyle Shelton for his courageous stand on Q and A. He was so impressive. I admire his forthrightness and stolid Christian stance.
While acknowledging your main point Bill I have to say I’ve always thought Shelton was not the man for the job. I recall a year or two ago when he came out with the ACL’s main campaign against the renewed round of promotion of so-called ‘same sex marriage’. His main point was that it was counterproductive in terms of any children (who might be adopted by the same sex couple). In doing so he was putting forward a bad argument as laid out at http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2011/03/2637/ for example. He basically insisted on putting forward a straw man argument against same sex marriage which enabled the LGBTIQ lobby to tear his argument to shreds and then offer the counter conclusion that there was no case against so-called same-sex ‘marriage’.
Thanks Jack. As someone who has done many of these sorts of debates over the years, I know how very difficult they can be, and how one-sided they are. It is never easy. Thus while I may at times prefer different approaches or tactics than what some other individuals or organisations use, I am glad a few of them are getting into the public arena and making a go of it, as imperfect as any of us might be.