We live of course in an age that mocks faithfulness, derides marriage, and pokes fun at personal holiness. Anyone who takes his marriage vows seriously and seeks to be very careful in honouring that by taking care of how he or she interacts with members of the opposite sex will be the stuff of ridicule and insult.
But what do we expect from the sensual, secular and sexual world that we live in? However, we DO expect better from those claiming to be conservatives – and maybe even Christians. I am not an authority on Fox News and all those that work there, but I was rather disappointed in an interview I just saw.
Fox News host Martha MacCallum did a 6-minute interview with Christian politician Robert Foster who is running for governor in Mississippi. He evidently had made the headlines for simply adhering to his long-standing principle of not being alone with women other than his wife.
So Martha spoke to him about this, but seemed to be unnecessarily hostile to him. On the other hand, Foster the Christian kept his cool and handled himself quite well. She seemed to find it incredible that Foster was seeking to avoid temptation and even the very “appearance of evil” as the Apostle Paul says we should do (1 Thessalonians 5:22).
Foster sought to make a sensible and realistic case for his principled stance, but Martha just could not seem to get it. She kept saying over and over again, ‘but she is a reporter, she is a professional’. Um, has there never been a journalist who has betrayed his or her calling or misused their position of trust? Journalists are just as fallen and fallible as anyone else.
Have journalists never been known to seek to set traps for people, or set them up? Um, I have had many hundreds of journalists interview me over the years, and I can assure you that many were quite keen to entrap me and portray me in the worst possible light.
I have had some journalists seem to be all sweetness and light when they interviewed me, but in the next day’s newspaper it was clear that I was subject to an ugly hatchet job. They were out to get me. So I had to learn how to be very cautious and careful with “professional journalists”.
I am not sure why this should be so hard for Martha to grasp. In sum, I just did not like the whole way the interview was done, so I found her Facebook page and posted a message there. Thus far it is still there:
Bill Muehlenberg to Martha MacCallum
2 hrs
So disappointed to see Fox News host Martha MacCallum give Christian politician Robert Foster a hard time for refusing to be alone with women other than his wife – just like Billy Graham and Mike Pence have done. Shame on you Martha – we need more people defending marriage and faithfulness, not fewer. We expect CNN hacks to go on the attack like this.
As I say, I am not an authority on her or Fox. I watch it irregularly, but I am fully aware that we have a real mix there. A number of hosts are not Christian, some are homosexuals, and some seem anything but conservative! The few times I have watched Martha before, she seemed to do a good job. But as I say, I know little about her.
Hopefully this was a one off, and not a case of yet more anti-Christian bigotry, and mockery of the sanctity and seriousness of marriage. You can decide for yourself whether I am being too harsh or unfair to her. The clip is here:
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6058112412001/?playlist_id=5410209611001#sp=show-clips
And as Foster said toward the end of the interview, there is nothing new about this concept of being guarded and prudent in how we interact with those of the opposite sex. It is a long-standing Christian principle, and a very wise one indeed. The late great evangelist Billy Graham was especially known for this.
And when Vice President Mike Pence last year said that he takes the same steps, all the usual suspects came out of the woodwork to attack him. I wrote about both men in this piece: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2018/03/08/integrity-in-ministry-lessons-from-billy-graham/
Let me quote some of it here:
One of the easiest ways to destroy the credibility of the church and harm the cause of Christ is when Christian leaders and those believers in the public eye get caught out in some sort of sin and scandal. Whether it be financial scandal or sexual scandal, when it happens the reputation of Christianity is damaged, and more importantly, the name of Jesus Christ is dragged through the mud.
It happens too often when some high-flying preacher or teacher is caught having an affair or fleecing the flock of its hard-earned cash. These big three are always a major temptation: gold, girls and glory. If a sex scandal or a financial mess does not drag down a leader, arrogance, pride and ego will.
Thus we all need to be so very careful here, especially those in leadership and those with a very public ministry. Steps must be taken beforehand to ensure that scandal and sin and sacrilege do not take place. And the Bible gives us many examples of this.
I looked at the life of Joseph in the Bible and how he had determined in his heart ahead of time to avoid sexual temptation. Then I looked at Graham in some detail, including his resolutions on sexuality and money. I then went on to say this:
Two recent events have showed how vitally important this second commitment was, including the insistence on not being alone with another woman. When it was recently reported that US Vice President Mike Pence does not dine alone with other women, but only his wife, he was blasted by leftists and mercilessly ridiculed by the leftist media.
But at the same time we had the Harvey Weinstein affair and others like it, where sexual harassment, sexual predation and even sexual assaults and rapes were being reported all over the place. It seemed that everyone was coming forward with more lurid stories of sexual assault and the like. Hmm, it sounds like the resolution made by Graham and his team was 100 per cent sensible and absolutely essential to help prevent this culture of sexual sleaze and sexual abuse.
So I say three cheers for Robert Foster. You sir have my deepest respect. You take your faith seriously and you take your wedding vows seriously. I wish many more Christians would do the same. As to Martha, I hope she might learn from this. It is one thing to seek to be some sort of objective reporter, just asking hard questions in the interests of a news story.
It is another thing to let your biases show. That is how this interview appeared to me. She seemed to be incredulous that a person could take radical steps like this to maintain sexual purity, and avoid any hint of scandal. I could be wrong. If I am, my apologies to Martha. But my highest regard remains for Foster. He is a champion in my eyes. God bless you richly.
16 Replies to “On Taking Marriage and Faithfulness Seriously”
O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive! One in 50 prisoners identifying as transgender?
One in 50 male prisoners in Britain’s jails is self-identifying as transgender. That figure rises to one in ten among members of the ‘travelling community’.
The authorities believe the majority are only pretending to be ‘trans’ so they can obtain extra perks such as single cells and showers.
Since they are almost exclusively men identifying as women, they can put in for a transfer to an all-female jail. Some prisons have established separate transgender wings to segregate them from other inmates.
Thank God for the witness of those who do honour and are faithful to their wedding vows as one man with one wife for life.
I watched the clip and I think you got this one right. What a great example Robert Foster is for all of us. I watch Martha MacCallum often, and like you, was disappointed in the interview. Thanks for the post.
Thanks Jack.
Stop cramming LGBT propaganda down the throats of ex-homosexuals and ex-transgenders
[These organisations] are complicit not only in erasing former gay and transgendered individuals, they are in the process of erasing marriage, family, and ultimately, Christianity.
If I were a man seeking to enter public office or even show business I would do the same as Foster, that way at the very least there would be less chance of a #MeToo moment coming back later on, especially if it was fake!
I just read on another thread that Martha MacCallum is a lesbian? If so, that would add another layer to her obtuseness. And also another reason for Robert Foster to refuse to engage with her alone…
So glad to see this article by Bill Muehlenberg! I kept searching to see if Martha MacCullum is a conservative after watching her interview with Robert Foster. She REALLY didn’t seem to get it!
Good on ya Robert Foster. Well done.
Bonnie Oskvarek, Martha MacCallum is not a lesbian, she has been married to the same man for nearly 30 years and they have 3 children together. We as Christians need to be very careful not to slander people and believe the worst about people.
Martha apparently has the wisdom if a sweat sock if she can not understand why he is doing this. In light if the #metoo movement every man out there should take the same policy and put it in place.
Jo Deller, good point about the #metoo brigade.
Was the reporter actually undermining the valid stance of #metoo and endorsing the idea of politicians taking advantage of a reporter?
I thought this counted as incest? Either the law works different to how I understand, or the law hasn’t worked out that the two are legally related. Yet another step on the slippery slope? And as Bill noted just the other day, the ‘Jolly Poly Perversion Parade’ of the American Psychological Association is now promoting adultery, casual hookups, orgies, and near total sexual anarchy.
I was a bit taken aback by Martha McCallum’s attitude toward Robert Foster and her continuing to ask the same question on why he would not want to be alone in a vehicle for several hours with a woman. With all of the charges of men taking advantage of women and the sexual escapades that have gone on during campaign travels, I would think she would be happy about a man wanting to have a safeguard for himself and the woman in question. He was not being sexist in any way. I did not hear him say that a woman could not be a good reporter. He just stated that he made a promise to his wife. He said he does not feel comfortable being in a vehicle alone with a woman. That should have been the end of it. I applaud him for standing by this decision.
Excellent article Bill. After watching the clip, you were spot on. I would like to think that Ms. Mcallum was just playing devil’s advocate, because if she wasn’t, I like her a lot less now. Foster is a man who deserves utmost respect for his view and his strength. But that’s what God does, isn’t it? Thanks for the read.
I used to really admire Martha McCallum as one of the dwindling journalists who were up front and ethical in their interviews, but am sadly disappointed in her now. For awhile I would go back to her “Story” just to make sure I hadn’t taken anything out of context. But from now on I just turn my tv off or switch to another channel when she comes on. She is totally biased and doesn’t even try to hide it. Just saw she signed a new contract with Fox. I am sure she agreed to spew her biased opinions in lieu of true journalism and facts. Good bye from me to Martha. So sorry you have sold yourself out. Or maybe this was you all along, and it was my mistake.
O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!
One in 50 prisoners identifying as transgender?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-7239101/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-One-50-prisoners-identifying-transgender.html
Thank God for the witness of those who do honour and are faithful to their wedding vows as one man with one wife for life.
I watched the clip and I think you got this one right. What a great example Robert Foster is for all of us. I watch Martha MacCallum often, and like you, was disappointed in the interview. Thanks for the post.
Thanks Jack.
Stop cramming LGBT propaganda down the throats of ex-homosexuals and ex-transgenders
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/stop-cramming-lgbt-propaganda-down-the-throats-of-ex-homosexuals-and-ex-transgenders
If I were a man seeking to enter public office or even show business I would do the same as Foster, that way at the very least there would be less chance of a #MeToo moment coming back later on, especially if it was fake!
I just read on another thread that Martha MacCallum is a lesbian? If so, that would add another layer to her obtuseness. And also another reason for Robert Foster to refuse to engage with her alone…
So glad to see this article by Bill Muehlenberg! I kept searching to see if Martha MacCullum is a conservative after watching her interview with Robert Foster. She REALLY didn’t seem to get it!
Good on ya Robert Foster. Well done.
Bonnie Oskvarek, Martha MacCallum is not a lesbian, she has been married to the same man for nearly 30 years and they have 3 children together. We as Christians need to be very careful not to slander people and believe the worst about people.
Martha apparently has the wisdom if a sweat sock if she can not understand why he is doing this. In light if the #metoo movement every man out there should take the same policy and put it in place.
Jo Deller, good point about the #metoo brigade.
Was the reporter actually undermining the valid stance of #metoo and endorsing the idea of politicians taking advantage of a reporter?
Just stumbled over an article where step-siblings wed: https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/parenthood/relationships/i-married-my-stepbrother/news-story/11b79777f81ab620db5a38f28888223c
I thought this counted as incest? Either the law works different to how I understand, or the law hasn’t worked out that the two are legally related. Yet another step on the slippery slope? And as Bill noted just the other day, the ‘Jolly Poly Perversion Parade’ of the American Psychological Association is now promoting adultery, casual hookups, orgies, and near total sexual anarchy.
I was a bit taken aback by Martha McCallum’s attitude toward Robert Foster and her continuing to ask the same question on why he would not want to be alone in a vehicle for several hours with a woman. With all of the charges of men taking advantage of women and the sexual escapades that have gone on during campaign travels, I would think she would be happy about a man wanting to have a safeguard for himself and the woman in question. He was not being sexist in any way. I did not hear him say that a woman could not be a good reporter. He just stated that he made a promise to his wife. He said he does not feel comfortable being in a vehicle alone with a woman. That should have been the end of it. I applaud him for standing by this decision.
Excellent article Bill. After watching the clip, you were spot on. I would like to think that Ms. Mcallum was just playing devil’s advocate, because if she wasn’t, I like her a lot less now. Foster is a man who deserves utmost respect for his view and his strength. But that’s what God does, isn’t it? Thanks for the read.
I used to really admire Martha McCallum as one of the dwindling journalists who were up front and ethical in their interviews, but am sadly disappointed in her now. For awhile I would go back to her “Story” just to make sure I hadn’t taken anything out of context. But from now on I just turn my tv off or switch to another channel when she comes on. She is totally biased and doesn’t even try to hide it. Just saw she signed a new contract with Fox. I am sure she agreed to spew her biased opinions in lieu of true journalism and facts. Good bye from me to Martha. So sorry you have sold yourself out. Or maybe this was you all along, and it was my mistake.