MEDIA BIAS MATCHES UNESCO INTOLERANCE
Popularizing the anti-Christian principles of the UN Declaration on Tolerance
By Berit Kjos
"Whether he realizes it or not, what Friedman actually did in his essay is declare war on Christianity – including the very biblical Christianity responsible for the true pluralistic society America established under the authorship of the founders. More specifically, he declared his own humanistic jihad on Jesus Christ Himself. By Friedman's definition, Christ would have to be characterized as a 'religious totalitarian,' because it was Christ who said in John 14:6: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'" Joseph Farah, "The Unreal War"
"Once upon a time, there was a religion whose adherents thought it to be the only true one," writes author Thomas Cahill. "Because their God wished everyone (or so they thought) to believe as they did, they felt justified in imposing their religion on others.... The religion is not Islam but Christianity, whose dark history of crusades, inquisitions and pogroms lies not as far in the past as one might prefer to think."
Cahill's New York Times article, "The One True Faith: Is it Tolerance?" (1/3/02) shows little love for the beliefs and values that inspired America's founding fathers. Instead, it fits the conclusions of another skeptical Thomas who also used the NY Times to point an accusing finger at the followers of Christ. Perhaps you remember the outrageous accusations in the article, "The Real War" (11-27-01) by Thomas Friedman. Ponder his words:
"We're fighting to defeat an ideology: religious totalitarianism. World War II and the cold war were fought to defeat secular totalitarianism... and World War III is a battle against religious totalitarianism, a view of the world that my faith must reign supreme and can be affirmed and held passionately only if all others are negated...."
Did you catch that? He equates today's war on terrorism as "a battle against religious totalitarianism." If you take your Christian faith seriously, you are the enemy. He identifies this deadly totalitarianism as "all faiths that come out of the Biblical tradition -- Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- [which] have the tendency to believe that they have the exclusive truth."
It's tragic that respected spokesmen like Thomas C. and Thomas F. so freely twist our history and dismiss our constitutional rights. Are they so blinded by their vision of oneness that they cannot see the worth of freedom?
If so, they are not alone. A malignant consensus is spreading across our nation. It views our Biblical foundations -- the compassionate wisdom that made America a refuge for the world's oppressed -- as a deadly obstacle to an imagined peace. So a new religion must be established, and the UN management system is more than happy to help. Cahill identifies this new religion as "tolerance." Friedman calls it "pluralism." The two fit together as long as the definition of tolerance matches politically correct ideals. Ponder these excerpts from UNESCO's Declaration of Principles on Tolerance:
"Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures.... [Including unhealthy lifestyles and occult ideology?] It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement. Tolerance ... upholds human rights, pluralism..... It involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism...tolerance does not mean toleration of social injustice... It also means that one's views are not to be imposed on others. In order to achieve a more tolerant society, States should ratify existing international human rights conventions, and draft new legislation where necessary.... [See Trading U.S. Rights for UN Rules] ...intolerance ... is a global threat.
"Tolerance promotion and the shaping of attitudes of openness, mutual listening and solidarity should take place in schools and universities and through non-formal education, at home and in the workplace. The communication media are in a position to play a constructive role ... and highlighting the dangers of indifference towards the rise in intolerant groups and ideologies... scientific studies and networking should be undertaken to co-ordinate the international community's response to this global challenge, including analysis by the social sciences of root causes and effective countermeasures, as well as research and monitoring in support of policy-making and standard-setting action by Member States. ...promote systematic and rational tolerance teaching methods that will address the cultural, social, economic, political and religious sources of intolerance - major roots of violence and exclusion. ... We pledge to support and implement programmes of social science research and education for tolerance ... improving teacher training, curricula... including new educational technologies."
As Friedman points out, "the opposite of religious totalitarianism is an ideology of pluralism -- an ideology that embraces religious diversity and the idea that my faith can be nurtured without claiming exclusive truth."
Cahill suggests that Christianity has already conformed to these new ideals. "What changed Christianity?" he asks. "How did Christians learn the virtue of tolerance?
Actually, he has a ready answer -- a politically correct view based on the popular revisions of history that has vilified Christianity in the minds of students from coast to coast. He said,
"Centuries of bloody religious wars and persecutions finally convinced most Christians that there must be a better way to organize society, a way that did not involve quite so many burning bodies, human charnel houses and corpse-strewn battlefields."
By judging Christian fundamentalism by the atrocities committed in the name of "Christianity," Cahill (who also authored The Hinges of History), distorts the truth about God as well as the historical record. Biblical Christianity has little to do with organizing society. It has everything to do with individual believers demonstrating His love and following His way.
In contrast, those infamous wars, persecutions, and cruelties were caused, not by true Christians, but by those who claimed His name while rejecting His Word. Like warring nations and murderous tribes around the world, they followed their own inclinations rather than God's wise guidelines. They expressed their capricious human nature, not the love of our God. The diverse forms of this "cultural Christianity" would match social trends, not Biblical truth. But they shared a common element: people would adapt their understanding of God to their self-focused wants.
The true Church demonstrates a different kind of life. Those who belong to Christ set their hearts on God, their minds on His truth and their goal on eternity. History tells their testimony: They cared for the needy but were often hated by religious establishments. They served the poor but often suffered persecution. They brought hope and healing to distant places but faced hardship and hatred. Yet, they didn't lose hope. In the midst of painful struggles, they knew God would meet their needs and fulfill all His promises. 2 Cor 12:9-10
Media leaders like Friedman and Cahill may blame human evils on a "straw-man" or a convenient cultural distortion of Christianity, but we need to remember the truth. Biblical Christianity means uncompromising faith in what Christ accomplished for us through the cross. It points to the fellowship of those who live by His Spirit and stand by His Word -- who prove His victory in the world so that others might share their hope for eternity.
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
© Berit Kjos crossroad.to
Berit Kjos is a widely respected researcher. Author of: A Twist of Faith, Your Child and the New Age and Brave New Schools writer of magazine articles, a popular conference speaker, and a concerned parent.
Kjos first became aware of New Age and occult influences in our society at a 1974 conference on holistic health. As a registered nurse, she was interested in methods of healing, but soon discovered that the occult powers found in New Age methods brought bondage instead of true healing. As a parent, Kjos became aware of similar New Age influences in education. She began to monitor the schools for classroom programs that taught occultism and New Age spirituality, then began to share what she learned with other parents and teachers. She also explains what programs such as Goals 2000 are all about, and why all students-even homeschoolers-eventually will be required to demonstrate competence in the new social and thinking skills before they can move on to higher education or jobs.
Kjos has given workshops and seminars at conferences such as the Association for Christian Schools International and CHEA. She has spoken at conferences for such groups as The Steeling of the Mind, The Constitutional Coalition, Child Evangelism Fellowship and Concerned Women for America.
A frequent guest on national radio and television programs, Kjos has been interviewed several times on The 700 Club, Point of View (Marlin Maddoux), Bible Answer Man, Beverly LaHaye Live, Crosstalk and Family Radio Network. She has also been a guest on "Talk Back Live" (CNN) and other secular radio and TV networks. Kjos Ministries Web Site: http://www.crossroad.to/index.html