Sermon Tone Analysis

Chapter 9 \\ Is There Only One True Faith?

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Them’s Fightin’ Words!

 Walter Chaplinksy had strong opinions about religion and was determined to let everyone know what they were.

Blogs did not exist back in 1940 so he communicated vocally, loudly denouncing organized religion as “a racket” and condemning several Christian denominations by name.[1]

In an outcome strange to our day, he was arrested and convicted under a New Hampshire state law that made it a crime to speak “any offensive, derisive, or annoying word to any person who is lawfully in any street or other public place.”

Chaplinksy appealed his conviction all he way to the United States Supreme Court.

In 1942, the Court unanimously affirmed his conviction, saying that he uttered “fighting words” which fell outside the protection of the First Amendment.[2]

The court later clarified their decision by stating that “fighting words” were “personally abusive epithets” that are “inherently likely to provoke violent action.”[3]

A lot has changed since 1942.

It is still possible to use “fighting words” but only certain people seem to be able to utter them.

It is no longer seen as offensive or derisive to speak out against Christianity.

Instead, to denounce Christianity and Christians is popular sport in most arenas.

Now, it appears that the only people who speak “fighting words” are Christians themselves.

We use “fighting words” when we speak out against certain sins.

However, the biggest offense caused by Christians is when they dare to proclaim that Christianity is the only true religion and Jesus Christ is the only true way to God.

To utter such declarations cause non-believers to bristle.

As Bugs Bunny says in the cartoons, “Them’s fightin’ woids.”

Yet it only goes one way!

!! The Oprah Winfrey Show

In a now infamous moment on the Opray Winfrey’s television show, the host had the following discussion with a panel and the audience:[4]

 

*Oprah*: . . .

there are . . .

many ways, many paths to what you call God.

That her path might be something else and when she gets there she might call it the light.

But her loving, and her kindness, and her generosity brings her to the, if it brings her to the same point that it brings you.

It doesn’t matter whether she called it ‘God’ along the way or not.

*Audience Member: And I guess the danger that could be in that is that is sounds great on the onset, but if you really look at both sides, I…*

*Oprah: There couldn’t possibly be just one way!*

*Audience in general: What about Jesus?*

*Oprah: What about Jesus?*

*2nd Audience member over several voices: You say there isn’t only one way.

There is one way, and only one way, and that is through Jesus!*

*Oprah: There couldn’t possibly be only one way with millions of people in the world!*

*2nd Audience member: Just because you say there isn’t, because you say…*

*Oprah: No! There couldn’t possibly be…*

*2nd Audience member: …just because you intellectualize it and say there isn’t.

If you don’t believe that, you are all buying into the lie.*

*Another audience member: But that makes you right and the rest of us wrong!*

**Oprah**: No!

You think, do you think that if you are somewhere on the planet and you never hear the name of Jesus but yet you live with a loving heart.

You lived as Jesus would have had you to live.

You lived for the same purpose as Jesus came to the planet to teach us all, but you are in some remote part of the earth and you never heard the name of Jesus.

You cannot get to Heaven, you think?*

*2nd Audience member: (indistinguishable comment/)/*

*Oprah: Does God care about your heart or does God care that you call his son Jesus?*

 

Oprah Winfrey is a media phenomenon.

Her influence is hard to calculate but it is considerable.

To make statements like those above would cripple the careers of most people but Oprah seems invulnerable to such repercussions.

Instead, her popularity only continues to grow even as she pushes such New Age authors and speakers as Eckhart Tolle[5] and Marianne Williams[6] Amazingly, people continue to fawn over her every word and follow her every instruction (even people in the very church she mocks).*

*

!! Larry King Live

Oprah’s words may shock some but in our age such statements are increasingly maninstream.

Serious television news and talk shows routinely denigrate Christians.

Comedy television news shows like Comedy Central’s /The Daily Show/ and /The Colbert Report/ routinely make Christianity the butt of jokes.

Any guests on these shows who profess a faith in Christ are handled quite differently than other guests.

The pressure on Christians to not say any “fighting words” is incredible for fear of being ridiculed or mocked.

Often, Christian leaders buckle under this pressure.

Two conversations from 2005 on /Larry/ /King Live/ are met with great approval from the general public and a bored sigh from many in the church.

As you read the following two excerpts from the transcripts, I challenge you to to discern who it is that King is interviewing.

!!! Interview #1

*King:*  What if you’re Jewish or Muslim, you don’t accept Christ at all?

*Guest #1:*  You know, I’m very careful about saying who would and wouldn’t go to heaven.

I don’t know. . . .

*King:* If you believe, you have to believe in Christ?

They’re wrong, aren’t they?

*Guest #1:*  Well, I don’t know if I believe they’re wrong.

I believe here’s what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe.

But I just think that only God will judge a person’s heart.

I spent a lot of time in India with my father.

I don’t know all about their religion.

But I know they love God.

And I don’t know.

I’ve seen their sincerity.

So I don’t know.

I know for me, and what the Bible teaches.

I want to have a relationship with Jesus. . . .

*King:*  So then a Jew is not going to heaven?

*Guest #1:* No. Here’s my thing, Larry.

I can’t judge someone’s heart. . . .

I don’t know.

To me, it’s not my business to say, you know, this one is or this one isn’t.

*King:* But for someone who doesn’t share [your belief] is wrong, isn’t he?

*Guest #1:* Well, yes.

Well, I don’t know if I look at it like that.

I would present my way but I’m just going to let God be the judge of that.

I don’t know.

I don’t know.

*King:* What about atheists?

*Guest #1:*  You know what, I going to let someone – I’m going to let God be the judge of who goes to heaven and hell.

I just – again, I present the truth and I say it every week.

You know, I believe it’s a relationship with Jesus.

But you know what?

I’m not going to go around telling everybody else if they don’t want to believe that that’s going to be their choice.

God’s got to look at your own heart.

God’s got to look at your heart and only God knows that.

!!! Interview #2

*King:*  But what about those faiths – the Mormons and the others that you mentioned – believe in Christ.

They believe they will meet Christ.

What about those like the Jews, the Muslims, who don’t believe they . . .

*Guest #2:*  That’s in God’s hands.

I can’t be the judge.