I know Brit Hume meant well, but c’mon already. Jesus is not a cure all for your problems. Do not tell someone to come to Jesus to save your marriage, get you out of trouble, for recovery, to break your addictions or anything less than seeing yourself as a miserable sinner that can not save themselves.
Hume made a few remarks during a Fox News broadcast, Not nearly the “Turn or Burn” message sinners need and actually Hume missed the mark by a mile saying, "He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world." I cringe my teeth hearing stuff like that. While on the surface it appears like a good motive, but it is nothing more than showing how the American gospel/ easy believism is so prevalent.
Actually quotes like this are expected from the likes of Joel Osteen or Rick Warren. From a news guy though? All the research I have done on Hume states nothing of his Christian faith and contrary to popular belief – being on Fox News does not mean that you are a Christian (Glenn Beck=Mormon, Bill O’Reilly=Roman Catholic, Sean Hannity=Roman Catholic, Greta Van Susteren=Scientologist).
I’m sure I’ll get some flack for talking about Hume, but this comment may have actually damaged Christianity more than helping. I am all for talking about Jesus be it on the Radio, a ball game, NASCAR race, school and even a news program on national TV, but PLEASE do not misrepresent God, do not offer people a better life if they “choose Christ” or make it seem like God is an addition to ones life to make them prosper in health, wealth or to heal your problems. Christians are never promised any of that and that kind of draw was only added when preachers stopped proclaiming the Word of God in Truth and Righteousness. They had to come up with devises to get decisions and fill the church rolls, if not they would be out of a job. So what to do? “Yeah, let’s target the peoples emotions and offer them things that will make them feel better about themselves and tell them God will cure everything and fix everything.” Heresy! God is not an accessory that you put on and take off as needs arise.
Just stop already with this type of message to the world. Proclaim God’s Truths and allow the Spirit to work. Don’t fish for emotional decisions and promises of health and wealth. Speak to a person’s soul using the Word of God, show them that they deserve nothing but the fires of hell but that God did make a Way. He sent His Son to take their sins upon Himself. The spotless Lamb, sinless and blameless that bore our sins on that tree to save us from that fiery pit. It is really simple after someone knows they are lost, they then must do only two things – repent and trust in Christ. In those two things one dies to themselves and gives God rein of their life, submits to Christ as Lord and then rests in Him. Give the complete Gospel and don’t butcher to not offend, I promise you when their life is over they will be screaming and cursing you for not offending them.
6 comments:
Couldn't disagree much more... actually when Hume left his full-time job at Fox News it was widely reported that his reason for leaving was so, in my words, he wouldn't have to be a part-time Christian. That's what it boiled down to, anyway. So I'm not sure your research was thorough. His comments may have left something to be desired but he really put himself out there for criticism, and he's absolutely right about no other faith offering the forgiveness we can have from God through Christ. I don't think Hume was trying to promote "easy-believism." Just my 2¢.
I admit that I did not look around a lot about Hume. The most I saw was about his son killing himself, but no mention of his spiritual condition. He did step out on a limb and go against the mainstream, he just did it in a wrong fashion. He implied that if Tiger wanted to come out of this looking half decent that Christianity could allow that for him. He may not have meant it that way, but that is the way it sounded. A lot of well meaning people do the same thing every day, just not in the publics eye.
I do agree that if Tiger did repent to God and turn from his sinful lifestyle he would look better to the world, but to offer that as a "benefit" of Christianity is not biblical. To me it is no different than than saying "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life". Or better yet telling someone that if they became a Christian they could get a better job, go further in school or get a great spouse. To offer forgiveness as a cure all is a dangerouse thing.
Well, I'll concede that his comments could have been more carefully worded, because in a day where easy-believism IS the mainstream, it's good to be certain to differentiate.
Hume, it appears, would be thinking that if Tiger came to the Christian faith (might be better to be more specific and say Christ), that he would be a good example to the world as to what Christ can do in a person in the forgiveness of sin and granting one a new heart. Of course I am having to really delve in beyond Hume's actual words and only guess as to his beliefs behind them.
Does God need Tiger? Of course not. I've often heard someone say of an unsaved yet talented person that if they were only converted God could really use them in His kingdom. Well God doesn't really need them. In fact, God is more glorified when He takes those who are least likely and makes something of them. So that could be one interpretation of what Hume meant.
But he could also simply see that God redeeming Tiger would be a great, public display of His glory. That would be Biblical. Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Encouraging someone to be a good example is not a bad thing. I don't think Hume held it out as a benefit. In fact, if Tiger was to repent, it would take great humility and being brought low.
What is really unsure is what Hume meant by "you can make a total recovery." If that means you'll get your family back, your career back, and everything will be ok like before, then Hume is making presumptions. Salvation doesn't negate the earthly ramifications and consequences of sin.
In the end, it would be hard to know the motives behind Hume's words. Such is the television world where a man can say something in about a 37 second time span and we must attach meaning to those words without further explanation.
It may too hard to really understand what Hume meant.
Whatever Crawford. It's in the meta. (HaHa, just kidding)
Also, I'm getting ready to write a follow up to the Hume blog. After his most recent comments and reactions from others across the country. Stay tuned.....
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