The Hawks of Half-Truth

The American media, with the exception of a few “rogue” truth tellers, has leapt to the support of Planned Parenthood with a cunning crisis management plan which depends on the apathy and ignorance of the American public.

A 10/1 Article from The Federalist

“Abortion is on the rise at Planned Parenthood, and life-saving care is decreasing. All the spin in the world will not overcome that reality.”

The plan is simple and it’s sound public relations really – deflect focus away from the issue in question and shift blame and attention to someone or something else. It’s the art of half truth. This way the actual problem at hand can recede into the shadows of careless American journalism without being checked or challenged, or in this case abolished. In the scenario of Planned Parenthood selling fetal body parts for profit, I don’t know that the word “issue” does enough justice to the many slaughtered infants whose voices have been silenced by this evil foundation. Let’s call it more appropriately a ‘callous evil.’

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Presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina

Shifting blame and slandering the just

When Carly Fiorina called out this gruesome organization that’s been sure to announce it’s secondary services, (pap smears, breast exams, etc.) which are common services offered by many thousands of other federally funded clinics that aren’t guilty of murder, she was barraged by a unified and organized media counter assault. The message was that Fiorina lied about the graphic video (there are many incriminating videos put out by the Center for Medical Progress – any one of them evidence enough to immediately cut off federal funding to PP). But who is it that’s lying in this scenario? Fiorina or Planned Parenthood, with its arsenal of slanderous and dishonest media comrades? What shall we as the American people believe anymore when the news is no longer about reporting facts, but opinions? And what shall we conclude when those opinions are gradually guiding Americans away from what’s true and just and delivering them straight into the suspecting arms of evil? As ambassadors of a Kingdom established to usher abundant life, do our positions on matters of life and death not have implications?

Attack truth tellers with force

The systematization with which just about every major news medium acted upon and conformed to in Fiorina’s backlash was not a mistake or coincidence. In order to sell a lie and maintain it, it must be protected and nurtured. After Fiorina made her now infamous statement in the September Republican debate, reports from the mainstream media were 10/1 in favor of denouncing, slandering, shunning, and defaming her rather than commending her for telling the truth. The antagonistic press first tried to force an apology, Fiorina refused. Then they tried to deny such a video existed, banking on the fact that Americans probably wouldn’t investigate the matter for themselves, but would rather settle for news headlines or the evening TV programs . Finally, for those that are onto the scheme, (probably many more than they would have you believe) rhetoric and psychology were used to re-frame the debate. Rather than addressing A. abortions and B. the selling of body parts of those aborted to other entities, we heard the feel-good narrative of all of the other “essential” services that Planned Parenthood offers, imperative of course, to women’s health. There was even a seemingly well thought out social media campaign drawing attention to “testimonies” of past victims justifying their decision to abort – as if this evil couldn’t get a drop worse we have people that are proud of it, wanting to shout their experience (#ShoutYourAbortion) from a rooftop, as if it were the Gospel of Christ.

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The facts about PP’s practices speak a different story than the media smokescreen

Capitalizing on American apathy and spiritual sickness

When you boil it down, there are two chief reasons we as Americans are losing the battle for truth in the media, on this particular issue and many others.

1. Social and political apathy

We’ve been taught not to care if it doesn’t involve us personally and we are, generally speaking, a people without conviction and courage. We tend to do what’s most convenient rather than what glorifies God.

2. Spiritual sickness (& a total lack of discernment)

Although a large percentage of Americans, when surveyed, would identify as Christian, our actions simply don’t follow the words of our lips. That being said, we lack discernment when it comes to weighing fact and fiction, and discernment only comes through the Holy Spirit. Should a proud and independent people expect to hear from the Holy Spirit?

Consciences seared with hot irons

In 1st Timothy 4:1, Paul is describing a community of people, similar to Romans 1, that have lost their minds, hearts and connection to God. They’ve forfeited the truth for strange teachings, falling away from the faith and abandoning God. They are liars and hypocrites, and  their consciences have been burnt to a crisp. Their innate sense of right and wrong, good and evil, has been so long confused and upended by sin and wickedness that they don’t know how deceitful and damaging their words and actions are anymore. They don’t equate their actions with sin because sin, and righteousness for that matter, have lost their meaning for those who no longer have an operable conscience.

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“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1ST TIMOTHY 4:1-2

As Christians living in the ‘later times’ that Paul speaks of we: #1 shouldn’t be surprised, alarmed or intimidated by this and #2 we should be understanding and discerning of this, both in knowing what we’re dealing with and knowing how to combat it. Those with consciences still intact ought to persevere for those weak and perplexed, so that they might come to the knowledge of Christ. Peter puts it this way, speaking about a similar cultural paradox in 1st Peter, chapter 2,  “ Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1ST PETER 2:12)

We’ve forgotten how to be human beings

In Romans 1 Paul is describing a civilization so far removed from God and so devoid of His spirit that it’s frightening to read. It’s even more frightening that we’re mimicking this resume for spiritual depravity in America today! One statement stands out in Romans 1 that rings eerily true in reference to the pro Planned Parenthood camp. “Refusing to know God, they soon didn’t know how to be human either…” (1:26) In Romans, contextually, this occurred as a result of a people ‘refusing to know God’ and trading in their nature and image (from God) for the nature and image of man. We’ve followed the same road in America today. We’ve traded the blessing of conception and children for the man-made doctrine of SELF. Some call it pro-choice and others speak of ‘reproductive rights,’ but whatever tag or caption it holds, it represents the proud and Godless doctrine of men. Our humanness comes from God, but when we eradicate God from our society and culture we effectively forget how to be human. How inhumane we’ve become.

The Media “mountain” isn’t insurmountable

The cultural sphere of ‘media’ may seem like an insurmountable peak but we know that the darkness has no power or authority over the light. Even Fiorina’s short and very obvious statement of truth sent every available media resource desperately scrambling to extinguish the fire. If one statement can create a panic in satan’s camp, then what would happen if the body of Christ pushed the envelope and unsheathed their swords of truth on a more consistent basis? It will take a measure of courage and it will absolutely require sacrifice on behalf of the saints, but God specializes in making the seemingly impossible very possible and empowering his children to love their own lives not unto death. No matter your proximity to the world of media, step aside wherever you are and allow the voice of truth to direct your path and your words. The fate of the American press depends on it.

Joe D’Orsie – Communications & Spiritual Life Counsel jdorsie@livewithpurposecoaching.com