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Controlling The Powerful Media
Who does so -- and with what effect?
April 12, 2006 - Audio, 9.50 MIN
(Links at bottom of page to download free viewers.)
Welcome to our weekly Bible in the News programme brought to you again this week by Paul Billington in Canada.
This week we want to step back from the turmoil of world events and the politics--and take a look at those who report the news to us--the media.
Many of us will recognize the power of the media in today's world. We see it at election times, and also at times of crisis--such as with the Iraq war or when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at a crucial phase--as it is now. In these situations the media (both press and electronic) can bring enormous pressure and influence to bear. Journalists and announcers are sometimes referred to as being 'formers of public opinion'--they actually see their job as being to form public opinion--as telling us what to think. In this way they are seen to manipulate elections and even the policy of government. These are powerful people.
When this power and influence is seen to be concentrated in the hands of a particular group, such as the Roman Catholic Church for example, it ought to sound alarm bells--but of course it doesn't. It would do so if the mass of population were educated in the history of that particular Church. It is uncomfortable and even distasteful to speak of this in the modern world, but we at the Bible Magazine believe that unpleasant truths have to be spoken. There is no desire to offend anyone, but the facts are well enough known, and must be taken into consideration as we analyse the news, and then consider it alongside Bible prophecy and the purpose of God.
A recent article in the UK DAILY TELEGRAPH (March 17th/06) ran the headline: BBC CHIEF IS 'MOST POWERFUL CATHOLIC LAYMAN IN BRITAIN.' The paper said:
"Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, is the most influential Roman Catholic lay person in Britain, according to an analysis by the Catholic weekly THE TABLET.
"Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, who has faced criticism for her links with Opus Dei, and Cherie Booth, a successful lawyer and the Prime Minister's wife, are second and third.
"The magazine, which publishes its list of the 100 top Catholics today, said its analysis demonstrated how accepted Catholics had become in the life of the nation and the establishment.
"Most of those on the list, which aims to identify those who have the greatest impact on public life by wielding the most influence or power, practise their faith.
"Not only is the BBC'S chief a Catholic, but his deputy, Mark Byford, is too."
Also pointed out in this article is the fact that Robert Thomson, editor of THE TIMES newspaper, is a Catholic. What is not mentioned is the fact that the editor of the Daily Telegraph itself belongs to the same religious club--he converted to Catholicism some years ago.
Add to this the information that Catholics fill the posts of Speaker of the House of Commons (the first since the Reformation), Cabinet Secretary, the Defence Secretary--and so on.
All this amounts to some mighty influence. The media AND education is, you could say, Catholic controlled.
Now against that background, consider Britain's current policies towards Israel--and especially the coverage of news stories about Israel by the BBC.
Earlier this year an Associated Press report was published on the Yahoo website with the headline: ISRAEL LIKENS BBC PROGRAM TO NAZI PRESS. The story ran as follows:
"JERUSALEM--An Israeli government official said Sunday that a BBC program charging Israel with secretly stockpiling nuclear and chemical weapons demonized Israel in a way reminiscent of anti-Semitic tracts published in Nazi Germany.
"Government Press Office chief Daniel Seaman said a TV report entitled "Israel's Secret Weapon" was the latest in a number of programs by the British Broadcasting Corp. questioning Israel's right to exist. He declined comment on media reports that he intended to impose sanctions.
"The BBC said it stood by the program."
The rise in anti-Semitism, and more specifically in anti-Zionism is a growing phenomena today. Israel, who some years ago was seen as the plucky little nation that survived the hostility and military aggression of its neighbours, is now seen as the greatest threat to world peace. It is cast as the demon in the community of nations. Never mind Iran, never mind Iraq, or North Korea... Israel is the despised and the outcast.
For the Catholic Church and the Vatican of course, Israel is seen as a potential religious rival. This is particularly so since the rise of religious Zionism--a small but dedicated and enthusiastic group of several thousand Jews who try to keep certain principles of the Old Testament, and who sing and pray for the coming of Messiah and for the third (that is future) temple.
That is an idea--a concept--that the Vatican cannot tolerate. And it will doubtless have communicated that to Israeli authorities. This will be influencing Israel's policy of withdrawal from the West Bank.
Indeed, it is significant that the violent and ruthless treatment of settlers in Amona a few weeks ago as their homes were bulldozed and destroyed, received very little mention in the world's media.
The objective of gaining control of the media has been pursued by the Vatican for over 50 years. Many encyclicals have highlighted this. There was 'Miranda prorsus' in 1957 by Pius Xll. Others followed it--as did the "Mass Media pastoral Instruction" of 1971.
"Parents, educators, priests and Christian organizations should encourage young people with the right qualities to take up a career in social communications...
"Broadcasters have access to the minds and hearts of everyone..."
So read the 'Instruction.' We are now seeing the result of it in a powerful media that is constantly promoting the Catholic point of view.
There is an antidote to this, at least as far as we ourselves are concerned. That antidote is to see THE BIBLE in the news. This powerful system that is influencing the minds of men today is no surprise to us--it was predicted long ago in the Bible. The symbolic language of the Revelation is clear enough if we are willing to think about it:
Rev. 17:2 "... the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication"--i.e. they are under her influence.
Rev. 18:3 "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
Rev. 18:7 "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."
This system deceives the nations (verse 23); they are under her influence. And so they will be prompted to take action against Israel in what is called in THE HEBREW LANGUAGE 'Armageddon' (Rev. 16:16).
We may marvel that this Roman system should have become so powerful today, but let us not be deceived by it. As the Scriptures teach,
"..the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem " (Zechariah 1:17).
That is the day that we both wait and pray for as we continue to watch the Bible in the News.
That is all for this week. This time next week I will be on my way to New Zealand, so I expect David will speak with you, God willing.
Bible in the News provides a weekly analysis of world politics and events
in the light of Bible prophecy — the Bible in the News!
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