Bait-and-Switch Christian Radio and Defending the Faith

An abrupt experience with a NoVA Christian radio station

Catholic Christians are often faced with the reality that the world around them does not support what they believe.  But what do you do when you are faced with opposition by those who you thought were your Christian brothers and sisters?  Appropriate action is not always one-size-fits-all, but there are two principles that should guide your decision: honesty and practical wisdom.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - This past Sunday I was driving to mass at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church.  I was listening to Christian radio on 95.1 Shine FM.  I have a few different Christian radio stations that I appreciate and 95.1 was one of them, until today. 

On Sundays, they broadcast messages from pastors in the local area.  A narrator came on and introduced the upcoming message as that of a Presbyterian (PC USA) minister.  I later found out the minister is from Liberty Presbyterian Church.  The minister began by speaking about "phony" instances of humans experiencing the Holy Spirit.  His first example is one that orthodox Christians could understand.  He told of a man having a near-death experience and telling of his experience on the "other side."  The minister said that if this man tells you that the afterlife is full of sweetness and sugar, but you know that he is an unrepentant sinner, the contradiction between his life and the experience he had should raise some concerns.  He said that the devil could use this man and this false experience as a way to deceive other people into thinking that salvation can come without repentance of sin. 

The next example shocked and offended me, since Shine-FM usually offers a properly inclusive message appealing to all faithful Christians.  The minister spoke of a crippled woman walking to the shrine of a venerated saint and praying for that saint's intercession to cure her illness. When the woman walked away healed, this minister said that her experience would be a product of the devil, since dead people aren't 'able to heal'.  He said that the great deceiver would only do this to lead people astray.  Not only did this man show a gross ignorance of Catholic and Orthodox teaching on the efficacy of the intercessory prayers of the saints to the Lord on our behalf, but he did so with sarcasm and condescension. 

As I sat there listening to blatant anti-Catholic bigotry, I was angry that I was a supporter of the station.  Every song I listened to suddenly became tainted with the ignorance and divisiveness of this man's message.  Working for a ministry that is breaking into podcasting, I know the scrutiny and the editorial process required in broadcasting pre-recorded messages.  So when I heard this message I knew that it was approved to be broadcast throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC. 

The only reasonable conclusion for me to draw is that 95.1 Shine FM supports a message that is decidedly anti-Catholic.  I later found out that this message was part of a syndicated program, and was not previewed by any of the broadcasters (which poses a new set of problems relating to their standards and proofreading/listening of on-air material).

Though this was an emotional blow, I could not figure out what to do from there.  What should my plan-of-action be?  Should I start a boycott or campaign to make them accountable to the Catholics in their audience?  Should I be content with identifying false teaching as a victory in my ability to defend the faith and even spot heresy?  Perhaps I should reach out to the minister and help educate him on true Catholic teaching and maybe even inspire him to reconsider the Catholic faith? 

As I sat through Mass all of these questions and concerns bounced through my mind.  I was even a bit annoyed that I didn't have a pen and paper to jot down notes for this article.  But while I was sitting there, uncomfortable about what I heard just minutes earlier, the second reading gave me guiding insight.  Colossians 1:27,28 reads, "It was God's purpose to reveal to them how rich is the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; it is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we are proclaiming, admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom, to make everyone perfect in Christ."

While I was properly angry, since the minister misrepresented explained the Catholic teaching on venerating the saints, I had to temper that anger with a firm desire to help teach the faith in love by "instructing everyone in all wisdom."  The Catholic Catechism says, "Sacred images in our churches and homes are intended to awaken and nourish our faith in the mystery of Christ. Through the icon of Christ and his works of salvation, it is he whom we adore. Through sacred images of the holy Mother of God, of the angels and of the saints, we venerate the persons represented."  This teaching is far from what the minister broadcast.

The desire for another to be wise in their faith is virtuous, though it is often hard to live out. The first step in communicating my frustration and the wisdom of the Catholic Church was to email David Paul, Program Director for Shine FM, to explain my concerns. I did so. Here is his reply:

"I'm sorry you were offended by what you heard on this radio station.  Just to be clear, we are a ministry with Protestant roots and theology, but we greatly value our Catholic listeners and it is never our intention to highlight those theological differences in a way that mocks or condescends.  Our intention is to be an encouragement to all of our listeners regardless of  theology.We will listen to this short feature/spot and take appropriate action."

Paul missed the point, and the conversation moved away from Catholic teaching to how the station represents itself.  I am not offended that this false message was broadcast--it is no secret that some Christians reject the Catholic teaching regarding the prayers of the saints--but to masquerade as if you are properly inclusive of other Christians when you are not, is disingenuous and deceptive.  Paul's reply was insufficient since it is self-contradictory.  He said that their ministry is both Protestant and encouraging to all. This cannot be the case if Catholic teaching will be singled out as that of the devil. 

If their ministry was branded as exclusively Protestant (which it is not), then there would be no problem any more than a Catholic radio station giving a message refuting sola scriptura or the reformed Protestant understanding of predestination, since the station accurately identifies itself.  But Shine FM paints itself as inclusive and inviting! Misrepresenting Catholic Church teaching and labeling it as a product of the Great Deceiver does not make Catholics feel like a part of their ministry.

Misrepresenting Catholic teaching about the role saints play in our lives is distressing. It also misses a deeper truth of the communion of the Church and our participation in it. But worse is to act as if all are welcome, when in fact they are not.  If you help explain Christian teaching and assist another's belief in God you are doing a service for the Kingdom and your neighbors.  When we face anti-catholic ignorance and divisiveness such as this, we should defend the truth taught by the Church. We need to act with honesty and practical wisdom, regardless of what we support or fight.

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